How do I rename my Shopify URL?

Renaming your Shopify URL can help make your store name more memorable, brandable, and search engine friendly. While Shopify doesn’t allow you to change your shop’s .myshopify.com address, you can customize your online store’s URL by buying and connecting your own domain name.

Table of Contents

Why would I want to rename my Shopify URL?

There are a few key reasons why customizing your Shopify URL is recommended:

Improve branding – A customized domain like yourbrand.com is more professional and memorable than a generic myshopify.com URL.

Enhance SEO – Search engines may rank stores with branded domains higher than obscure myshopify.com URLs.
Increase trust and credibility – Customers may find stores with branded domains more legitimate and trustworthy.
Streamline marketing – It’s easier to market a branded domain name than a convoluted default URL.

How do I buy a new domain for my Shopify store?

Follow these steps to purchase a custom domain name for your Shopify store:

Decide on your new domain name. Brainstorm memorable, brandable names that are short and easy to spell. Check availability using a domain registrar.
Register your preferred domain name with a registrar like GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc. This will let you own the domain name for 1-10 years.

Point your new domain to your Shopify store by changing the domain nameservers. In your registrar account, set the nameservers to:

ns1.shopify.com
ns2.shopify.com

Log into your Shopify admin. Navigate to Online Store > Domains. Add your new domain here.
Set your new domain as the primary one. This will change the default URL that customers see.
Install an SSL certificate for the new domain to enable HTTPS and increase trust.

Once these steps are completed, your Shopify store will be accessible via your custom domain name! The myshopify.com address will still work in the background but your new URL will show.

How do I set my custom domain as the primary one?

Follow these steps to set your new custom domain as the primary URL for your Shopify store:

Log into your Shopify admin and go to Online Store > Domains.

Under “Primary domain”, click the dropdown menu.
Select your custom domain from the list to make it the primary URL.
Click Save. This will update your shop’s primary domain.

Revisit your online storefront to confirm your custom URL shows up first.

Shopify will automatically rebuild your store with the new primary domain. Any existing pages and redirects will continue working seamlessly.

How do I redirect my old Shopify URL?

After updating your primary domain, it’s best to redirect your old Shopify URL to your new custom domain to avoid any broken links or 404 errors. Here are two ways to redirect your myshopify.com address:

Option 1: Set up a URL redirect in Shopify

Log into your Shopify admin and go to Online Store > Domains.
Scroll down to the URL Redirects section.
Click Add a URL Redirect.

Set the From URL as your old Shopify domain.
Set the To URL as your new custom domain.
Check Redirect permanently.

Click Create URL redirect.

This will automatically redirect any requests from your old URL to the new domain with a 301 permanent redirect.

Option 2: Redirect using .htaccess

Alternatively, add this redirect rule to the .htaccess file:

Redirect 301 / http://your-old-shopify-url.myshopify.com http://your-new-domain.com

This will perform a server-level 301 redirect from your old Shopify URL to your new domain.

Should I keep my Shopify domain as a backup?

Even after connecting your custom domain, it’s a good idea to keep your original Shopify URL intact as a backup. Here are some reasons why:

The myshopify.com address will continue functioning behind the scenes.

It prevents someone else from registering your old URL if you let it expire.
You can set it up to redirect to your custom domain so links keep working.
It provides a safety net if there are ever issues with your new domain.

So don’t delete your old Shopify URL! Just leave it redirected to your preferred domain for backup purposes.

Can I rename my Shopify store name?

Along with your URL, you may also want to customize your Shopify store’s business name. This is different than your domain – it’s your official store name used throughout your admin and features.

You can change your Shopify store name by following these steps:

Log into your Shopify admin and go to Settings > General.
Under “Store name”, update the name to your new preferred store name.
Click Save to update the name sitewide.

Your store name will now reflect your new branding. This is different than your .myshopify.com URL which can’t be altered directly.

Do I need to migrate my Shopify content to my new domain?

When you set a new custom domain as your Shopify store’s primary URL, all your existing site content will migrate over automatically. Here’s what will happen behind the scenes:

Your products, collections, content pages, blogs, navigation, etc. will be rebuilt on your new domain.

Requests to your old .myshopify.com links will redirect to your new domain.
Any existing SEO value will be retained during the transition.

Because of this, you typically don’t need to manually migrate any URLs or site content to your new domain. The changeover is handled automatically by Shopify to prevent issues.

Will renaming my domain affect my Shopify SEO?

Changing your Shopify domain can have an impact on your store’s SEO, but it’s usually minimal if done properly. Follow these tips to preserve your Shopify SEO when changing domains:

Set up 301 redirects from old URLs to new so search engines update references.
Use Shopify’s migrations tools to rebuild on the new domain to retain SEO value.

Update XML sitemaps to point to the new domain name.
Install SSL on the new domain to avoid security warnings.
Submit a change of address in Google Search Console for the new domain.

With strategic precautions, most SEO equity can be retained when you switch Shopify domains. Be patient, as search engines may take some time to adjust to the changes.

Can I rename my Shopify domain for free?

There is no direct way to change your free .myshopify.com URL on Shopify. However, you can customize your store’s domain name for free by following these steps:

Find a free domain name – Some registrars offer free domains, or you can get one for around $1.

Connect it to Shopify – Just enter the nameservers Shopify provides in your registrar account.
Set as primary – Make your free domain the primary URL in Shopify’s settings.
Redirect old URL – Use Shopify or .htaccess to redirect from the old URL.

This allows you to create a branded domain for free by purchasing the cheapest available name. The rest of the process involves configuration within your Shopify admin.

What’s the best TLD for my Shopify domain?

The best TLD (top-level domain) for your Shopify URL depends on your brand and location. Here are some popular options:

TLD	Description
.com	Most popular global domain ending.
.yourbrand	A brand name TLD just for your company.
.shop	Domain explicitly for ecommerce stores.
.store	Another TLD designed for online retail stores.
.yourcountry	A country code TLD like .ca or .in to target region.

In most cases, .com is ideal for Shopify due to global memorability. But consider your brand and audience when choosing a TLD.

Should I use a subdomain or subdirectory for my Shopify store?

You have two options when customizing your Shopify URL with your own domain:

Subdomain – like shop.yourbrand.com
Subdirectory – like yourbrand.com/shop

In most cases, a root domain like yourbrand.com is recommended for simplicity and SEO value. But subdirectories and subdomains both have pros and cons:

Factor	Subdomain	Subdirectory
Simplicity	Slightly more complex	More straightforward
SEO	Counts as separate domain	Retains root domain authority
Branding	Can diminish brand recognition	Emphasizes brand in URL
Expanding	Makes adding stores easier	Harder to add more stores

In general, subdirectories are preferable for single storefronts. But subdomains allow easier expansion for multi-store merchants.

Should I use www or non-www domain for Shopify?

You have two options for configuring your domain with or without the www subdomain:

Non-www: yourbrand.com
Www: www.yourbrand.com

Generally, a non-www domain is recommended for simplicity and consistency:

Non-www is shorter, cleaner, and more brandable.
It minimizes duplicate content issues with www version.
Non-www aligns with trends toward simplicity.

Just redirect www to non-www using your registrar.

However, many sites still successfully use the www version. Talk to your marketing team about which option makes the most sense.

How do I test that my custom domain is set up properly?

After connecting your custom domain to Shopify, validate it is configured properly by:

Trying your new domain in a fresh private browser session – it should load your store.
Testing old Shopify URL – should redirect to new domain properly.
Checking HTTPS/SSL is enabled.

Verifying site pages and assets load correctly.
Confirming domain change in Google Search Console.
Testing domain management settings in DNS registrar.

Work through testing like this from both technical and user perspectives. Address any issues with redirects, HTTPS, speed, etc. This ensures a smooth transition to your new domain.

What’s the process to rename my Shopify domain?

Here is a summary of the full process to rename your Shopify URL with a custom domain:

Choose a new memorable domain name and check availability.

Register your preferred domain with a registrar for 1-10 years.
Point the domain to Shopify by updating nameservers.
Add the domain in Shopify and set it as primary.

Set up redirects from your old Shopify URL.
Update sitemaps, Google Search Console, etc. for new domain.
Rigorously test the new domain and redirects.

Allow time for DNS propagation and search engines to adjust.

Focus on streamlining redirects, maintaining SEO, and creating a smooth transition for customers. With strategic planning and testing, you can successfully rename your Shopify URL.

Conclusion

Renaming your Shopify store’s URL is one of the best ways to improve branding, trust, and memorability. While the default .myshopify.com address can’t be altered, connecting and configuring a custom domain provides the same effect.

With some strategic planning around redirects, SEO, integrations, and testing, you can seamlessly transition to a new branded domain. This can level up the professionalism of your Shopify store over time.

Focus on finding a short, catchy domain name that complements your brand. The investment is well worth the long-term boost to customer recognition and recall. Just follow security best practices and Shopify’s domain settings to rename your URL properly.