Custom Domains

CNAME record A canonical name (CNAME) record is a DNS setting that points your subdomains to another domain name. Other terms: CNAME resource record, alias 💡 Set up a CNAME Record: This should point to your subdomain at Big Cartel, formatted as example.bigcartel.com (replace "example" with your shop’s actual subdomain). 301 redirect / Forwarding A 301 redirect is a permanent DNS setting that tells search engines to direct traffic from one destination to another, ensuring traffic ends up on the correct page/URL.

Other terms: Redirect, Forwarding 💡 Implement a 301 Redirect: This redirects traffic from example.com to http://www.example.com (substitute "example.com" with your domain). DNS Domain Name Systems (DNS) is a database of domain names. Every domain has its own DNS entry. Domain Name Systems organize domain names and translate them from words to numbers so you can visit a website without having to memorize its IP address. When connecting your Domain to your Big Cartel shop, you might have to edit your DNS settings in your domain account. Usually this process is done automatically, but if your domain is not supported by the automated system, you will need to manually change your DNS settings to connect it to your Big Cartel store.

Other terms: DNS records, DNS settings, resource records, DNS file zone

💡 Example: Your DNS settings are your CNAME and 301 redirect.

If your IONOS domain is not working after purchasing it through your Big Cartel admin, log into your IONOS account, and you'll find instructions on any necessary actions you'll need to take. For instance, you might only need to confirm your IONOS account email.

Alternatively, it is possible that your IONOS payment is still pending. In this case, you will have to wait for the payment to be processed.

After ensuring that your account is in order, your domain setup should activate, allowing your shop to load successfully.

Since Big Cartel is not a domain provider, you’ll want to make sure you switch on auto-renewal in your domain account.

💡 The auto-renewal service decreases the possibility of a domain expiring by automatically renewing it within 30 days of its expiration. This ensures your domain will continue to connect to your shop!

If your domain has been functioning correctly for an extended period (months or even a year), the first thing to check is whether your domain has expired. After renewing your domain, it may be necessary to reconfigure your DNS settings, depending on the policies of your domain provider.

How can I check if my domain has expired? • Visit a WHOIS lookup service: WHOIS, DomainTools Who.IS • Input your domain name: Use the provided search bar to enter your domain name, then click on the Search button. • Analyze the results: The WHOIS lookup will provide a range of information about your domain. Check for a label like Registry Expiry Date or Expires On. This is the expiration date of your domain. 💡 If you are using a supported domain provider you’ll want to check if your domain is working after renewing. If it isn’t, disconnect and reconnect the domain from your Big Cartel admin. If your domain is not supported for automated set-up, you’ll want to go through the manual set-up, read more about here.

Custom domains are a paid plan feature, but don’t worry you can use your Big Cartel subdomain like example.bigcartel.com (replace "example" with your actual subdomain) to share with your customers!

There's not a way to use an A record/IP address to map your domain to your Big Cartel shop, so that wouldn't be an option. Instead, you'd want to use a CNAME record and forwarding. You'll find those instructions here.

If your domain host doesn't support CNAME records, and you've had your domain for more than 60 days, then we'd recommend switching over to a provider that supports those DNS changes - most do! You can find a list of supported providers here.

We don't offer email hosting services, but your domain provider might already offer an email package for your custom domain.

If you don't have a custom domain just yet, then we'd recommend using Hover or IONOS for the easiest setup of both a custom domain and email address. You can also look into email-only service providers, like Google Apps or Rackspace Email.

Unfortunately, Shopify doesn’t support the necessary domain settings to connect your domain to Big Cartel, such as a CNAME record and 301 redirect, and we don’t provide domain hosting services.

Instead you'll need to transfer your domain to a supported domain provider, here are a few examples: IONOS , iwantmyname.com, namecheap.com, one.com, or hover.com

💡 Important Note: Once the transfer is completed, integrating your domain to your store will be simple and can be done directly in your account admin.

We do not provide hosting services, however, you have the option to map your domain to your Big Cartel shop. We offer automated setup but if your provider isn’t on the list, follow the instructions for manual set up here.

Unfortunately, there are some hosting providers that don’t play nice with our automated setup and you’ll be prompted to add your domain manually in the admin.

Not to worry! If we don’t offer automated setup for your specific domain provider, we provide step-by-step instructions for manual setup within your domain provider account. These instructions can be found here. If you run into any issues getting your domain connected, you can reach out to our support team here.

💡 Heads up! The following domain providers require a hosting plan to be able to connect your domain to your Big Cartel shop. You’ll want to head to your custom domain account and add hosting to your plan.

Here are a few known providers that require a hosting plan:

Bluehost

Crazy domains

Network Solutions

register.com

Still running into issues getting your domain connected? Reach out to our support team for a hand. We can help you out faster through in-app messaging if you’re logged in here or shoot us an email at [email protected].