Transferring Shopify-managed domains to another store or domain provider

You can transfer a Shopify-managed domain from one store to a different Shopify store from the Domains page. When you transfer your domain, your email forwarding addresses, DNS records, and subdomains transfer along with the domain.

Only the store owner and a staff member with the Transfer domain to another Shopify store permission can transfer a Shopify-managed domain. The transfer link is sent to your store email address, not to the person who starts the transfer. To receive the transfer email at a different address, update the store email address before you proceed.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Domains.

2. In the Domains section, click the name of the domain that you want to transfer.

3. Click Domain settings > Transfer to another Shopify store.

4. Confirm that the store email address is up to date, and then click Send transfer link.

5. When you receive the transfer email message, do one of the following:

   • If you're the other store's owner or a staff member with the Transfer domain to another Shopify store permission, then click the transfer link in the email text and log in to the Shopify store where you want to transfer the domain.
   • If you're not the other store's owner or a staff member with the Transfer domain to another Shopify store permission, then forward the email message to someone who has the appropriate permission for that store.

For the domain transfer to succeed, the store owner or staff member with the appropriate permission needs to log in to the Shopify store directly from the transfer link in the email message. After the transfer is accepted, it can take up to 24 hours for the domain transfer to complete.

If you no longer want to manage your domain through Shopify, then you can transfer your Shopify-managed domain to another domain provider.

Before you transfer your domain

Before you transfer your Shopify-managed domain to another domain provider, review the following considerations:

• Only the store owner can transfer a domain to another domain provider.
• You can transfer your domain when your store is paused, deactivated, or frozen, and you don't need to pay an outstanding invoice first. Learn more about transferring your domain from an inactive store.
• If you transfer your domain to a platform that doesn't use HTTPS, then for the next 90 days, an error message displays in the browser when anyone attempts to visit your domain. Learn more about the HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) policy and resolving security errors.

Considerations based on the domain extension

If your domain has a generic extension, such as .com, .net, or .org, then your domain isn't eligible for transfer until 60 days after you complete any of the following actions:

• Buying the domain
• Transferring the domain to Shopify
• Changing your contact information

This waiting period is part of the transfer policy set by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), so it applies at every domain provider. Domains with a country-code extension, such as .ca, follow the rules of their own registry, which can be different. A .us domain follows the same 60-day waiting period. For more information, refer to the ICANN transfer policy for domain name holders.

Until your domain is eligible for transfer, you can edit your DNS settings to point your domain to a different host. To stop your domain from renewing before you transfer it, you can deactivate automatic renewal.

How you transfer your domain depends on its extension. For most extensions, you can transfer your domain from your Shopify admin by using a domain authorization code. However, you can't transfer a domain with any of the following extensions from your Shopify admin:

Domains that end in .lu or .za don't use a domain authorization code, and they don't need Shopify Support at all during the transfer process. Your new domain provider starts the transfer, and then you approve the confirmation email that you receive. A .za transfer takes 5 to 10 days to complete.

Transfer your domain from your Shopify admin

When you start the transfer, your domain unlocks automatically. To complete the transfer, you give your new domain provider a domain authorization code.

It can take up to 7 days for a successful transfer to complete. If you don't complete the domain transfer within 30 days, then your domain is locked again. To complete a transfer after 30 days, you need to cancel the existing transfer and start the transfer process again.

Steps:

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Domains.

2. In the Domains section, click the name of the domain that you want to transfer.

3. Click Domain settings > Transfer to another provider.

4. Review the information, and then click Confirm. The domain authorization code displays on your domain's information page.

5. Give the domain authorization code to your new domain provider to verify the transfer.

Transfer your domain from an inactive store

If your store is paused, deactivated, or frozen, then your Shopify admin displays a limited set of pages, and the Domains page isn't one of them. You can still transfer a Shopify-managed domain to another domain provider by opening a limited version of the Domains page directly. You don't need to reactivate your store or pay an outstanding invoice first.

This version of the page supports only viewing your domains and transferring your Shopify-managed domains.

If your domain has one of the extensions that you can't transfer from your Shopify admin, or your domain isn't listed on this page, then contact Shopify Support instead of following these steps. If your domain ends in .lu or .za, then ask your new domain provider to start the transfer instead.

If you don't complete the domain transfer within 30 days, then your domain is locked again. To complete a transfer after 30 days, you need to cancel the existing transfer and start the transfer process again. It can take up to 7 days for a successful transfer to complete.

Steps:

1. Log in to your Shopify admin. Because your store is inactive, you're directed to a page with a URL that contains /access_account.
2. In your browser's address bar, replace /access_account and everything after it with /access_account/domains, and then press Enter.
3. In the Domains section, click the name of the domain that you want to transfer.
4. Click Domain settings > Transfer to another provider.
5. Review the information, and then click Confirm. The domain authorization code displays on your domain's information page.
6. Give the domain authorization code to your new domain provider to verify the transfer.

Transfer your domain with Shopify Support

If your domain has an extension that you can't transfer from your Shopify admin, then contact Shopify Support to start the transfer, unless your domain ends in .lu or .za. Before you get in touch, ask your new domain provider what they need to accept the domain.

A domain that ends in .uk, such as .co.uk, doesn't use a domain authorization code. Instead, it uses an Internet Provider Security (IPS) tag, which identifies the domain provider that manages the domain. To transfer a .uk domain, ask your new domain provider for their IPS tag, and then give the tag to Shopify Support.

HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) is a web security mechanism that ensures that browsers only connect to your online store over a secure HTTPS connection. Using a secure connection prevents certain kinds of network attacks and helps to ensure the safety of your data and your customers' data. HSTS is always active on your domain for as long as your domain is connected to your Shopify store.

If you remove a domain or leave Shopify entirely, then Shopify's HSTS policy remains in effect on your domain for an additional 90 days. If you transfer your domain to another platform that uses HTTPS, then you won't need to perform any additional procedures.

If you transfer your domain to a platform that doesn't use HTTPS, then for the next 90 days, an error message is displayed in the browser when anyone attempts to visit your domain. The error message might state that the site isn't trusted or that the certificate isn't valid. In that case, you can choose one of these options:

• Wait until the 90-day period is over.
• Transfer your domain to a platform that provides a new TLS certificate.
• Purchase a TLS certificate from a certificate authority.

If you have questions about HSTS, then contact Shopify Support.