Changing the domain name of your Shopify store is a relatively straightforward process, whether you’re switching to a new Shopify domain or opting for a custom domain. Here’s how you can do it:
Changing to a New ‘myshopify.com’ Domain
1. Access Shopify Admin: Log into your Shopify admin dashboard.
2. Navigate to Settings: Click on ‘Settings’ and then select ‘Domains’.
3. Change Domain: In the Domain section, click on ‘Change to a new myshopify.com domain’.
4. Check Availability: Type your desired new domain to check its availability.
5. Add Domain: If available, click ‘Add domain’ to finalize the change.
Changing to a Custom Domain
1. Go to Settings: In your Shopify admin, click on ‘Settings’ and then ‘Domains’.
2. Select Domain Option: Choose to ‘Buy new domain’ or ‘Connect existing domain’.
3. Follow Prompts: Follow the series of prompts from Shopify to complete the change.
4. Transfer Domain (if needed): If you have a domain from a third-party provider, you can transfer it to your Shopify store for integrated management.
Setting Up Shopify URL Redirects
After changing your domain, it’s important to set up 301 redirects. This ensures that your SEO rankings are maintained and that visitors to your old URL are automatically redirected to your new domain. This step is crucial to avoid SEO impacts such as broken links and traffic loss. You can use Shopify’s built-in URL redirect feature to set these up.
Conclusion
Changing your Shopify store’s domain name can be done within the Shopify admin panel, either to a new Shopify domain or a custom domain. Remember to set up 301 redirects after the change to maintain your SEO performance. This process is essential for rebranding, improving your store’s professionalism, or aligning your domain name more closely with your business identity.
