How to use your own checkout domain (checkout.yourstore.com)

By default, your checkout opens on a free CheckoutFlare address. It works right away, with no setup. But shoppers feel safer when the address bar shows your own brand, like checkout.yourstore.com.

A custom domain is optional. You can go live without it and add it later. The dashboard estimates about 5 minutes of work. Custom domains are listed as a feature of the Starter plan and above. See Billing and plans.

Three words to know

• Domain. A website name you own, like yourstore.com.
• Subdomain. A name added in front of your domain, like checkout.yourstore.com. We suggest checkout, so your main website keeps working exactly as it does now.
• DNS. A kind of phone book for websites. One line in it tells the internet where your checkout lives. That line is called a CNAME record.

What you need before you start

• A domain you own. If you do not have one, you can buy one in Shopify, or from a company like GoDaddy or Namecheap.
• Your login for the company that manages your domain’s DNS. This is often the company where you bought it, or Cloudflare.

Steps

1. Add the domain in CheckoutFlare

1. Go to Settings, then Checkout domain.
2. In Checkout address, type a subdomain you own, like checkout.yourstore.com. You can click the suggestion under the box to fill it in.
3. Click Add domain.

You can have one checkout domain at a time. To change it, remove the current one first.

2. Add the DNS record

After you add the domain, the page shows a table called Add this DNS record. It has four parts:

• Type: CNAME
• Name: the first part of your address. For checkout.yourstore.com this is checkout.
• Target (points to): customers.checkoutflare.com
• TTL: Auto

Use the copy buttons for the Name and the Target. Then add this record where you manage your domain. Pick your provider tab on the page, or follow these steps.

Shopify (you bought the domain in Shopify)

1. In Shopify admin go to Settings, then Domains.
2. Click your domain, then Manage, then DNS settings.
3. Click Add record, and enter the CNAME details.
4. Save.

GoDaddy

1. Open My Products, then DNS next to your domain.
2. Click Add New Record and enter the CNAME details.
3. Leave TTL as the default and click Save.

Namecheap

1. Click Manage next to your domain, then open Advanced DNS.
2. Click Add New Record, enter the CNAME details and set TTL to Automatic.
3. Click the green check to save.

Cloudflare

1. Open your domain, then DNS, then Records.
2. Click Add record and enter the CNAME details.
3. The orange cloud (Proxied) is fine. Click Save.

Another company Find the DNS or domain settings, create a new CNAME record with the same details and save it.

3. Wait and check

1. Go back to CheckoutFlare and click Check now.
2. The page shows three steps: DNS record found, Security certificate (SSL) and Live. The SSL certificate is what makes the padlock appear. It is issued by itself once DNS is found. The page says this usually takes under a minute.
3. When the badge says Live, shoppers see your own address.

DNS changes usually show up within minutes, but they can take up to an hour.

If something goes wrong

• The badge says “Waiting for DNS”. We cannot see your CNAME yet. Check that the Name and Target match exactly, then wait a few minutes and click Check now.
• The badge says “Problem”. Read the red message on the page. It tells you what we found. Fix the record and click Check now.
• The Name looks wrong. Enter only the first part, like checkout, not the whole address. Some providers add your domain to the end for you. If your provider adds it, do not type it again.
• You already have a record with the same name. A name can only have one record. Delete or change the old one first.
• “This domain is already used by another store”. The address is attached to a different account. Use a different subdomain.
• “Use a domain you own”. You cannot use a checkoutflare.com or myshopify.com address. Use a domain you own.
• “We could not register this domain”. This is a problem on our side or at our certificate partner. Try again later, and contact us if it continues.
• You pointed your whole store to us by mistake. Only add a record for the checkout subdomain. Do not change your main website’s records. If you did, change them back at your DNS provider.
• You want to stop using it. Click Remove domain. Your checkout goes back to the free default address.

Check it after it goes live

1. Place a test order from your store in a private browser window.
2. When the checkout opens, look at the address bar. It should show your own address and a padlock.
3. Finish the test to make sure the whole path works.

Next step

Now track your sales for your ads: Pixels and tracking.