How to get a custom domain for your online store
A custom domain is the address people type to reach your store, such as example.com. It looks more professional than a free address, it is easier to remember, and it stays yours if you ever change platforms. Here is how to choose one, buy it, and connect it to your store.
What a custom domain is, and why bother
Every Payly store starts with a free address that ends in workers.dev. It works well and costs nothing, but it is long and it is not your brand. A custom domain replaces it with a name you own.
- Trust. Shoppers are more comfortable paying at an address that matches the store name.
- Easy to share. A short name fits on a business card, a package insert or a social profile.
- Portability. You own the domain, so it can point at a different store later and your customers' bookmarks keep working.
Choosing a name
A few rules save regrets:
- Keep it short and easy to say. If you have to spell it out over the phone, it is too complicated.
- Avoid hyphens and numbers where you can. People mistype them.
- Prefer .com for a general audience. Other endings can work, particularly local ones, but .com is what many people try first.
- Check that nobody else uses the name for a business like yours, including on social media.
Buying the domain
Domains are sold by registrars, which are companies licensed to register names. Payly does not sell domains, so you buy from any registrar you like.
A .com typically costs about $10 to $20 a year. Prices differ by registrar, and some names, especially short or popular ones, cost much more. Compare the renewal price as well as the first-year price, because renewals can be higher. Turn on automatic renewal and keep a payment method current, since a domain that expires can be taken by someone else.
Use a registrar account that you control with your own email address, so the domain is always yours.
Connecting it to your Payly store
Payly stores run on your own Cloudflare account, so the domain is attached there. Connecting a domain in Payly costs nothing. You pay only the registrar. The full steps are in Connect a custom domain. In outline:
- Connect Cloudflare first. If you have already published your store, this is done. If not, see Connect your Cloudflare account.
- Add the domain to Cloudflare. In your Cloudflare account, choose Onboard a domain, enter your domain name and pick the free plan. Nothing is bought or transferred. The domain stays with your registrar.
- Change the nameservers at your registrar. Cloudflare shows you two nameservers. Sign in to your registrar and replace the domain's current nameservers with those two.
- Wait for Cloudflare to show the domain as active. This can take a while, because the change has to spread across the internet.
- Connect it in Payly. Go to Settings > Domain, type your domain without http://, and click Connect domain.
Cloudflare creates the DNS record and the security certificate automatically, so there is nothing more to add at your registrar. When it works, the tab shows your domain with a green Live label. If it says Waiting for DNS, click Check again after a few minutes.
If you connect example.com, Payly also connects www.example.com, so shoppers reach your store whichever they type. The free workers.dev address keeps working too.
Do the domain last in your launch plan, after a test order works. Then switch your social profiles and printed material to the new address in one go.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting email records. Changing nameservers moves all of the domain's DNS records to Cloudflare, including those used for email. Check that Cloudflare lists them before you change the nameservers, or your email can stop working.
- Typing http:// or a path. Enter the plain domain, such as example.com.
- Adding the domain to the wrong Cloudflare account. It must be the same account that Payly is connected to. Settings > Hosting shows its name.
- Using a domain already connected elsewhere. A domain can belong to only one site, and a store has one custom domain at a time.
- Disconnecting a live domain. It stops serving the store straight away. If you reconnect it, some visitors may see an error for a while. Disconnect only when you need to.
- Letting it expire. Set a reminder and turn on auto-renew.
Questions
Do I need a custom domain to start selling?
No. Your store works on its free address from the first day. Add a domain when you are ready. It is an optional step in the launch checklist.
Does Payly charge for connecting a domain?
No. Payly is free, and connecting your domain costs nothing. You pay only your registrar for the name.
Can I use a domain I already own?
Yes. If it is already on your Cloudflare account, you can connect it right away. Otherwise, add it to Cloudflare as above. You can create a free Payly account to start building the store while you decide on a name.
Domain prices vary by registrar, extension and year, and renewal prices can differ from the first-year price. Check the registrar's own pricing page before you buy.
