Connecting a custom domain to your store takes about two minutes: create a CNAME record pointing your domain to your storefront host, wait for propagation, then verify SSL. Once the DNS record resolves, Cloudflare provisions a free SSL certificate automatically, and caching rules can be tuned per path for faster page loads.
A custom domain (yourbrand.com) is one of the first upgrades serious sellers make — it signals a real brand instead of a subdomain, and it's what customers remember. This guide covers the DNS mechanics, SSL, and caching configuration that make the switch fast and safe.
Step 1: Point your domain with a CNAME record
At your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, or any provider), create a CNAME record that points your domain to your storefront host. The exact target depends on your platform — Basecart provides a per-store target like yourstore.basecart.store that handles the routing.
The host field is typically @ or your subdomain (www), and the target is the canonical storefront address. DNS propagation usually completes within minutes to a couple of hours.
- Registrar: your domain provider's DNS panel
- Record type: CNAME
- Host: @ (apex) or www
- Target: your store's canonical hostname
Step 2: Let SSL provisioning happen automatically
Once the CNAME resolves, Cloudflare automatically issues and provisions a free SSL certificate for your domain. There's no certificate purchase and no manual installation. If you see a 'pending' SSL state, it simply means propagation is still finishing — it usually clears within an hour.
After SSL is active, enforce HTTPS so all traffic upgrades to the secure version. This also ensures payment pages and customer data are always encrypted in transit.
Step 3: Tune caching for speed
Cloudflare sits in front of your store and can cache static assets — images, CSS, JavaScript, and product catalog data — at its edge. Cache static paths aggressively (long TTL) and keep dynamic paths like checkout uncached so order state is always fresh.
Image transformations (resizing, WebP/AVIF conversion) run at the edge too, so the browser downloads only the size it needs. This is the single biggest page-speed lever for image-heavy catalogs.
Troubleshooting common issues
If the domain doesn't resolve: confirm the CNAME target is exact (trailing dots or extra spaces break records) and that propagation has finished. If you see a certificate warning: the SSL cert is still provisioning — wait and reload. If a page looks unstyled: purge the edge cache once after DNS switchover to drop any stale cached HTML.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a custom domain take to connect?
About two minutes of setup plus DNS propagation, which typically completes within minutes to a few hours. SSL is provisioned automatically by Cloudflare once the CNAME record resolves.
Do I need to buy an SSL certificate for my custom domain?
No. Cloudflare provisions a free SSL certificate automatically for domains connected through its network. There is no certificate to purchase or install.
What DNS record do I need for my store domain?
A CNAME record pointing your domain (for example, yourbrand.com) to your storefront host (for example, yourstore.basecart.store). Subdomain and apex configurations differ slightly, but the CNAME target is the same.
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