DNS Cutover for Custom Checkout Domain

When migrating to Commerce Connect, you must configure a custom checkout subdomain with proper DNS records to redirect checkout traffic to BigCommerce while keeping your main WordPress® site on WP Engine.

Critical: Migration Blocker

Checkout will not work without proper DNS configuration. This is a hard requirement for Commerce Connect - customers cannot complete purchases until DNS records are configured and globally propagated.

Important: Plan Ahead

DNS propagation varies. Configure DNS records at least 48-72 hours before your planned go-live to ensure global propagation is complete. Attempting to launch without full DNS propagation will result in checkout failures for customers in regions where DNS hasn’t updated yet.

Overview

Commerce Connect uses a custom checkout subdomain (e.g., checkout.www.yourdomain.com) to handle the checkout process through BigCommerce while keeping your WordPress® site on WP Engine infrastructure.

Why a custom subdomain?

• BigCommerce hosts the checkout experience on their infrastructure
• Your WordPress® site remains on WP Engine for content and product pages
• Customers are seamlessly redirected to the checkout subdomain when they proceed to checkout
• After completing their purchase, customers return to your WordPress® site

Prerequisites

Before configuring DNS:

• WordPress® Commerce Connect plugin installed and configured
• Access to your DNS provider (WP Engine DNS, Cloudflare, etc.)
• Permissions to add/modify DNS records
• BigCommerce store connected to WordPress®

Step 1: Find Your DNS Records

Navigate to WordPress® Admin → WP Engine Quick Links → WP Commerce → Settings → Checkout tab.

Scroll to the DNS Records for Custom Checkout Domain section. You’ll see three values:

• Record Type: CNAME
• Name: Your checkout subdomain prefix (e.g., checkout-www)
• Value: Your BigCommerce store domain (e.g., store-xxxxx.mybigcommerce.com)

Use the Copy Buttons

Each value has a copy button (📋). Use these to avoid typos when adding DNS records.

At this stage, you’ll see a warning:

This is expected - the status will change to “Connected” after you add the DNS records and they propagate globally.

Step 2: Add DNS Records

If Using WP Engine DNS

1. Log into WP Engine User Portal
2. Navigate to Domains → [yourdomain.com] → DNS
3. Click Add Record
4. Select CNAME from the record type dropdown
5. Name: Paste the Name value from WordPress® settings
6. Value: Paste the Value from WordPress® settings
7. TTL: Set to 300 (5 minutes) for faster propagation during testing
8. Click Add Record

If Using Cloudflare

1. Log into Cloudflare dashboard
2. Select your domain
3. Navigate to DNS → Records
4. Click Add record
5. Type: CNAME
6. Name: Paste the Name value from WordPress® settings
7. Target: Paste the Value from WordPress® settings
8. Proxy status: Click the orange cloud to turn it gray (DNS only)
   • ⚠️ Critical: Cloudflare proxy must be OFF or BigCommerce cannot verify the domain
9. TTL: Auto (or 300 for testing)
10. Click Save

If Using Another DNS Provider

Add a CNAME record with:

• Type: CNAME
• Host/Name: [Name from WordPress® settings]
• Value/Target: [Value from WordPress® settings]
• TTL: 300 (or lowest available)

Common Mistakes

• Typos in CNAME value - Use copy buttons, don’t manually type
• Cloudflare proxy enabled - Must be “DNS only” (gray cloud)
• High TTL during testing - Use 300 seconds (5 min) initially
• Adding A record instead of CNAME - Must be CNAME for BigCommerce

Step 3: Verify DNS Propagation

DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate globally. Use DNSChecker.org to monitor propagation status:

1. Go to https://dnschecker.org
2. Enter your checkout subdomain (e.g., checkout.www.yourdomain.com)
3. Select CNAME record type
4. Click Search

Watch for green checkmarks across regions. Target: 90%+ regions showing correct CNAME before proceeding.

Priority regions to verify:

• North America (US East, US West, Canada)
• Europe (UK, Germany, France)
• Asia Pacific (Australia, Singapore, Japan)

Command-Line Verification

You can also verify DNS resolution using the dig command:

dig checkout.www.yourdomain.com CNAME

Expected output:

checkout.www.yourdomain.com. 300 IN CNAME store-xxxxx.mybigcommerce.com.

Step 4: Confirm Connection in WordPress®

Return to WordPress® → WP Commerce → Settings → Checkout tab.

Once DNS has propagated, the status will change from “Not Connected” to:

✅ You’re ready to proceed when you see “Status: Connected” with a green checkmark.

Step 5: Verify BigCommerce Configuration

Log into your BigCommerce admin panel to confirm the custom domain is recognized:

1. Navigate to BigCommerce Settings → Domains (or wherever custom domains are managed in your BigCommerce plan)
2. Verify your custom checkout domain appears in the domain list
3. Confirm domain status shows as active/connected

This cross-verification ensures both sides (WordPress® and BigCommerce) recognize the custom domain configuration.

Step 6: Test End-to-End Checkout

Before going live, test the complete checkout flow:

1. Open your WordPress® storefront (as a customer, not logged in)
2. Add a product to cart
3. Click Checkout button
4. Verify: Browser URL changes to your checkout subdomain (e.g., checkout.www.yourdomain.com)
5. Verify: BigCommerce checkout loads (not WordPress®/WooCommerce® checkout)
6. Fill out test customer information (use test credit card)
7. Complete order
8. Verify: Order appears in BigCommerce admin
9. Verify: Order confirmation email sent

Test Multiple Regions

If you have international customers, test checkout from different geographic regions using a VPN or proxy service to ensure DNS has propagated globally.

Troubleshooting

”Status: Not Connected” After 48 Hours

Check:

1. Verify DNS record exists in your DNS provider
2. Run dig checkout.www.yourdomain.com CNAME - does it return the correct BigCommerce domain?
3. Check DNSChecker.org - is propagation complete (90%+ regions)?
4. Compare CNAME value in DNS provider to WordPress® settings - any typos?
5. If using Cloudflare, is Proxy OFF (gray cloud, not orange)?

If DNS is correct but still not connected:

• Contact BigCommerce support - they may need to allowlist your custom domain
• Check BigCommerce admin - is the custom domain configured on their side?

Checkout Redirect Not Working

Symptom: Clicking “Checkout” doesn’t redirect to BigCommerce

Check:

1. Is Commerce Connect plugin activated?
2. Is WooCommerce® plugin deactivated (if migrating from WooCommerce®)?
3. Check WordPress® settings: Is checkout domain field populated?
4. Check browser console for JavaScript errors
5. Clear WordPress® cache (if using caching plugin)

Common causes:

• JavaScript conflict with theme or plugin
• Caching plugin preventing redirect
• Incorrect plugin configuration

Checkout Loads But Shows Error

Symptom: Redirect works but BigCommerce checkout shows an error

Check:

1. Are products synced from BigCommerce to WordPress®?
2. Does BigCommerce have inventory for the product?
3. Is BigCommerce store in “maintenance mode” or “test mode”?
4. Check BigCommerce admin for error messages

DNS Propagation Stuck at 50%

Symptom: DNSChecker shows some regions green, others red, not improving

Check:

1. TTL setting - is it very high (>3600)? High TTL slows propagation
2. Time elapsed - have you waited at least 2x the TTL duration?

Solutions:

• Lower TTL to 300, wait for old TTL to expire, then update record
• Wait longer - 48 hours is common for global propagation
• Flush local DNS cache: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache (macOS)

DNS Provider Rejects Subdomain

Symptom: DNS provider rejects checkout.www.yourdomain.com as invalid or shows “too many levels” error

Root Cause: Some legacy DNS providers don’t support third-level domains (sub-subdomains)

Solutions:

• Migrate DNS to modern provider:
  • Cloudflare (free, supports unlimited subdomain levels)
  • WP Engine DNS (included with hosting)
  • AWS Route 53 (paid)
• Alternative approach:
  • Move WordPress® to apex domain (yourdomain.com instead of www.yourdomain.com)
  • Checkout becomes checkout.yourdomain.com (second-level only)
  • Caution: May require additional DNS changes and site URL updates

Post-Cutover Steps

After successful cutover and 24-48 hours of stable operation:

1. Raise TTL to 3600 (1 hour) or 86400 (24 hours) for better performance
2. Monitor checkout conversion rate for any drops indicating regional DNS issues
3. Set up uptime monitoring for your checkout subdomain
4. Document the configuration for future reference

TTL Recommendations

TTL (Time To Live): How long DNS records are cached before re-checking

• During initial setup: 300 seconds (5 minutes) - allows rapid testing and rollback
• After successful cutover: 3600 seconds (1 hour) - reduces DNS query load
• Before major changes: Lower back to 300 at least 24 hours before planned changes

DNS Record Details

Why CNAME (Not A Record)?

Commerce Connect requires a CNAME record (not an A record) because:

• BigCommerce’s checkout infrastructure may change IP addresses
• CNAME follows BigCommerce’s infrastructure changes automatically
• A record would require manual updates if BigCommerce changes IPs

Subdomain Patterns

Commerce Connect generates a checkout subdomain based on your WordPress® installation URL:

WordPress® URL	Checkout Subdomain
www.yourdomain.com	checkout.www.yourdomain.com
yourdomain.com	checkout.yourdomain.com

Don’t Customize

Use the exact subdomain shown in WordPress® settings. Don’t customize the subdomain name without verifying with BigCommerce support.

Rollback Procedure

If you need to rollback after cutover:

Option A: Quick Rollback (Recommended for Emergencies)

1. Re-activate WooCommerce® plugin (if migrating from WooCommerce®)
2. Deactivate Commerce Connect plugin
3. WooCommerce® checkout works immediately
4. Downside: Customers may have placed orders in BigCommerce during cutover - requires manual reconciliation

Option B: Full Rollback

1. Remove CNAME record from DNS provider
2. Re-activate WooCommerce® plugin
3. Deactivate Commerce Connect plugin
4. Wait for DNS propagation (checkout broken during this period - can take hours)

Prevention

• Stage and test thoroughly before production cutover
• Plan cutover during low-traffic window
• Have support team standing by during cutover

WP Engine-Specific Considerations

If you’re hosting your WordPress® site on WP Engine:

DNS Management

WP Engine DNS typically propagates faster than most providers (5-15 minutes), but still verify with DNSChecker before proceeding.

To add DNS records in WP Engine:

1. Log into WP Engine User Portal
2. Navigate to Domains → [yourdomain.com] → DNS
3. Follow the steps in Step 2: Add DNS Records above

CDN and Global Edge Security

Good news: No additional configuration needed.

• WP Engine CDN only applies to your main WordPress® site (www.yourdomain.com)
• Checkout subdomain (checkout.www.yourdomain.com) bypasses WP Engine infrastructure and goes directly to BigCommerce
• Global Edge Security (GES) doesn’t apply to the checkout subdomain - BigCommerce has its own DDoS protection

The checkout subdomain is completely independent of your WP Engine infrastructure.

Next Steps

After DNS cutover is complete:

1. ✅ Verify “Status: Connected” in WordPress®
2. ✅ Verify custom domain in BigCommerce admin
3. ✅ Test end-to-end checkout flow
4. ✅ Monitor checkout for 24-48 hours
5. → Proceed with product sync and data migration