Connect Your Customer Accounts Domain in Shopify
Stop leaving your customer experience half-finished. Here's the straightforward setup that most Shopify store owners miss.
Let's talk about something that sounds technical but is actually costing you customer trust: your customer accounts domain setup.
I see this all the time—entrepreneurs building beautiful Shopify stores, perfecting their product pages, dialing in their checkout flow, but then their customer account page looks disconnected or throws up security warnings. Your customers notice this stuff, and it makes your professional brand look amateur.
The good news? Connecting your customer accounts domain in Shopify takes about 10 minutes, and I'm going to show you exactly how to do it—whether Shopify can automate it for you or you need to do it manually through your hosting company.
This isn't guru BS or shiny object syndrome. This is foundational infrastructure that separates the $5K/month stores from the 7-figure brands. Let's get it done.
Why Your Customer Accounts Domain Actually Matters
Here's what most people don't tell you: when your customer accounts aren't properly connected to your domain, customers see mismatched URLs, browser security warnings, or worse—they don't trust logging into your site.
Think about it from your customer's perspective. They're about to enter their personal information, order history, and payment details. If the URL suddenly switches to something generic like "accounts.myshopify.com" instead of staying on your branded domain, alarm bells go off.
You've worked too hard building trust to lose it over a 10-minute DNS setup. Professional brands have this dialed in. Now you will too.
Before You Start: What You Need
Quick check before we dive in. You'll need:
- Admin access to your Shopify store (obviously)
- Access to your domain hosting account (where you bought your domain—like GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, etc.)
- About 10 minutes of focused time (no multitasking—this requires attention to detail)
One important note: If your domain is hosted directly with Shopify, this whole process is automatic. Shopify handles the DNS records for you. But if you're like most store owners and your domain is with a third-party host, you'll need to follow either the automatic or manual setup steps below.
Step-by-Step Setup Process
Step 1: Access Your Customer Accounts Domain Settings
In your Shopify admin dashboard, navigate to your settings. You're looking for the option to "Change your customer accounts domain". Click it.
This is where Shopify will guide you through the connection process. Don't overthink it—just follow along.
Step 2: Shopify Creates Your Subdomain
Here's what happens next: Shopify automatically adds the subdomain "accounts" to your main domain settings. So if your domain is "yourbrand.com", this creates "accounts.yourbrand.com".
This subdomain is specifically for your customer account pages—login, order history, account settings, all that good stuff. Click "Continue" to proceed.
Step 3: Choose Your Connection Method
Now Shopify will ask how you want to connect this subdomain. You've got two paths here, and which one you take depends on where your domain is hosted.
Option 1: Automatic Connection (The Easy Way)
If your domain is hosted with a provider that Shopify integrates with directly, you'll see an option to "Connect automatically". Click it.
Shopify will handle all the technical DNS stuff behind the scenes. You might need to authorize Shopify to make changes to your domain settings (totally safe—you're just giving Shopify permission to add that one subdomain record).
Within a few minutes, your customer accounts domain will be live and working. Easy, right?
Pro tip: If you're hosted on Shopify itself (meaning you bought your domain through Shopify), this all happens automatically in the background. You won't even see these options—Shopify just does it for you.
Option 2: Manual Setup (When You Need Control)
If Shopify can't connect automatically to your hosting provider, you'll need to do a manual DNS setup. Don't panic—it's straightforward, and I'm going to walk you through exactly what to do.
What Shopify Will Show You
When you select "Manual setup", Shopify displays the exact DNS record you need to add. It looks like this:
- Type: CNAME
- Name: accounts
- Value: shops.myshopify.com
Screenshot this or write it down. You're going to enter this information into your domain hosting account.
Another way to connect is thru your "Customer accounts" setting and navigate to the "URL" section and click on "Manage".
Adding the DNS Record at Your Host
Now, log into your domain hosting company's website (wherever you manage your domain—GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, etc.).
Navigate to your DNS settings or DNS management area. Every host calls it something slightly different, but you're looking for where you can add or edit DNS records.
Add a new CNAME record with the details Shopify gave you:
- Name/Host:
accounts - Points to/Value:
shops.myshopify.com
Save that record. Now here's the part that requires patience: DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to fully propagate across the internet. In my experience, it's usually live within 1-2 hours, but don't freak out if it takes longer.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
The "Needs Attention" Button
Sometimes, after you set this up, you'll see a button or notification that says "Needs attention" next to your customer accounts domain in your Shopify settings.
Here's how to fix it: Click on "Customer accounts" in your Shopify settings, then click the "Manage" button. If you're not automatically redirected to domain settings, navigate to "Domains" manually.
You'll see your accounts' subdomain listed there. If it says "Needs attention," click on that status. Shopify will walk you through either connecting automatically through Shopify or redirecting you to complete the manual setup.
Verification Is Taking Forever
If Shopify says it's still verifying your domain connection after 48 hours, double-check your DNS record. Log back into your hosting provider and make sure:
- The CNAME record was saved correctly
- There are no typos in "accounts" or "shops.myshopify.com"
- You didn't accidentally add extra spaces or characters
Still stuck? Reach out to Shopify support—they're actually helpful with DNS issues, and this is a common enough setup that they've seen every possible variation of what can go wrong.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need to set up a customer accounts domain?
If you have customer accounts enabled on your store (meaning customers can create accounts, log in, view order history), then yes—you absolutely should set this up. It's about security, trust, and looking professional. Skipping this makes your brand look less credible.
Will this break my existing customer accounts?
No. Existing customer accounts and login credentials remain exactly the same. This is just changing where the account pages are hosted—from a generic Shopify subdomain to your branded domain. Your customers won't lose access to anything.
How long does DNS propagation really take?
Technically, DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate worldwide. In reality, most DNS changes are live within 1-4 hours. I've rarely seen it take the full 48 hours unless there's a specific issue with the hosting provider.
What if I don't have access to my domain hosting account?
You need to get access. If you worked with a developer or agency who set up your domain, reach out to them. If you've lost access to your hosting account, contact your hosting provider's support team—they can help you recover access. This is non-negotiable infrastructure, so treat it like the business asset it is.
Can I use a different subdomain instead of "accounts"?
Shopify automatically uses "accounts" as the subdomain name, and that's what you should stick with. It's clean, clear, and customers understand what "accounts.yourbrand.com" means. Don't overcomplicate it.
Will this affect my SEO?
Customer account pages typically aren't indexed by search engines anyway (they're behind login walls), so this won't impact your SEO. If anything, having properly configured domains across your entire site signals professionalism to both customers and search engines.
Do I need to do this for a new store or only existing stores?
Whether your store is brand new or been running for years, if you have customer accounts enabled, you should set up your customer accounts domain. It's part of your foundational infrastructure—like having an SSL certificate or a proper checkout flow.
What happens if I switch domain hosts later?
If you move your domain to a different hosting provider, you'll need to add the CNAME record again at your new host. The record itself (accounts → shops.myshopify.com) stays the same, but you'll need to recreate it in your new DNS settings. This is true for all DNS records when switching hosts, not just this one.
Is this the same as connecting my main domain to Shopify?
No, these are two different things. Connecting your main domain (yourbrand.com) to Shopify points your entire website to your Shopify store. The customer accounts domain is specifically for the subdomain where customer account pages live (accounts.yourbrand.com). You need both set up correctly for a fully professional store.
The Bottom Line
Connecting your customer accounts domain isn't the sexiest part of running a Shopify store, but it's the kind of foundational detail that separates amateur sites from professional brands that convert.
Your customers won't consciously notice when it's done right, but they'll definitely notice (and lose trust) when it's done wrong or left undone. You've got the steps now—automatic or manual, whichever path fits your hosting situation.
This is a 10-minute investment that protects years of brand-building work. Get it done today, then move on to the revenue-generating activities that actually matter.
Now, if you're realizing your entire store has these kinds of technical gaps—places where you're unknowingly leaving money on the table or making your brand look amateur—that's exactly what I help store owners fix. The difference between a $30K/year store and a 7-figure business isn't just traffic or marketing. It's dozens of strategic details like this one, properly executed.
Your business should fund your life, not consume it—and that starts with getting the infrastructure right so you can focus on growth instead of constantly putting out fires.
