My Shopify URL: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Find It

Every Shopify store gets a permanent .myshopify.com address the moment it's created. You can add a custom domain later, but this original URL never goes away and never changes. Understanding what it is and what it's actually used for saves a lot of confusion later.

What exactly is the myshopify.com URL?

When you sign up for Shopify, you pick a store name. Shopify turns that into your permanent backend address: your-store-name.myshopify.com. That's your myshopify URL.

It follows a fixed format. If Alo Yoga signed up with the handle alo-yoga, their myshopify URL is alo-yoga.myshopify.com. That handle is permanent from day one, regardless of what custom domain they add later.

Two things to know upfront:

• You cannot change it. Once your store is created, the handle is locked. Shopify ties your account, billing, and integrations to it. If you want a different handle, you'd need to open a new store.
• It stays active forever. Even if you add a custom domain like aloyoga.com and it becomes your primary URL, the .myshopify.com address keeps working in the background.

Why the myshopify URL matters

It's your store's permanent identifier inside Shopify

Shopify uses your myshopify URL internally for authentication, API access, app connections, and billing. When you connect a third-party app, it typically asks for your myshopify URL, not your custom domain. Same with Shopify's own admin: the address bar shows your-store-name.myshopify.com/admin regardless of which domain your storefront is on.

This matters practically. If you're setting up an app integration or connecting your store to a fulfillment service, knowing your myshopify URL saves you from having to dig through settings to find it.

Custom domains don't replace it, they sit on top of it

Many new store owners assume that once they buy a custom domain, the .myshopify.com address disappears. It doesn't. Shopify proxies traffic through the custom domain to the underlying store, but the myshopify URL stays active. You can still reach your store at both addresses.

This also means that if a custom domain expires or gets misconfigured, the store is still accessible via the .myshopify.com URL.

It signals the platform to people who recognize it

Shoppers familiar with Shopify recognize .myshopify.com as a Shopify-hosted store. For a new store that hasn't yet built reputation around its brand name, this can be a small credibility signal. Some buyers specifically check whether a store runs on Shopify before purchasing, particularly for higher-ticket items where trust matters. A discussion on the Shopify Community forums shows this question comes up regularly from merchants checking their own URL for exactly this reason.

It's useful for competitor research

Every Shopify store has one, and it's often discoverable. If you're researching a competitor's tech stack (what theme they use, which apps they've installed), the myshopify URL is part of the puzzle. Some tools use it as an identifier to pull store data.

How to find your own Shopify URL

Two quick ways:

From your browser: Log in to your Shopify admin. Look at the address bar. It shows your-store-name.myshopify.com/admin. The part before /admin is your myshopify URL.

From Settings: In your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Domains. Your myshopify URL is listed there under "Store address" or similar, alongside any custom domains you've connected.

That's it. No special tools needed for your own store.

How to find the myshopify URL of any Shopify store

Finding your own URL is straightforward, but finding another store's myshopify URL takes a different approach. You have a custom domain like aloyoga.com, not their backend address.

This is where the Koala Shopify Theme Detector comes in. Enter any store's custom domain, and it pulls the underlying myshopify URL along with the theme name and installed apps.

Here's how to use it:

1. Go to Koala Inspector's Shopify Theme Detector.
2. Paste the store's custom domain (for example, aloyoga.com).
3. The tool returns the store's myshopify URL, the theme they're running, and a list of installed apps.

This is useful when you're doing competitive research. Knowing a competitor's theme lets you check its documentation or pricing. Seeing which apps they've installed gives you a read on how they handle email capture, reviews, subscriptions, or checkout optimization.

The Chrome extension version of Koala Inspector does the same thing in one click while you're browsing the store, without needing to copy-paste a URL anywhere. See the Koala Inspector page for details.

Common questions about myshopify URLs

Can I change my myshopify URL?

No. The store handle you picked at signup is permanent. Shopify does not offer a way to rename it. If this is a serious problem (for example, you rebranded completely), your only option is a new store with data migration.

Does the myshopify URL affect SEO?

Only if you don't have a custom domain. Shopify's documentation recommends adding a custom domain for any store you want to rank in search. The .myshopify.com address works, but a custom domain looks more professional and is easier to build backlinks around. Once you add a custom domain and set it as primary in Shopify, your store's public URLs use it, and the myshopify URL effectively stays as a backend address.

Can customers see my myshopify URL if I have a custom domain?

Normally no. Shopify serves your store through the custom domain. The myshopify URL might appear in browser history if someone accessed your store before you connected a custom domain, but once it's connected and set as primary, visitors only see your custom domain in the address bar.

Why do some Shopify apps ask for my myshopify URL instead of my custom domain?

Apps use the myshopify URL to authenticate with Shopify's API. It's the stable, permanent identifier for your store. Custom domains can change; the myshopify URL cannot, so apps use it as the canonical store reference.