Use a custom domain

What is a custom domain

Custom domains are URLs unique to your brand that lead customers directly to your online content when they type it in the address bar. Instead of relying on a more lengthy URL like myawesomeshop.bigcartel.com, you can choose a shorter and more memorable domain like myawesomeshop.com. This makes it so much easier for customers to find, remember, and share your shop and products.

When to use a subdomain

If you have an established website and want to incorporate your online shop into it, utilizing a subdomain can come in handy. A subdomain acts as a prefix to your main domain and helps to further organize your online content. For example, you can have the primary content about your brand at myawesomeshop.com and create a subdomain like shop.myawesomeshop.com exclusively for selling your goods. This way, you can seamlessly integrate your shop into your existing website while maintaining clarity and organization for your customers.

Whether you need to register a domain or you've got one already, we've made it easy to get your custom domain or subdomain set up with your Big Cartel shop even on our free Gold plan.

Need a domain

If you don’t have a custom domain, don’t worry, we can help get you connected to one for as low as $1 for the first year! After the first year, a domain generally costs between $10 and $20 a year.

To purchase a domain directly from your Big Cartel admin:

1. Head to the Account page in your Big Cartel admin.

2. Click Edit your shop info > Add a custom domain.

3. Click Buy a new domain.

4. Enter a custom domain you’d like to purchase and click Search. If it’s not available, similar domains will be suggested or you can search again. Select your domain and complete the form to purchase your domain.

That's it! You'll be redirected back to your Big Cartel admin. Within just a few minutes your shop should be showing up at your newly registered domain.

Protips on selecting a domain name

- Keep it short, unique and memorable.

- Stick with top level domain extensions like .com unless an extension like .shop really works well.

- Avoid numbers and special characters - it’s more difficult to remember those.

- Make sure it matches your brand and use relevant keywords - again it should be easy and memorable.

- Research your domain name so you avoid any trademark or branding issues down the road.

Already have a domain

We make it easy to connect your existing domain to your Big Cartel shop even if it’s already connected to another website with a near-automatic configuration for the most popular domain registrars. It only takes a few clicks to get going!

And if your provider is not on the list, we’ve got you covered, you can connect your domain with our manual setup instructions here.

To automatically connect your domain from your Big Cartel admin:

1. Head to Account in your Big Cartel admin.

2. Click Edit your shop info > Add a custom domain.

3. Tap Connect a domain I already own.

4. Follow the prompts and enter the domain you’d like to connect. (Heads up! If you are connecting a subdomain, you’ll adjust www to your preferred subdomain in the first field.)

5. Tap to authorize with your provider.

That's it! You'll be redirected back to your Big Cartel admin. Within just a few minutes your shop should be showing up at your connected domain.