Do I need an external email service for my shopify website?

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Topic summary

The discussion addresses setting up professional email for a Shopify store, as Shopify doesn’t provide email hosting services.

Key Requirements:

  • External email service provider (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Zoho Mail)
  • Custom domain verification
  • DNS configuration (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC records)

Setup Process:

  1. Choose and sign up with an email service provider
  2. Create custom email address (e.g., info@yourstore.com)
  3. Verify domain ownership through TXT code or meta tag
  4. Configure DNS records in Shopify admin (Settings > Domains)
  5. Complete setup through email provider’s platform
  6. Test email functionality

Additional Considerations:
For marketing campaigns (newsletters, promotions), participants recommend dedicated tools like Klaviyo, Omnisend, or Mailchimp that integrate with Shopify.

The thread provides step-by-step guidance with multiple contributors offering similar solutions, confirming this is a standard setup process for Shopify merchants seeking professional email capabilities.

Summarized with AI on October 30. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

How do I set up an external email service for my Shopify website?

2

Hi @Geraldine8 ,

Step 1 :Choose an Email Service Provider (ESP) like Google Workspace( Gmail for business ) or Microsoft Outlook ( Office 65 )

Step 2 :Set up a custom domain email

if you have a custom domain ( eg. mystore.com ) create an email like info@mystore.com .

Step 3 :Configure Mail Exchange record to your domains DNS setting .

Step 4 :Configure DKIM , SPF and DMARC

Step 5 :Connect Shopify with your Email Provider for marketing emails .

Step 6 :Test your email.

If I was able to help you, please don’t forget to like and mark it as solution.

Thanks and Regards

Manoj

3

Shopify doesn’t offer email hosting, but you can connect a third-party email hosting service to your custom domain.

Prerequisites before setting up email service to Shopify:

  • Verify your domain
  • Create your custom email address in your email hosting service such as Zoho or Google Workspace.

Steps to connect email service to Shopify:

  1. log in to your email host service account.
  2. Follow your email hosting service’s instructions to verify your domain:
  3. Depending on your email hosting service, copy the TXT code or meta tag.
  4. Go to your Shopify admin > Settings > Domains.
  5. Click the name of the domain > in the email forwarding section > click Switch to email hosting.
  6. Select your email service provider, and then enter the information, provided to you when you verified your domain by doing one of the following:
  • If you use Google Workspace, then enter the TXT code or meta tag.
  • If you use Zoho Mail, then enter the TXT code.1. Click Save.
  1. Return to your email hosting service’s website, and then follow their instructions to complete the setup process.

For additional information, visit this Shopify help article.

4

Hi @Geraldine8

Shopify provides basic email forwarding through your domain, but if you want a professional email (e.g., info@yourstore.com) that can send and receive messages, you’ll need an external email service.

You can set up an email with Google Workspace, Zoho Mail, or Microsoft 365, which integrate well with Shopify domains. If your domain is purchased through Shopify, go to Settings > Domains, click on your domain, and update the MX records based on your email provider’s instructions.

For marketing emails (newsletters, promotions), tools like Klaviyo, Omnisend, or Mailchimp work great and integrate with Shopify