Any update?
Topic summary
Users purchasing new domains through Shopify are encountering an error when attempting to add MX records for third-party email providers (primarily Zoho and Google Workspace): “Email forwarding is not allowed for this domain.”
Root Cause:
Starting December 2024, Shopify disabled the Email Hosting & Forwarding feature for all new domain purchases as part of a platform update to “streamline services and improve overall performance.”
Resolution Process:
- This is not a user-fixable issue and requires Shopify support intervention
- Users must contact Shopify support via live chat to request manual re-enablement
- Support escalates cases to technical teams who restore the feature on a per-domain basis
- Resolution typically takes 2-5 minutes once connected with the right support agent, though some cases require escalation and longer wait times
Workarounds:
- Switch to CloudFlare nameservers and manage DNS records there (requires technical knowledge)
- For Zoho specifically: Navigate to Domains → Email Forwarding → “Switch to email hosting” → Select Zoho Mail and enter only the verification code portion
Current Status:
No platform-wide fix announced. Each affected user must individually contact support for manual resolution.