Coupers Insights

Introduction

Operating an online store in Nigeria comes with its unique challenges — one of which is the difficulty some customers face when trying to access your Shopify website. This issue is commonly caused by poor connectivity between Nigerian Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Shopify’s servers.

If your customers frequently complain that your store is not loading, displaying “Connection Error”, or taking forever to open, the problem is most likely related to how your domain is configured.

Fortunately, there is a simple and reliable solution to fix this — by updating your DNS settings to use a CNAME record instead of an A-record. This guide explains exactly how to do that.

What Causes The Problem

By default, Shopify connects your domain to its servers using an A-record, which links your domain directly to a specific IP address.

However, some Nigerian ISPs experience difficulty connecting to Shopify’s IP addresses, causing users to experience downtime or slow loading speeds.

The Recommended Solution

To overcome this, the best practice is to update your DNS settings to use a CNAME record instead of an A-record.

A CNAME record allows your domain to point to another domain (e.g., your-store.myshopify.com), rather than a fixed IP address. This ensures that even if Shopify changes its IP addresses in the future, your website remains accessible without any manual updates on your part.

Understanding Key Terms

What is a CNAME Record?

A CNAME (Canonical Name) Record is a type of DNS record that tells your domain to always fetch content from another domain name, rather than an IP address.

Example:
yourstorename.com → your-store.myshopify.com

This guarantees continuous access, even if Shopify makes server changes.

What is an A-Record?

An A-Record directly connects your domain to an IP address (a string of numbers like 23.227.38.65). If Shopify changes its IP, your website can break unless the A-record is updated.

Step-By-Step Guide To Implement The Fix

Step 1: Move Your DNS Management To Cloudflare

Cloudflare is a free and reliable service that helps manage your website’s DNS settings, improve site security, and optimize connection speed.

How To Get Started:

• Visit: https://cloudflare.com
• Create a free account
• Add your domain name (e.g., www.yourstorename.com)
• Allow Cloudflare to scan your current DNS settings
• Follow the instructions to update your domain’s nameservers (you will do this from your domain registrar e.g., Namecheap, GoDaddy, Whogohost)

Step 2: Update DNS Records In Cloudflare

Once your domain is connected to Cloudflare:

• Go to DNS Settings
• Locate and delete any existing A-Record pointing to Shopify’s IP address (e.g., 23.227.38.65)

Add a New Record:

• Type: CNAME
• Name/Host: @
• Target: your-store.myshopify.com (Replace with your actual Shopify store URL)

Save the new record.

Step 3: Allow Time For Propagation

Once saved, DNS changes typically take between 5 minutes to 2 hours to fully reflect across all networks.

Important Tip: Enable Cloudflare Protection

In your Cloudflare DNS settings, ensure the orange cloud icon beside your CNAME record is enabled 🟠.

This provides additional benefits such as:

• Faster website load times
• Hides your server’s real IP address
• Protection against malicious attacks

Final Thoughts

Updating your DNS settings from an A-Record to a CNAME Record via Cloudflare is a smart and recommended solution for Shopify store owners in Nigeria experiencing ISP-related access issues.

This ensures your customers can always access your website reliably — regardless of network challenges or changes on Shopify’s servers.