Moving from Shopify

1. Point your domain to us Recommended

Your domain stays at Shopify (you keep paying them for it). We host the new site. You just swap two settings.

Before you start: we'll email you two nameservers that look like xxxx.ns.cloudflare.com. Have that email open.

1. Shopify-managed domain: Settings > Domains > click the domain > DNS settings > Manage
2. Edit the A record (cannot be deleted) and add/edit CNAME records to point to our host (Actions > Edit); Actions > Reset restores Shopify defaults
3. Domain registered elsewhere: change nameservers/DNS at that registrar, not in Shopify

Official help page: help.shopify.com/en/manual/domains/managing-domains/edit-dns-settings

Changes usually show up within a few hours, at most 24 to 48. Your old site keeps working until the switch finishes.

2. Move your domain to us

We take over the domain itself, so you get one bill (ours) for website, hosting and domain. It stays registered in your name and we renew it at cost.

1. Only the store owner can do this: Shopify admin > Settings > Domains, click the domain name
2. Click Domain settings > Transfer to another provider
3. Review and click Confirm; the domain unlocks automatically and the authorization code shows on the domain's information page
4. Give us the code; start transfer at Cloudflare Registrar
5. If store is paused/frozen: in the admin URL replace /access_account... with /access_account/domains and repeat

Timing: 60 days after buying, transferring in, or changing contact info (generic TLDs; .us too). Up to 7 days to complete. If not completed within 30 days the domain re-locks. .be .de .ec .eu .mu .ph .pl .re .se .nz: contact Shopify Support. .uk: give IPS tag to Shopify Support. .lu/.za: new provider starts it and owner approves a confirmation email.

Then send us: the authorization code (also called the EPP or transfer code). Paste it in your dashboard or reply to our email. Don't post it anywhere public.

Official help page: help.shopify.com/en/manual/domains/managing-domain-ownership/transferr

3. Keep Shopify, let us in to fix or rebuild

Best if you only want fixes or a rebuild and want to stay on Shopify. You invite us; we never need your login.

Shopify calls it: Collaborator access (request code + Settings > Users > Requests); alternative: staff account (Grow plan and up) · Choose: Collaborator with a custom role limited to what we need (e.g. products, themes, settings, apps, domains). Cannot be Administrator. Staff accounts alternative: custom role under Settings > Users > Roles.

Invite this email: hello@advancingwebsites.com

1. We need a Shopify Partner account with two-step authentication on
2. Open Shopify admin > Settings > Users > Security (or Users & permissions > Security)
3. Click the 4-digit collaborator request code to copy it and send it to us
4. We submit a collaborator request from our Partner Dev Dashboard using the code and the store
5. Go to Settings > Users > Requests and open our request
6. In Roles, edit/rename the auto-generated role or assign existing roles, then click Accept request
7. We log in once from the Stores page of our Dev Dashboard

Official help page: help.shopify.com/en/manual/your-account/users/security/collaborator-ac

Stuck?

Reply to any email from us, or send a note with a screenshot of what you see. We'll walk you through it, or hop on a quick call.

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Steps checked against Shopify's official help pages in October 2026. Screens change sometimes; if something looks different, tell us and we'll update this guide.