Custom Domain & SSL

Your storefront is published on an Evolve address that works from day one, over HTTPS, with nothing for you to configure:

https://shop-<tenant>.evolvestorefront.com

You can serve your storefront from your own address instead. That takes a certificate from you and a DNS change on your side, so plan it before launch rather than on launch day.

Before you start

Your address must be a subdomain

It must be a subdomain such as store.example.com or shop.example.com. A bare apex domain like example.com cannot be pointed at the platform, because the DNS record type required for the apex isn't compatible with how your storefront is served.

Your Evolve address stops working

Once your own domain is live, shop-<tenant>.evolvestorefront.com no longer serves your storefront. Anything that references the Evolve address needs updating: bookmarks, campaign links, integrations, and your BigCommerce channel settings. Plan the switch as a cutover.

The certificate

You provide the TLS certificate for your domain, and we install it.

You	Evolve
Obtain a certificate for your exact hostname from a publicly trusted certificate authority	Install it and attach it to your storefront
Send us a replacement before it expires	Install the replacement

What to send

Item	Notes
Certificate	PEM format, issued for the exact hostname you're using. A wildcard covering that hostname is fine.
Private key	PEM format, without a passphrase.
Certificate chain	The intermediate certificates from your certificate authority. Leaf certificate alone is not enough.

Renewals are on your calendar

Your storefront becomes unreachable when its certificate expires, because browsers refuse the connection. Send us a replacement at least five business days before the expiry date so there's time to install and verify it. Set a reminder when you first send the certificate, not later.

Self-signed certificates aren't usable; browsers will reject them.

The process

1. You tell us the hostname, exactly as shoppers will type it, and who on your side can create DNS records.
2. You obtain the certificate for that hostname and send us the certificate, private key and chain over a secure upload link.
3. We install it and configure your storefront for your domain.
4. We send you the target hostname to point your domain at.
5. You create the DNS record, as described below.
6. We confirm your domain is serving your storefront over HTTPS, and hand back to you to cut over.

The DNS record you'll create

One record, at your DNS provider:

Type	Name	Value	Purpose
CNAME	store (or your chosen subdomain)	The target hostname we send you, e.g. d1234567890abc.cloudfront.net	Points your subdomain at your storefront

Use the exact target we give you. It's specific to your storefront.

Lower your TTL first

Reduce the record's TTL to something short, 300 seconds say, a day or two before the cutover. If anything needs correcting, the fix propagates in minutes rather than hours. Raise it again once you're happy.

If a record already exists at that name, whether an old A record or a CNAME pointing somewhere else, it has to be removed or replaced. Two conflicting records at the same name is the most common cause of a domain that works for some visitors and not others.

Also update BigCommerce

Set your Evolve channel's primary site URL to your new domain, so links in BigCommerce transactional email point at your storefront rather than the old address. See Prerequisites.

Verify

• Your domain loads your storefront, with a valid padlock in the browser.
• The certificate shown in the browser is the one you supplied, and its expiry is what you expect.
• Page source shows canonical URLs on your new domain, not the Evolve address.
• shop-<tenant>.evolvestorefront.com no longer serves your storefront. That is expected, not a fault.
• A test order still completes end to end.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Certificate warning in the browser	The chain is missing intermediates, or the certificate doesn't cover this exact hostname	Send us the full chain, or a certificate issued for the right hostname
Domain doesn't resolve	The CNAME hasn't propagated, or was created at the wrong name	Confirm the record name and value; wait out the previous TTL
Works for some people, not others	Two conflicting DNS records at the same name	Remove the old record
You wanted example.com, not store.example.com	Apex domains aren't supported	Use a subdomain, and redirect the apex to it at your DNS or hosting provider
Site suddenly unreachable, certificate warnings everywhere	The certificate expired	Send a replacement immediately, then set a renewal reminder

If your domain isn't behaving after the DNS record has propagated, contact us with the hostname and what you're seeing.

See also

• Prerequisites — channel setup, including the primary site URL
• Support — how to reach us