Custom Domains
Use this page to put your storefront on your own web address (like yourbusiness.com) — by pointing a domain you already own, registering a new one, or transferring one in.
Quick steps
- Go to Storefront in the admin, click Customize, then in the sidebar open Settings → Domain & More. Scroll to Custom Domain.
- Already own a domain? Type it in the box Or just point a domain you own here. At your registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap and so on), add an A record pointing to the IP address shown under the box. Save, then click Verify Domain.
- Need a new one? Under Search for a domain, type a name, click Search, and click the domain you want. It's set up for you — no DNS work.
- Moving one from another registrar? Under Transfer a domain you own elsewhere, enter it, click Check transferability, paste the EPP / Auth Code from your old registrar, and click Start transfer.
Custom domains need the Commerce tier. A secure (HTTPS) certificate is set up automatically once the domain points at your storefront.
Common questions
My domain won't verify. DNS changes can take a few hours. You don't have to keep clicking — Brother POS re-checks about every 5 minutes and switches the domain on by itself.
Is a domain included? A Commerce store gets one domain included, as long as it has never registered or transferred one before. Otherwise you pay for the first year at checkout.
Will a transfer take my old website down? No. A transferred domain isn't pointed at your storefront until you click Point [domain] at my storefront on its card.
Can I set up email (MX) records? Yes, for domains registered or transferred through Brother POS. Click Manage DNS → on the domain's card.
More detail: where it lives, and the three ways to use a domain
Every storefront gets a free web address on the platform, such as yourstore.trafficstores.ca. A custom domain lets your storefront run on your own address instead, like yourbusiness.com or shop.yourbusiness.com. You can point a domain you already own, register a new one, or transfer a domain in from another registrar.
Custom domains live in the storefront editor, under Settings → Domain & More → Custom Domain. Admins, managers and storefront owners can open it. The top of the section shows your current storefront address.
Custom domains need the Commerce tier. They are set up in the storefront editor, so the storefront feature must be switched on for your store. Your storefront does not have to be live, though: a store that keeps its storefront switched OFF and only embeds its shop or Online Menu on its own website can still use a custom domain.
Three Ways to Use a Custom Domain
| Method | Where the domain is registered | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Point a domain you own | Stays with your current registrar | You already have a domain and want to keep managing it there. |
| Register a new domain | Registered for you through Brother POS | You don't have a domain yet. |
| Transfer a domain in | Moved to Brother POS from another registrar | You own a domain elsewhere and want everything managed in one place. |
Once a domain points at your storefront, a secure (HTTPS) certificate is set up automatically. This also applies to a store that only uses the Online Menu embed, without the full storefront.
Your storefront answers on both yourbusiness.com and www.yourbusiness.com. It's enough for either one to point at the storefront.
More detail: pointing a domain you already own
Pointing a Domain You Already Own
- Open the storefront editor and go to Settings → Domain & More.
- In the box labelled Or just point a domain you own here, enter your domain (for example
www.yourdomain.com). - At your registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, etc.), create an A record for that domain. Point it to the IP address shown under the box.
- Save your changes. Then click Verify Domain, which appears once a domain is entered.
If the A record is correct, you'll see "Domain … verified successfully!" and the storefront goes live on that address. If not, the message tells you DNS isn't set up yet.
You don't have to keep clicking. Brother POS re-checks unverified domains about every 5 minutes and turns the domain on by itself once your DNS change takes effect.
DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to spread across the internet.
More detail: registering a new domain, and renewals
Registering a New Domain
- Open the storefront editor and go to Settings → Domain & More.
- Under Search for a domain, type a name (e.g.
yourbusiness) and click Search. - The results show that name with
.com,.ca,.co,.shopand.store, plus some available suggestions, each with a price. - Click a domain to register it.
Free domain: A store on the Commerce tier gets one domain included, as long as it has never registered or transferred a domain before. An included domain registers right away with no charge, usually within a minute.
Paid domain: Otherwise you're sent to a secure card checkout for the first year. The domain is registered once payment goes through.
A registered domain is then set up automatically. Its DNS is pointed at your storefront, and it's connected and verified with no extra steps.
Renewals
New domains have auto-renew turned on. About 30 days before a domain expires, the renewal is charged to your card on file and the domain is renewed. If no card is on file, the renewal is skipped. To turn auto-renew off, open the domain's management page and use the Auto-Renew toggle under Settings.
More detail: transferring a domain in
Transferring a Domain In
- Open the storefront editor and go to Settings → Domain & More.
- Under Transfer a domain you own elsewhere, enter your domain and click Check transferability.
- If the domain can be transferred, you'll see the cost and a form. Before you submit:
- Unlock the domain at your current registrar.
- Get the EPP / Auth code from your current registrar. It's usually under "Transfer domain out" or "Get auth code".
- Paste the code into EPP / Auth Code and click Start transfer.
Cost: The transfer is free if your store is eligible for the included domain (see above). Otherwise you pay the registrar's renewal cost with no markup. Transfers add one year to the domain's existing registration.
After you submit
- Watch your inbox, and your spam folder, for an approval email from your old registrar, and approve it.
- The old registrar usually releases the domain about 5 days after approval.
- Brother POS checks the transfer's progress every couple of hours and updates the status card.
- A transfer that is never approved is usually cancelled after about 14 days.
A transferred domain is not switched to your storefront automatically. Any website already on it stays live. When the transfer finishes, the domain shows Ready to go live with a Point [domain] at my storefront button. Click it whenever you're ready. The old site stops showing within a few hours.
More detail: managing a domain, ownership and transferring out
Managing a Domain
Domains registered or transferred through Brother POS have a management page. Open it from the Manage DNS → link on the domain's card, or from Use your own nameservers or manage DNS → on a domain that's ready to go live. There you can:
- Add DNS records such as MX records for email (Google Workspace, Outlook), TXT records for email verification, or CNAME records for other services. The records that point at your storefront are set up for you.
- Turn auto-renew on or off.
- Use your own nameservers. Under Where this domain points, click Use my own nameservers, enter at least two, and click Save nameservers. The domain then goes wherever those nameservers point, for example Cloudflare or another website builder.
Claim ownership
In the Ownership section, fill in the Claim ownership form to become the domain's legal owner. Your details stay private behind WHOIS privacy. The form asks for:
- First name, last name, street address, city, province/state, postal/ZIP code, country (2-letter code), phone and email. All are required.
- Organization (optional, but needed for
.cadomains registered as a corporation). - For
.cadomains, a CIRA legal type. The default is Canadian corporation.
Transfer codes and renewal notices go to the email you enter. You can update these details later with Update owner details.
Transfer out to another registrar
Under Transfer Domain, click Request Transfer Code. Brother POS unlocks the domain and sends the auth/EPP code:
- If you've claimed ownership, the code goes to your email.
- If you haven't, it goes to the platform's contact on file. Claim ownership first to get it directly.
Use the code at your new registrar to finish the transfer.
More detail: troubleshooting and best practices
Troubleshooting
The Custom Domain section shows each domain on a colored card. Here's what the labels mean:
| Card shows | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Awaiting payment | A paid registration or transfer is waiting on checkout. | Finish the checkout. |
| Queued | Payment is done, and the domain will be registered or submitted within a few minutes. | Refresh the page after a bit. |
| Registering / Submitting to the registry | This is being processed in the background. | Refresh in a minute. If a transfer stays here more than 15 minutes, contact support. |
| Submitted — waiting on your old registrar | The transfer is waiting for your approval at the old registrar. | Approve the email (check spam). Release takes about 5 days. |
| Setting up DNS | The domain is being pointed at your storefront. | This finishes in a minute or two. |
| Ready to go live | The transfer is done, but the domain doesn't point at your storefront yet. | Click Point [domain] at my storefront, or use your own nameservers. |
| Green card with an expiry date | The domain is live. "(auto-renews)" shows when auto-renew is on. | Nothing — you're done. |
| Registration failed / Transfer failed | Something went wrong. The error is shown on the card. | Read the error. Common causes are a taken domain, a domain that isn't unlocked, a wrong EPP code, or a cancelled transfer. |
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Domain won't verify | Check that the A record points to the IP shown in the editor, for the bare domain or the www version. Allow a few hours; automatic re-checks will pick it up. |
| A domain that was working went offline | Brother POS re-checks live domains once a day. If the DNS no longer points at your storefront, the domain is switched off. Fix the A record and it turns back on automatically. |
| Transfer keeps waiting | Make sure you approved the email request and unlocked the domain at the old registrar. |
| "Domain transfers are not configured." or "Domain purchasing is not configured." | Contact support. |
| Domain is taken | Try one of the suggestions, or transfer it in if you already own it. |
Best Practices
- Register or transfer through Brother POS for the simplest setup. DNS, the secure certificate and renewals are handled for you.
- Claim ownership of domains registered through Brother POS so the domain is legally yours.
- Plan your go-live. After a transfer, your old site stays up until you click the go-live button.
- Leave auto-renew on unless you intend to let the domain expire, and keep a card on file.
- Give DNS time. Allow a few hours after any DNS change before assuming something is wrong.
If your subscription lapses or your store is deactivated, domains you own keep auto-renewing (charged to your card on file). The domain management pages also stay available, so you can still renew, manage or transfer your domain out.
What's Next?
- Storefront — Set up the online store your custom domain points to.
- Analytics & Tracking — Add tracking to your storefront.
- Promo Codes — Set up discount codes for storefront shoppers.