Articles on: Synctrack - Returns & Exchanges

Migrating from A Record to CNAME

This guide will walk you through upgrading the domain connection for your Returns page.

Overview

Who should read this?

This guide is for stores that already use a custom domain (e.g., returns.yourdomain.com) currently connected to our system via an A record (a fixed IP address).

Why do you need to migrate?

An A record "locks" your domain to a specific server. Whenever we upgrade our servers or scale up our infrastructure to improve speed, your page might temporarily go down, and you'd have to manually update the IP address. By switching to a CNAME (pointing to cname.returnsdrive.com), everything becomes automatic!

Estimated Time:

Your setup time: ~15 minutes.
System wait time: 24 hours prep time + 5–30 minutes for network updates. (Your page will go live automatically once the network updates—no need to contact Support to activate it!).

Before You Begin

To ensure a smooth setup, please make sure:

You are using a Subdomain: E.g., returns.yourdomain.com. We cannot support root domains (like yourdomain.com) because Internet DNS standards do not allow CNAMEs at the root level.
You already have an A record: This guide is specifically for replacing that old A record with a new CNAME.
You have DNS access: You need to be able to log in to your domain provider (e.g., Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Namecheap, Shopify, AWS, etc.).

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Reduce your TTL (Do this 24 hours in advance)

Why? Standard update times can take over an hour. This step reduces potential downtime during the switch to just ~5 minutes.

Log in to your DNS provider's dashboard.
Find the existing A record for your returns subdomain.
Change the TTL (Time to Live) to 300 seconds (or the lowest value your provider allows).
Save the changes and wait 24 hours to let the global internet recognize this update.

It is recommended to update this TTL as soon as possible and ideally at 10:00 pm to 0:00 pm (the time the least traffic has come) to optimize your customer experience in your return page.

Step 2: Delete the old A Record

Note: Only proceed to Step 2 and Step 3 after waiting the full 24 hours from Step 1.

Go back into your DNS settings and DELETE the old A record. (Why? Internet rules prevent an A record and a CNAME from existing on the exact same subdomain).
Move to Step 3 immediately.

Step 3: Create the new CNAME Record

Create a brand new record with the following details:

Type: CNAME
Host / Name: Enter your subdomain prefix (See the cheat sheet below).
Target / Value: cname.returnsdrive.com
TTL: 300 (or Auto)

How to correctly fill out the "Host / Name" field:

Your Custom Returns Page	What to type in "Host/Name"
returns.yourdomain.com	`returns`
trinhbv.bookshop.com	`trinhbv`
returns.shop.yourdomain.com	`returns.shop`

You usually only need to type the word that comes before your main domain.

Pro Tip: After saving, if your provider displays the record as returns.yourdomain.com.yourdomain.com (repeated twice), edit it and just type returns. (Exception: A few systems like AWS Route 53 or Vietnix require you to type the full domain).
☁️ For Cloudflare Users: > Your Proxy status MUST be set to DNS only (Grey cloud ☁️). If you leave it as the orange cloud, it will break your SSL (security certificate). You can switch it back to orange later, but only after you've confirmed the page loads correctly.

Step 4: Verify your Setup

Go to dnschecker.org.
Type in your full subdomain (e.g., returns.yourdomain.com).
Select CNAME from the dropdown and click Search.
If the results show cname.returnsdrive.com with green checkmarks ✅ across most locations, you're all set!

Your Returns Page will go live automatically once the DNS propagates.

Note: Want to change to a completely different subdomain? (e.g., returns.yourdomain.com to support.yourdomain.com). That requires a different process. Please contact Support before changing your DNS.

Updated on: 21/04/2026

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