Premium Feature | Available to US-Based Platinum & Diamond Plan Sellers

Having trouble connecting your custom domain? Big Cartel now checks your domain setup automatically and lets you know if something needs your attention.

If there’s a problem, start with the message shown in the Custom Domain section of your Big Cartel admin. In many cases, we can tell you exactly what needs to be fixed.

Start with the message in your Big Cartel admin

When you connect or check a custom domain, you may see one of a few types of messages:

• Your domain is connected: Everything looks good. SSL may take a few additional minutes to activate.
• Your domain is connecting: We’ve saved your domain and are still waiting for DNS changes to update. This can take up to 48 hours.
• Your domain is still connecting: The setup is taking longer than usual. If it has been less than 48 hours since you made changes, you may just need to give it more time.
• Action is required: We found something in your domain setup that needs to be changed. Follow the instructions shown in the message.

If the message includes Contact support, use that link if you need help. It sends us information about your domain and the issue we detected so our Support team can troubleshoot more quickly.

What the alert colors mean

The color of the message in your Big Cartel admin can help you understand what’s happening with your custom domain and whether you need to take action.

My domain is still connecting

DNS changes aren't always immediate. Depending on your domain provider, updates can take up to 48 hours to appear everywhere.

If you used automatic domain setup and your admin says your domain is connecting, you usually don't need to change anything. Big Cartel will continue checking the connection automatically.

While DNS is updating:

• One browser may show your shop while another doesn't.
• Your phone and computer may temporarily show different results.
• www.yourdomain.com may work before yourdomain.com.
• SSL may still be activating.

Try not to repeatedly change your DNS records while you're waiting. Additional changes can make it harder to tell whether the original setup has finished updating.

If it's been more than 48 hours and your domain still isn't connected, follow the message in your admin or click Contact support if that option is available.

My domain isn't pointed to my shop

For a manually connected domain, the www version of your domain should use a CNAME that points to your Big Cartel shop URL.

For example:

If we can't find the CNAME or it's pointing somewhere else, your Big Cartel admin will let you know.

Common problems include:

• The www CNAME is missing.
• The CNAME points to an old or incorrect Big Cartel shop URL.
• An A record is being used for www instead of a CNAME.
• The CNAME value includes http:// or https://.
• Another www record is conflicting with the Big Cartel CNAME.

Your CNAME target should be only your Big Cartel shop URL, such as:

yourshop.bigcartel.com

Don't include https://, a trailing slash, or another page path.

My root domain isn't working

Your root domain is your domain without www, like:

yourdomain.com

For manual domain setups, we recommend:

yourdomain.com → redirects to → www.yourdomain.com

and:

www.yourdomain.com → CNAME → yourshop.bigcartel.com

If your www address works but the version without www doesn't, your root-domain redirect is probably missing or pointed somewhere else.

Your Big Cartel admin may tell you when we detect this problem.

Look for a 301 redirect or domain forwarding setting at your domain provider and make sure the root domain forwards to the www version.

Avoid masked forwarding or URL masking. Masking displays your shop inside a frame instead of properly connecting the domain and can cause problems with secure checkout, search engines, and sharing links.

Big Cartel says to switch from an A record to a CNAME

You may have a domain that appears to work even though it's using an A record that points to a Big Cartel IP address.

We don't recommend this setup because IP addresses can change.

If your Big Cartel admin asks you to switch from an A record to a CNAME, update the record at your DNS provider so your www address uses:

Type: CNAME
Host: www
Target: yourshop.bigcartel.com

For the root domain, use a redirect from yourdomain.com to www.yourdomain.com instead.

My domain points to an old Big Cartel shop

If you've changed your Big Cartel shop URL since you originally connected your domain, your domain provider may still be pointing to the old one.

For example, your DNS may still point to:

oldshop.bigcartel.com

instead of:

newshop.bigcartel.com

If we detect this, you'll see a message telling you that your domain needs an update.

Change the CNAME at your domain provider so it points to your current Big Cartel shop URL.

You don't need to disconnect your custom domain from Big Cartel first.

My domain points to the wrong website

If your domain loads an old website, storefront, parking page, or another service, some of your previous DNS settings may still be active.

This is especially common if your domain was previously connected to another website provider.

Look for:

• Old A records
• Old www CNAME records
• Domain forwarding rules
• Parking records
• Redirect rules
• DNS settings left over from another website

Remove records that conflict with your Big Cartel setup, then make sure your www CNAME points to your Big Cartel shop URL and your root domain redirects to www.

Where should I change my DNS?

Make your changes wherever your domain's DNS is currently managed.

That's often the company where you purchased the domain, but not always. If you've changed your nameservers or use a separate DNS service such as Cloudflare, you'll need to update your records there instead.

Big Cartel says my domain isn't valid

When adding your custom domain to Big Cartel, enter only the domain name.

For example:

yourdomain.com

or:

www.yourdomain.com

Don't enter:

https://yourdomain.com

or:

yourdomain.com/shop

If the domain contains a URL, slash, path, or another unsupported character, Big Cartel will ask you to correct it before connecting.

My custom domain stopped working

If your domain worked before but suddenly stopped, first check the Custom Domain section of your Big Cartel admin. We may be able to identify what's changed.

You should also consider whether you recently:

• Changed your Big Cartel shop URL
• Transferred your domain to another provider
• Changed your domain's nameservers
• Changed DNS settings
• Connected the domain to another website
• Removed or edited the www CNAME
• Changed a domain forwarding rule
• Let the domain registration expire

If the domain now points to another website, restore the Big Cartel CNAME and root-domain redirect.

My site says “Not Secure”

Big Cartel automatically provides SSL for custom domains. You don't need to purchase or install your own SSL certificate.

After a new domain connection or DNS change, SSL may take a little additional time to activate.

If you just connected your domain and your Big Cartel admin says the domain is connected or connecting, give the setup time to finish.

If the warning continues:

1. Check the Custom Domain section of your Big Cartel admin for an error or action message.
2. Make sure www.yourdomain.com is pointing to your current Big Cartel shop URL.
3. Make sure yourdomain.com redirects to www.yourdomain.com.
4. Check for old or conflicting DNS records.
5. If everything looks correct and the problem continues, contact Big Cartel Support.

Big Cartel couldn't check my domain

Occasionally, we may not be able to check your domain because of a temporary connection or service issue.

If you see a message that says we couldn't check your domain right now, wait a few minutes and try again.

This doesn't necessarily mean there's anything wrong with your DNS setup.

If the message continues to appear, use Contact support if it's available so we can take a closer look.

This domain is already connected to another Big Cartel shop

A custom domain can only be connected to one Big Cartel shop at a time.

If you see a message saying your domain is already in use, it may still be connected to another Big Cartel shop — including an older shop of your own.

If you still have access to the other shop, disconnect the domain there before connecting it to your current shop.

If you don't recognize the other shop or can't access it, click Contact support. We can help verify ownership and determine where the domain is connected.

When to contact your domain provider

Your domain provider is usually the best place to start if:

• You can't find your DNS settings.
• You can't create or edit a CNAME.
• You can't set up domain forwarding or a 301 redirect.
• Your domain is expired, locked, or awaiting verification.
• Your provider says another service controls your DNS.
• You receive an error when trying to save a DNS record.

When to contact Big Cartel Support

Contact us if:

• Your Big Cartel admin tells you to contact Support.
• Your domain has been connecting for more than 48 hours.
• The DNS records appear correct but Big Cartel still detects a problem.
• Your domain is already connected to another Big Cartel shop.
• Big Cartel repeatedly can't check or save your domain.
• Your domain is connected but SSL still isn't working.

Whenever possible, start from the Contact support link shown with your custom-domain message. That gives our team additional information about what Big Cartel detected and helps us get you to the right solution faster.