How to understand domain terms in Shopify
Shopify Domain Glossary
Domain name
A domain name is the unique address of a website, such as www.example.com. It’s what customers type into their browser’s address bar to visit your online store.
Custom domain
A custom domain is a personal domain name purchased for your business, as opposed to a free domain provided when you open your store. For example, instead of having example.myshopify.com, you could use example.com.
Domain provider
A domain provider is a company that sells domain names and manages their registration. Providers like GoDaddy, Google Domains, and more allow you to purchase and manage custom domains.
Subdomain
A subdomain is a part of the main domain that precedes it. For example, shop.example.com is a subdomain of example.com. Subdomains are used to divide a website into different areas or versions of the website.
Domain registration
Domain Registration is the process of purchasing a domain name from an authorized registrar. This is the first step to creating a custom domain for the Shopify platform.
DNS
The Domain Name System is a system that translates domain names into IP addresses. This allows browsers to identify which server to access when you type in a web address.
Transfer to a custom domain
A domain transfer is the process of transferring a domain from one provider to another, while keeping the domain active and preserving the existing details.
Domain Validator
Domain validity is the period of time during which a domain name is associated with its owner. A domain registration must be renewed to keep it active and accessible on the Shopify platform.