- Short answer
- Shopify says up to 48 hours for a third-party domain to go live, with "SSL pending" meanwhile; then check DNS before contacting Support.
- DNS takes effect
- Third-party domain: usually within two hours, Shopify's connection guide says, but can take up to two days.
- Done when
- Connected on the Domains page.
- What can hold it up
- Wrong A, AAAA or CNAME values, CAA records missing a required authority, active DNSSEC, or Cloudflare's proxy.
- Not the same clock
- Transferring a domain into Shopify is a separate process that can take up to 20 days.
What does SSL pending mean in the Shopify admin?
Shopify words the status as "TLS or SSL pending". It shows in your domain settings while Shopify issues the domain's free TLS certificate; for a third-party domain connected by changing its A and CNAME records, that can take up to 48 hours.
You'll know the certificate is issued when the status on the Domains page reads Connected, which Shopify also requires before you change your primary domain.
How long does each kind of Shopify domain change take?
After you update a third-party domain's DNS records, Shopify's connection guide says the changes usually take effect within two hours but can take up to two days.
Shopify's stated waits
| What you changed | Shopify's stated wait (up to) | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Connected a third-party domain, manually or automatically | 48 hours | Domain fully live, TLS certificate issued |
| Bought the domain from Shopify | 48 hours | Domain starts working; records are set for you |
| Edited DNS on a Shopify-managed domain | 24 hours (troubleshooting guide: up to 48 hours) | The change taking effect |
| Transferred a domain into Shopify | 20 days | The transfer, not a connection |
Transferring a domain into Shopify is a separate process and can take up to 20 days.
What should you check if SSL pending lasts past 48 hours?
Shopify's troubleshooting guide points to these checks:
- DNS records: confirm A, AAAA and CNAME match the values Shopify lists.
- CAA records: your store doesn't need them; any you keep must include every required certification authority.
- DNSSEC: if it's activated, deactivate it.
- Cloudflare: its proxy can cause certificate provisioning failures; set every record pointing to Shopify to DNS only, and the error might resolve itself within 24 hours.
Still pending 48 hours after your last DNS change? Contact Shopify Support. For a third-party domain, Support can't access your provider's settings and gives only general troubleshooting, so Shopify points you to your domain provider for assistance.
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