Guide updated on June 12, 2026.
In short: two options for your Shopify domain name: buy it directly from Shopify (the easiest, expect $15 to $25 per year, automatic setup) or buy it from an external registrar like OVH or Gandi and then connect it to your store. Our agency's recommendation: an external registrar, to keep control over your DNS and professional emails. In both cases, the operation takes less than an hour, and this guide details each step, including emails and changing your domain without breaking your SEO.
Your store has just been created, and its address looks like mystore.myshopify.com. Functional, but no one launches a brand with an address like that: the domain name is the first signal of credibility your visitors perceive, even before your design. The good news: on Shopify, it's one of the simplest configurations of the project, provided you avoid three or four pitfalls we regularly see in audits. Here's the method we apply to every client store launch.
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Why move away from myshopify.com
Every Shopify store is born with a technical address in the format mystore.myshopify.com. It remains usable indefinitely, but keeping it as a public address sends three negative signals: a lack of professionalism perceived by your customers, a brand that doesn't own its most basic asset, and advertising campaigns that convert less (a branded URL inspires trust in an ad, a technical URL does not).
Useful clarification: the myshopify.com address never completely disappears. It remains the technical identifier of your store (admin login, backup URL), but once your main domain is configured, your visitors no longer see it: Shopify automatically redirects all traffic to your brand domain. This answers a common question we receive: you don't delete myshopify.com, you hide it behind your real domain.
Option 1: Buy your domain name through Shopify
The fastest way. From the admin: Settings, then Domains, then "Buy new domain". You type the desired name, Shopify displays the available extensions (.com, .fr, .co, .shop...) with their annual price, generally between $15 and $25 per year depending on the extension. Payment is made using your existing Shopify payment method (billed separately from the subscription), and all technical configuration (DNS, SSL, www redirects) is automatic. Most often within minutes, sometimes up to 48 hours, your store will respond on your new domain.
Advantages: zero technical manipulation, renewal debited from your existing Shopify payment method, SSL certificate provisioned without intervention. Limitations: DNS management is intentionally simplified (sufficient for a store, limiting if your domain needs to be used for other purposes), and most importantly, a domain purchased from Shopify does not include any email addresses, a point we detail below because it surprises everyone.
Option 2: Connect an external domain (OVH, Gandi...)
If you already own your domain, or if you prefer to buy it from a French registrar (OVH, Gandi, IONOS...), connecting it to Shopify requires two DNS records. From the Shopify admin: Settings, Domains, "Connect existing domain". Shopify will then show you the two exact values to enter with your registrar: an A record for the root domain, and a CNAME record for the www subdomain. Always use the values displayed in your admin rather than an external tutorial; they are authoritative.
At your registrar (in your domain's DNS zone), you replace the existing records with those provided, save, then return to Shopify and click "Verify connection". DNS propagation takes anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours, most often less than an hour. Shopify then automatically provisions the SSL certificate. The final step, often forgotten: setting this domain as the primary domain, so that all variants (myshopify.com, www or root) properly redirect to a single canonical address. This is important for your search engine optimization: only one version of your site should exist in Google's eyes.
To decide between the two options at a glance:
| Criterion | Purchase via Shopify | External Registrar (OVH, Gandi...) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Price | $15 to $25 | €7 to €20 depending on extension |
| Configuration | Automatic | 2 DNS records to be entered |
| DNS Management | Simplified, limited | Complete (MX, SPF, subdomains...) |
| Mailboxes | No (redirection only) | Often available as an option |
| Reversibility | Domain linked to your Shopify account | Asset independent of the platform |
| For whom | Quick launch, non-technical profile | Our recommendation for brands that are structuring themselves |
Our agency's recommendation
For our client projects, we recommend option 2: buy the domain from an external registrar and connect it to Shopify. Three practical reasons. First, reversibility: your domain is your most durable asset; it should reside in an account that belongs to you, independently of your e-commerce platform. Second, complete DNS control: professional emails, subdomains, third-party tools (Google verifications, Klaviyo, tracking), everything goes through the DNS zone, and a classic registrar gives you all the necessary flexibility. Finally, cost: for the same extension, a registrar is often slightly cheaper, and mailboxes are available as a simple option. On this point, compare before buying: prices vary significantly from one platform to another (Gandi, GoDaddy, OVH...), and above all, beware of first-year introductory prices; it's the renewal price that matters in the long run.
And the recurring error we correct in audits: a domain registered in the name of the service provider who created the site, or in the personal account of a former associate. Whatever your purchase choice, the domain must be registered in your company's name, in an account to which you hold access. We have seen brands lose weeks trying to recover their own domain at the worst possible time. This ownership reflex also applies to the entire project: our guide to creating your Shopify online store details the other assets to secure from the start.
One last reflex we apply to our projects: securing a pack of variations of your domain name at the time of purchase. At least the .com and .fr, plus obvious variations (with and without hyphens, common typos if your brand lends itself to them). A few tens of euros per year that prevent a competitor, an opportunistic reseller, or a counterfeit site from setting up on a variant of your brand. These variants then redirect with 301s to your main domain.
Professional emails: the classic pitfall
The point that systematically surprises people: Shopify does not provide mailboxes. Buying your domain via Shopify does not give you an address like contact@yourbrand.com; it only provides the option to set up email redirection (messages sent to contact@yourbrand.com are forwarded to your Gmail, but you reply from your personal address, which is unprofessional).
For real mailboxes under your domain name, you need a dedicated service: Google Workspace (the solution we most often deploy), Microsoft 365, or the mailboxes included with some registrars like OVH. Configuration involves a few additional DNS records (MX for reception, SPF and DKIM for authentication). These last two are not optional: without correctly configured SPF and DKIM, your marketing emails will end up in spam. We detail this point in the deliverability section of our Klaviyo and Shopify guide.
Domain name and trademark registration: two distinct processes
Owning yourbrand.com gives you no rights over the trademark "Yourbrand," and vice versa. These are two different and complementary protections: the domain name reserves an address on the internet, while trademark registration (with the INPI in France) legally protects your name and logo within your classes of activity. A registered trademark can even assert its rights against a domain name registered in bad faith, and conversely, a domain alone will not protect you if a third party registers the trademark before you.
Our practical advice: conduct both processes in parallel, before launch. A prior art search on the INPI database when you are brainstorming your name avoids the worst situation we have seen: renaming a brand after launch, with a site redesign, domain change, and all supporting materials. INPI registration costs about €200 for one class; it's one of the best insurances for your project.
Do keywords in the domain help SEO?
The question comes up with every project: should you include keywords in your domain name (e.g., tree-house-bed-mysite.com) or prioritize the brand name alone? SEO literature has long been clear: keywords in the domain do not provide any direct ranking bonus. Google has confirmed this repeatedly through John Mueller, and the "Exact Match Domain" update in 2012 was specifically deployed to neutralize low-quality keyword domains. The remaining benefits are indirect: a descriptive domain can improve click-through rates for certain queries and generate naturally rich link anchor texts.
Our experience confirms this. For our own brand Cabania, we deliberately injected keywords into the domain (lit-cabane-cabania.com) at a time when doubt still existed. The verdict after several years of operation: we have never been able to measure any impact attributable to the domain itself; content, internal linking, and backlinks are what drive positions. Our recommendation today: choose the domain for your brand (short, memorable, without hyphens if possible), not for Google. If the keyword integrates naturally, great; never sacrifice brand name quality for it.
Change your domain name without breaking your SEO
Your brand evolves, you change your name, or you switch from a .fr to a .com: changing your primary domain on Shopify is technically simple (connect the new domain, set it as primary), but the SEO aspect requires rigor. Good news: when both the old and new domains are connected to the same Shopify store, the platform automatically redirects the old one to the new one, page by page.
The checklist to follow: keep the old domain active (and renew it!) for at least 12 months to maintain redirects, declare the address change in Google Search Console, update URLs in your tools (Klaviyo, ads, social networks, email signatures), and monitor your positions for 4 to 6 weeks. A well-executed domain change costs a few days of fluctuation in Google; a botched change, several months of lost traffic.
Subdomains: when and how to use them
A subdomain (e.g., pro-store.yourbrand.com, en.yourbrand.com) is configured with a simple CNAME at your registrar and can point to a second Shopify store. Legitimate use cases include: a B2B store separate from your public site, or an international market managed on a distinct store. However, for most internationalization cases, Shopify Markets makes separate stores unnecessary: currencies, languages, and taxes can be managed from a single store, on a single domain. Before multiplying subdomains and stores, check that your needs cannot be met natively.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a domain name cost on Shopify?
Between $15 and $25 per year for most extensions (.com, .fr, .shop) purchased directly through Shopify. With an external registrar like OVH or Gandi, expect generally €7 to €20 per year depending on the extension. In both cases, it's an annual renewal that should never be allowed to expire.
How do I remove myshopify.com from my store's address?
You don't remove it, you hide it: buy or connect your own domain, then set it as the primary domain in Settings then Domains. All visits to the myshopify.com address will be automatically redirected to your brand domain.
Can I use an OVH or Gandi domain with Shopify?
Yes, in fact, it's our recommendation. You just need to enter two DNS records (one A and one CNAME, values provided in your Shopify admin) in your registrar's DNS zone, then verify the connection from Shopify. This usually takes less than an hour, including propagation.
Does Shopify provide email addresses with the domain?
No. Shopify only offers inbound email redirection. For real professional mailboxes (to send and receive from contact@yourbrand.com), you need a service like Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or your registrar's mailboxes, configured via your DNS zone's MX records.
Does putting keywords in the domain name improve SEO?
No, not directly: Google has confirmed multiple times that keywords in the domain do not provide any ranking bonus. We verified this with our own Cabania brand (lit-cabane-cabania.com): no measurable impact attributable to the domain. Choose your domain for the brand, not for Google.
Can you change the domain name after launch?
Yes. Connect the new domain, set it as primary: Shopify automatically redirects the old one to the new one page by page, as long as both remain connected to the store. Keep the old domain active for at least 12 months and declare the change in Google Search Console to preserve your SEO.
