How to use CDN reverse proxy on Shopify?

Technical Q&A
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Topic summary

A user wants to use Cloudflare’s proxy (orange cloud) with Workers and Rules to route traffic between two environments: the main domain pointing to an existing website and a /fr subpath routing to a Shopify store.

The core issue: Shopify displays a warning that Cloudflare proxy is not supported, as it interferes with SSL and domain verification.

Suggested workarounds included:

  • Using a subdomain (e.g., shop.mysitedomain.com) for Shopify while keeping Cloudflare on the main domain
  • Keeping Shopify DNS records in “grey-cloud” (DNS-only) mode to avoid SSL handshake failures
  • Configuring the non-Shopify server as a reverse proxy to forward /fr requests

Current status: The original poster rejected all three solutions due to client strategy constraints and Shopify’s restrictions on proxying/masking. The discussion remains unresolved with no viable alternative identified.

Summarized with AI on October 24. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

I’d like to use Cloudflare Proxy (orange cloud) to take advantage of Rules and Workers, but when I enable the proxy in my DNS records, Shopify displays the following warning:

“Your domain uses a Cloudflare proxy, which is not supported by Shopify. This can cause connection issues. We recommend disabling the proxy.”

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I understand Shopify doesn’t officially support proxied DNS connections, but I’m trying to achieve a setup where Cloudflare acts as a reverse proxy/CDN to route traffic between two environments:

  • mysitedomain.com → existing website (hosted elsewhere)

  • mysitedomain.com/fr → Shopify store

Basically, I’d like Cloudflare to detect the path and redirect requests accordingly.

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Has anyone successfully implemented a similar setup or found a safe workaround to use Cloudflare Workers or Rules for this type of selective routing without breaking Shopify’s domain verification?

Any documentation or best practices would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

2

Hey @rafaelcg

Good question. This setup comes up a lot. Unfortunately, Shopify doesn’t support Cloudflare’s orange-cloud (proxied) mode because it interferes with Shopify’s SSL and domain verification. That’s why you’re seeing that warning, it’s Shopify’s way of saying “don’t route our traffic through a proxy.”

That said, what you’re trying to do routing specific paths (like /fr) to Shopify is technically possible, but not directly through Shopify’s DNS. Here are a few safe workarounds:

1. Use a subdomain for Shopify

Point something like shop.mysitedomain.com to Shopify.

Then you can keep your main site on the root domain and safely use Cloudflare Workers or Rules on the main domain to redirect /fr → shop.mysitedomain.com.

→ This keeps Cloudflare in play without breaking Shopify’s setup.

2. Avoid direct proxying to Shopify

If you proxy Shopify’s IP through Cloudflare, SSL handshakes and verification can fail, so it’s best to keep those DNS records “grey-clouded” (DNS only).

3. Use your non-Shopify server as a reverse proxy

If you manage the other site’s hosting, you can configure your origin server to forward /fr requests to your Shopify store (e.g., via subdomain or custom route). Cloudflare would only proxy the main host, not Shopify.

Basically, Cloudflare can help manage routing, but it can’t sit in front of Shopify’s servers. Subdomains or origin-level routing are the cleanest solutions.

3

Thank you for the options. However, they can not be applied.

  1. Use a subdomain for Shopify = Not possible due to client strategy.
  2. Avoid direct proxying to Shopify = This option invalidates the use case I mentioned.
  3. Use your non-Shopify server as a reverse proxy = Shopify doesn’t allow mask or proxy, so even if another platform and host allow proxy, I can’t use it to browse through my Shopify store by a subpath in my domain (e.g. mystore.com/fr only)