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Transferring a third-party domain to Shopify

If you already own a custom domain and you want to manage all your domain settings from your Shopify admin, then you can transfer your domain to Shopify. After you transfer your domain to Shopify, you no longer need to use the third-party domain service where you originally bought the domain.

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Before you transfer your third-party domain to Shopify

Before you begin transferring your domain, you need to:

Requirements and considerations for transferring a domain to Shopify

Before you start, review the following requirements and considerations:

  • You need to own the domain that you want to transfer. If you don't own it and it's available for registration, then you canbuy it。
  • Before you can transfer your domain, you need to wait 60 days after registering your domain, transferring your domain to a different domain provider, ormaking changes to your registrar information。有关更多信息,请参考互联网公司oration for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)。
  • You need to pay the registration fee to renew your domain for an additional 12 months. The 12 months are added to your domain's current expiry date.
  • There might be additional costs associated with transferring your domain. Contact your domain provider for information about transfer costs.
  • You need to have access to your original domain provider account and the email account that you use to log in to it.
  • You need to make sure that your email address doesn't belong to the domain that you want to transfer. During the domain transfer process, you need to respond to emails received at this email address. If your current email address is connected to your domain, then it's disabled during the transfer. For example, if you want to transfer the domainjohns-apparel.com, then avoid using the email addressinfo@johns-apparel.com。
  • You need to monitor and respond to confirmation emails to complete the transfer process.
  • You need to use a third-partyemail hosting servicewith email forwarding from Shopify. Shopify doesn't provide email hosting services, but does provide unlimitedemail forwarding accounts。
  • It can take up to 20 days to transfer your domain. Your domain continues working during the transfer process.
  • Only apex domains likejohns-apparel.comcan be transferred into Shopify. Subdomains likewww.johns-apparel.comorshops.johns-apparel.comcan't be transferred into Shopify.
  • Shopify won't make a copy of any additional custom DNS records. Ensure that you have saved a copy of your custom DNS records so that you canadd them to your domainafter the transfer is complete.

Review your domain provider's transfer policy

Before you begin the transfer process, check your domain provider's transfer policy to make sure that domain transfers are supported. Most domain providers support domain transfers, but some don't. You can find your domain provider's transfer policy by searching their help center fortransfer domain:

Check your domain's eligibility for transfer

You can check whether your domain is eligible for transfer from your Shopify admin. Some domains, such as。caand。co.ukdomains, aren't eligible for transfer. Only apex domains such asjohns-apparel.comcan be transferred to Shopify. After an apex domain is transferred into Shopify, subdomainsmust be recreated。

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, clickSettings>Domains。
  2. Do one of the following:
    • If you haven't connected additional domains, then clickConnect existing domain, and then clicktransfer it to Shopify。
    • If you have other domains connected, then clickTransfer domain。
  3. On theTransfer an existing domainpage, enter the domain that you want to transfer to Shopify. Don't includewww.at the beginning of the domain.
  4. ClickNext。
  5. Do either of the following:

Step 1: Connect your domain to Shopify

To avoid any interruption in service, you need toconnect your domain to Shopify。If you don't connect your domain before you transfer it, then visitors to your domain might experience connection errors during the transfer process.

Step 2: Prepare your domain for transfer

Before you can transfer your domain to Shopify, you need to unlock your domain and get a transfer authorization code from your domain provider.

When you transfer a domain to Shopify, your domain's A record and CNAME record are set to Shopify's default domain records. If additional records are present on your domain before the transfer, then make a copy of those records to add to theDomainssection of your Shopify admin after the transfer. For example, you might need toadd an MX recordto reconnect your domain to an email hosting service.

Steps:

  1. Log in to your third-party domain provider account.
  2. Confirm that the email address associated with your account is up to date and doesn't belong to the domain that you want to transfer.
  3. Make a copy of any domain records that you might need to configure your domain after the transfer.
  4. ClickUnlocknext to the domain that you want to transfer. You might need to approve this choice by clicking a link in a confirmation email.
  5. ClickTransfer this domain,Transfer out, or similar to get a transfer authorization code from your provider.

Step 3: Transfer your domain to Shopify

After you prepare your domain for transfer, then you can start the domain transfer process from your Shopify admin.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, clickSettings>Domains。
  2. Do one of the following:
    • If you haven't connected additional domains, then clickConnect existing domain, and then clicktransfer it to Shopify。
    • If you have other domains connected, then clickTransfer domain。
  3. On theTransfer an existing domainpage, enter the domain that you want to transfer to Shopify. Don't includewww.at the beginning of the domain.
  4. ClickNext。
  5. In theAuthorization codefield, enter the authorization code from your domain provider.
  6. ClickVerify domain。
  7. On theApprove chargepage, review theDomain to be registeredsection. If you want to ensure that your domain is automatically renewed before it expires, then selectAuto-renew this domain every year。
  8. Review theContact informationsection to confirm that the Shopify store's email address and information are correct.
  9. Read theICANNpolicy and the Domain Registration Agreement.
  10. In theCharge summarysection, clickApprove。
  11. Check the email account that's associated with your domain for a transfer-approval message, and then follow the instructions in that message to approve the domain transfer to Shopify. If you don't approve the transfer, then it won't be processed.

It can take up to 20 days for your domain to be transferred. After it's transferred, you receive a confirmation email from Shopify. You can access your domain settings on theDomainspagefrom your Shopify admin.

If your domain hasn't transferred to Shopify after 20 days, then review your Junk or Spam email folders for any notices about the transfer or required actions. If you didn't receive any email messages, then contactShopify Support。

If your domain transfer isn't successful, then you're refunded the 1-year renewal charge.

Step 4: Manage your data use consent preferences

After you complete your domain transfer, you receive an email with the subject lineControl how your data is shared。The email contains a link that takes you to Tucows Inc'sData Use Consent Settings。Tucows is the parent company of OpenSRS, the service that Shopify uses to resell domains to merchants. Giving consent is optional, and you can withdraw it at any time.

Next steps

After you transfer your domain to Shopify, you can do the following tasks:

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