Shopify Domain Not Connecting? How to Fix DNS, Verification and SSL Errors With GoDaddy, Hostinger and BigRock

On this page

1. Shopify domain not connecting: the quick fix
2. Why a Shopify custom domain fails to connect
3. Fixing the records at GoDaddy, Hostinger and BigRock
4. Should you change nameservers or just records?
5. Keep your business email working
6. Shopify SSL pending or "not secure" after connecting
7. Too many redirects or the wrong site loading
8. Moving an existing website to Shopify on the same domain
9. How to check that the domain is really connected
10. Quick check: check the DNS
11. When to get help
12. FAQs

If your Shopify domain is not connecting, the cause is almost always DNS: the root domain is not pointing to Shopify's A record, the www subdomain is not a CNAME to Shopify, or an old record is still sending visitors to your previous host. Fix those records at the company that manages your DNS, wait for them to update, then press Verify connection in Shopify.

This guide covers the exact checks for domains bought from GoDaddy, Hostinger, BigRock, Namecheap and similar registrars in India, plus the SSL, redirect and email problems that appear after the domain finally connects.

Shopify domain not connecting: the quick fix

Work through these steps in order. Most stores are fixed by the first three.

1. Find who manages your DNS. Look up the nameservers for your domain. If they belong to your registrar, edit DNS there. If they point to Cloudflare, your old hosting company or a website builder, edit DNS at that service instead.
2. Set the root (@) A record to the IP address Shopify shows on the domain connection screen in your admin (Settings, then Domains). Shopify's published value has long been 23.227.38.65, but always copy the value Shopify shows you.
3. Set www as a CNAME to shops.myshopify.com. If www is currently an A record, delete it and create the CNAME.
4. Delete conflicting records. Remove any other A or AAAA records on @ and www that point to your old host, parked page or website builder.
5. Wait, then verify. Changes often show within an hour but can take up to 48 hours. Then click Verify connection in Shopify.
6. Set the primary domain. Choose www or the root as primary so the other one redirects to it.

If you followed Shopify's own guide during setup, our Shopify store setup guide for India explains where the domain step fits in the wider launch.

Why a Shopify custom domain fails to connect

When you add a third-party domain, Shopify checks two things: that the root domain resolves to its IP address and that www points to its servers. Verification fails when either check fails. The common reasons are:

• Records edited in the wrong place. Many owners change DNS at the registrar while the nameservers point somewhere else, so nothing changes. This is the most frequent cause.
• Two A records on the root. The old hosting IP and Shopify's IP both exist, so visitors and Shopify's checker see different answers.
• A leftover AAAA record. An IPv6 record pointing to the old host can win on some networks, including many Indian mobile networks that prefer IPv6.
• www set as an A record or a forwarding rule. Registrar "domain forwarding" or "website redirect" features override the records you added.
• Typing mistakes. A CNAME value with the wrong target, such as www pointing to your-store.myshopify.com instead of shops.myshopify.com, or a host name entered twice.
• Caching of old answers. Your own phone or office network may still show the old site for a while even after the records are correct.

If DNS concepts such as A records, CNAMEs and nameservers are new to you, read domain, hosting, DNS and SSL explained first; it makes the rest of this fix much quicker.

Fixing the records at GoDaddy, Hostinger and BigRock

The menu names differ, but the edit is the same at every registrar.

GoDaddy

Open the domain, go to DNS, and edit the existing A record with the name @. GoDaddy often has a default "Parked" A record and a www CNAME pointing to @; change the A record value to Shopify's IP and change the www CNAME value to shops.myshopify.com. Also check the Forwarding section and remove any forwarding you added earlier. GoDaddy also offers a one-click Shopify connection; if it fails, edit the records by hand.

Hostinger

In hPanel, open Domains, then DNS / Nameservers. If the domain also had a Hostinger website, the root A record and the www record will point to the hosting server. Change them to the Shopify values and delete any duplicate A or AAAA records. Do not delete the MX, SPF or DKIM records if you use Hostinger email.

BigRock, Namecheap and others

Look for DNS Management or Advanced DNS. Some older panels require the root to be written as the domain name itself rather than @. Remove URL redirect records that point the root to a different address.

Should you change nameservers or just records?

For most Indian businesses, keep the nameservers where they are and edit the A and CNAME records. Changing nameservers moves all DNS to a new provider, and every record you forget to copy breaks something, usually business email first.

Shopify also lets you buy a domain inside Shopify or transfer one in. Transferring is only worth doing if you want Shopify to manage renewals; it adds a step and a lock period, and you should still copy every email record before moving. Our guide to transferring a domain without downtime covers that process.

Keep your business email working

Connecting a domain to Shopify only changes where the website lives. Your email is controlled by the MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records, and those should stay exactly as they are. Before you edit anything:

• Take a screenshot or export of every DNS record.
• Note the MX records (Google Workspace, Zoho, Microsoft 365 or Hostinger mail).
• Note the TXT records for SPF, verification and DMARC, and any DKIM CNAME or TXT records.

If email stops after a change, compare the current records with your screenshot. For Hostinger mailboxes, the Hostinger business email setup guide lists the records to restore.

Shopify SSL pending or "not secure" after connecting

Shopify issues a free SSL certificate once both records point to it. If the domain is connected but SSL stays pending:

• Check for a proxy. If Cloudflare manages your DNS and the records are proxied (orange cloud), Shopify may not be able to issue its certificate and visitors can see errors or redirect loops. Set the Shopify records to DNS only (grey cloud) unless you have a specific, tested reason to proxy. Our CDN guide explains what a proxy does and when it gets in the way.
• Remove extra A and AAAA records that point elsewhere, even if they look harmless.
• Check CAA records. A CAA record that allows only one certificate authority can stop Shopify's certificate. Either remove it or add the authority Shopify uses, as listed in Shopify's help pages.
• Give it time. Certificates usually appear within hours of correct DNS, but can take up to 48 hours.

For general certificate warnings, such as a mismatched name or an expired certificate shown on an old subdomain, see SSL certificate errors and how to fix them.

Too many redirects or the wrong site loading

After connecting, some stores loop between www and the root or show the old website on one version. Common causes:

• A redirect rule at the registrar or old host sends the root to www while Shopify sends www to the root.
• Cloudflare has an "Always use HTTPS" or page rule that conflicts with Shopify's own redirects while the record is proxied.
• The old WordPress site is still on the root A record, so one version shows the store and the other shows the old site.

Remove external redirects and let Shopify handle the redirect between www and the root through the primary domain setting. Our too many redirects guide has more checks if the loop continues.

Moving an existing website to Shopify on the same domain

If the domain already had a WordPress or custom site with Google rankings, plan the switch rather than just pointing the records:

1. List the old URLs that get traffic, from Search Console or analytics.
2. Create URL redirects in Shopify (Online Store, then Navigation, then URL redirects) from old paths to the new product, collection and page URLs.
3. Switch the DNS records at a quiet time, after the store, payments and shipping are tested and the store password is ready to remove.
4. Submit the new sitemap in Search Console and watch the indexing reports for errors.

The Shopify SEO checklist covers titles, canonicals and the sitemap once the store is live.

If the domain loads but visitors see a password screen, the store is still locked; see how to remove the Shopify password page.

How to check that the domain is really connected

• Use a public DNS lookup tool to check the A record for the root and the CNAME for www from several locations.
• Open the domain on mobile data, not only your office Wi-Fi, to avoid a cached answer.
• In Shopify, the domain should show as Connected with SSL active.
• Open both www and non-www versions with http and https; all four should land on the primary https address.
• Send a test email to and from your business address to confirm mail still flows.

Quick check: check the DNS

1. In Shopify admin, open Settings > Domains and check the status.
2. Check the A record points to 23.227.38.65 and the www CNAME to shops.myshopify.com.
3. Use dnschecker.org to see if the change has spread.

When to get help

If records look correct but the store still shows "This store is unavailable", SSL stays pending for more than two days, or email broke during the change, it is worth having someone review the full DNS zone. We connect domains, migrate stores and fix DNS for Indian brands as part of our Shopify development service, and we work with businesses across the country through our WordPress and Shopify developer service in India. You can also send the details through the contact form.

FAQs

Why is my Shopify domain not connecting?

Usually because the root A record or the www CNAME is wrong, an old record still points to a previous host, or you edited DNS at the registrar while the nameservers point to another provider. Fix the records where DNS is actually managed, then verify again.

How long does it take for a domain to connect to Shopify?

Often under an hour, but DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to spread everywhere. SSL is issued after the records are correct and can take a few more hours.

What DNS records does Shopify need?

An A record for the root domain pointing to the Shopify IP shown in your admin, and a CNAME for www pointing to shops.myshopify.com. Remove other A or AAAA records on those names.

Will connecting my domain to Shopify break my email?

Not if you only change the A record and the www CNAME. Email depends on MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records, which you should leave unchanged. Problems usually come from switching nameservers without copying those records.

Why does my Shopify store say SSL pending?

The records may not have updated yet, a Cloudflare proxy may be active on the Shopify records, or an extra AAAA or restrictive CAA record is interfering. Correct those and wait for Shopify to issue the certificate.

Can I use a .in domain with Shopify?

Yes. A .in or .co.in domain connects to Shopify the same way as a .com, using the same A and CNAME records at your DNS provider.