Whether you are a new Shopify merchant setting up your first online store or an experienced e-commerce entrepreneur managing multiple storefronts, understanding how to find and manage your Shopify store URL is absolutely essential. Your store URL is the digital address that connects customers to your products, enables third-party app integrations, and serves as the foundation for your entire online presence.
In this comprehensive guide, we will explore every aspect of Shopify URLs - from finding your default myshopify.com address to setting up custom domains, optimizing URLs for SEO, troubleshooting common problems, and much more. By the end of this article, you will have mastered everything there is to know about Shopify store URLs.
Understanding Shopify URLs: The Basics
Before diving into the methods for finding your Shopify URL, it is important to understand what exactly a Shopify store URL is and why it matters for your business.
What is a Shopify Store URL?
A Shopify store URL is the web address that identifies your online store on the internet. When you first create a Shopify account, the platform automatically generates a default URL based on the store name you provided during signup. This default URL follows a specific format and cannot be changed once set (with very limited exceptions we will discuss later).
The default Shopify URL format is: [your-store-name].myshopify.com
For example, if you named your store Sunshine Clothing during signup, your default Shopify URL would be: sunshine-clothing.myshopify.com
Why Your Shopify URL Matters
Your Shopify store URL serves several critical functions that impact various aspects of your e-commerce business:
- Customer Access: This is the primary way customers find and access your online store to browse products and make purchases.
- Admin Panel Access: The myshopify.com URL is used to log into your Shopify admin dashboard to manage your store.
- Third-Party Integrations: Many apps, marketing tools, and services require your myshopify.com URL to connect with your store.
- API Connections: Developers and integrations use your store URL as the base endpoint for API calls.
- Brand Identity: While you can add custom domains, your myshopify.com URL remains your unique store identifier within the Shopify ecosystem.
- Email Communications: Shopify uses your store URL for order confirmations, shipping notifications, and other automated emails.
Types of Shopify URLs: myshopify.com vs Custom Domains
There are two main types of URLs associated with your Shopify store: the default myshopify.com URL and custom domain URLs. Understanding the difference between these is crucial for managing your online presence effectively.
The Default myshopify.com URL
Every Shopify store is assigned a unique myshopify.com URL when created. This is your permanent store identifier that cannot be removed or completely changed. Key characteristics of the myshopify.com URL include:
- It is generated automatically based on your store name during signup.
- The format is always [store-name].myshopify.com.
- Spaces and special characters are replaced with hyphens.
- It remains active even if you add custom domains.
- It is required for admin access and backend integrations.
- You can only change it once or twice (depending on when you signed up).
Custom Domain URLs
A custom domain is a branded web address like www.yourbrand.com that you can connect to your Shopify store. Custom domains provide a more professional appearance and are what your customers will typically see when browsing your store. Benefits of custom domains include:
- Professional branding and credibility with customers.
- Easier to remember and share than a myshopify.com URL.
- Better for marketing campaigns and SEO.
- Consistent brand identity across all touchpoints.
- You can add up to 20 domains (or 1,000 on Shopify Plus).
According to Shopify Help Center, when you set a custom domain as your primary domain, all traffic from your myshopify.com URL automatically redirects to the custom domain. However, your original myshopify.com URL still exists and functions for backend purposes.
Method 1: Finding Your Shopify URL from the Browser Address Bar
The quickest way to find your Shopify store URL is by looking at the browser address bar when logged into your Shopify admin. Here is the step-by-step process:
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Open your web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, etc.).
- Navigate to shopify.com and log into your Shopify account.
- Once logged in, look at the URL in your browser address bar.
- You will see a URL formatted like: https://admin.shopify.com/store/your-store-name
- The portion after store/ is your store name.
- Your full myshopify.com URL is: your-store-name.myshopify.com
Example
If your browser shows https://admin.shopify.com/store/toms-fashion, then your myshopify.com URL is toms-fashion.myshopify.com.
Important Note About Recent Shopify Changes
According to CartDNA, Shopify has made changes to how the myshopify URL is displayed to users. In the past, the URL could be easily spotted in the dashboard address bar. This is no longer the case, as Shopify has removed this from the visible part of the URL in a browser when logged into the admin panel. However, the store name portion is still visible in the admin URL format mentioned above.
Method 2: Finding Your URL Through Shopify Admin Settings
The most reliable method to find your complete Shopify store URL is through the Settings section of your Shopify admin. This method shows you all domains connected to your store.
Via Settings and Domains
- Log into your Shopify admin at admin.shopify.com.
- Click on Settings in the bottom left corner of the screen.
- Select Domains from the settings menu.
- You will see a list of all domains connected to your store.
- Look for the domain ending in .myshopify.com - this is your default store URL.
- You will also see any custom domains you have added.
Via Settings and General
- Log into your Shopify admin.
- Click on Settings at the bottom left.
- Select General from the settings menu.
- Scroll down to find your store URL under the Store details section.
Both methods will show you the same information, but the Domains section provides a more complete overview of all URLs associated with your store.
Method 3: Finding Your URL from Page Source Code
This method is particularly useful when you need to find the myshopify.com URL of any Shopify store - whether it is your own store or a competitor store you are researching. The page source contains the original myshopify.com URL even if the store uses a custom domain.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Navigate to any page on the Shopify store you want to investigate.
- Right-click anywhere on the page.
- Select View Page Source or View Source from the context menu.
- A new tab will open showing the HTML source code of the page.
- Press Ctrl+F (Windows) or Cmd+F (Mac) to open the search function.
- Search for myshopify.com or Shopify.shop in the source code.
- Look for a variable like Shopify.shop that reveals the store URL.
What You Will Find
In the HTML head section, you will typically find code that looks like this:
Shopify.shop = your-store-name.myshopify.com
This reveals the underlying myshopify.com URL regardless of what custom domain the store is using publicly.
Method 4: Using the Shopify Mobile App
For merchants who manage their stores on mobile devices, the Shopify app provides an easy way to find your store URL without needing a computer.
iOS and Android Instructions
- Download and open the Shopify mobile app on your device.
- Log into your Shopify account with your credentials.
- Tap on the Store tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap on Settings.
- Navigate to the General section.
- Your store URL will be displayed here.
The mobile app provides the same information as the desktop admin, making it convenient for store management on the go.
Method 5: Checking Shopify Email Communications
If you cannot access your Shopify admin for any reason, you can often find your store URL in previous email communications from Shopify.
Where to Look
- Welcome email from Shopify when you first signed up.
- Billing confirmation emails and invoices.
- Password reset emails.
- App installation confirmation emails.
- Store notification emails.
Search your email inbox for messages from Shopify and look for references to your myshopify.com URL in the email content or links.
Method 6: Using Shopify Partner Dashboard
If you are a Shopify Partner or developer with access to multiple stores, you can find store URLs through the Partner Dashboard.
For Partner Account Holders
- Log into your Shopify Partner account at partners.shopify.com.
