Give Your Store a Professional URL: Custom Domains on zaaum Enterprise

Your store launches at store.zaaum.com/your-store-name the moment you sign up. For many businesses, that URL is perfectly functional. But if you have an existing brand and a registered domain, having your store live at shop.yourbrand.com instead of a shared subdomain reinforces your brand identity and makes your store look more established to first-time visitors. Custom domains are available on the zaaum Enterprise plan.

How custom domains work on zaaum

Custom domain support on zaaum uses a standard CNAME DNS record. You add the record at your domain registrar, enter your custom domain in your store settings, and zaaum automatically detects the connection and provisions an SSL certificate. Once the DNS propagates, your store is live at your custom URL with HTTPS enabled. You do not need to touch any server configuration or manage certificates manually.

What you need before you start

• A registered domain: You need to own a domain. This could be a root domain like yourbrand.com or a subdomain like shop.yourbrand.com. Both work. zaaum recommends using a subdomain for your store (e.g. shop. or store.) since it keeps your root domain available for a separate website or landing page.
• Access to your DNS settings: You need to be able to add or modify DNS records at your domain registrar. Common registrars include GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, and Google Domains. If your DNS is managed through Cloudflare, ensure the CNAME record is set to DNS-only (grey cloud) and not proxied during initial setup.
• zaaum Enterprise plan: Custom domains are an Enterprise feature. You can upgrade from your billing dashboard at any time. The change takes effect immediately.

Step-by-step setup

Step 1: Add the CNAME record

Log into your domain registrar and navigate to your DNS settings. Add a CNAME record with the following values:

• Type: CNAME
• Name / Host: The subdomain you want to use (e.g. shop for shop.yourdomain.com)
• Value / Target: stores.zaaum.com
• TTL: 3600 (or the lowest value your registrar allows)

Save the record. DNS changes begin propagating immediately but may take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to be visible globally depending on your registrar's TTL settings and your internet provider's DNS cache.

Step 2: Enter your domain in store settings

In your zaaum dashboard, go to Settings and find the Custom Domain section. Enter the full subdomain you configured (e.g. shop.yourdomain.com) and click Save. zaaum will begin monitoring for the CNAME record to appear.

Step 3: SSL is provisioned automatically

Once zaaum detects that your CNAME record is resolving correctly, it automatically provisions a TLS certificate via Let's Encrypt. This typically completes within a few minutes of the DNS propagating. You do not need to purchase or upload a certificate. The certificate is renewed automatically before it expires, so you will never have a lapsed certificate causing browser security warnings.

Step 4: Verify your store is live

Open your custom domain in a browser. You should see your zaaum storefront with a padlock icon in the address bar indicating HTTPS is active. If you see a DNS error, wait 15 to 30 minutes and try again. DNS propagation timing varies by provider.

Common questions

Can I use my root domain (yourbrand.com) instead of a subdomain?

Technically yes, but it is not recommended. CNAME records on root domains (also called apex or naked domains) are not supported by all DNS providers and can cause issues with email delivery if you send email from the same domain. A subdomain like shop.yourbrand.com avoids these complications and keeps your root domain flexible.

What if I use Cloudflare?

If your domain is managed through Cloudflare, set the CNAME record to DNS-only (grey cloud icon, not the orange proxy cloud). Cloudflare's proxy mode can interfere with SSL certificate provisioning. Once your certificate is active and your store is live, you can re-enable the proxy if needed, though it is generally not necessary.

Will my old store.zaaum.com URL still work?

Yes. Your original store.zaaum.com/your-store-name URL remains active after you configure a custom domain. Existing links and bookmarks will continue to work. You may wish to redirect your old URL to your custom domain for SEO purposes over time, which can be configured in your store settings.