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How to Access Your WordPress Admin After Connecting a Domain to Shopify

18 threads Sep 16, 2025 Core → Everything else wordpress

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Many users face a common challenge when transitioning a website: they need to connect their domain to a new platform like Shopify but still require access to their old WordPress admin to manage or migrate content. This guide explains why this access is lost and provides practical solutions to regain it.

Why You Lose Access

When you change your domain's DNS settings to point to Shopify, you are redirecting all traffic for that domain name. This means that typing in your domain (e.g., yourdomain.com) or yourdomain.com/wp-admin will no longer take you to your WordPress site hosted on a provider like Bluehost. The domain is now controlled by Shopify's servers.

How to Regain Access to Your WordPress Admin

Fortunately, your WordPress installation and its data still exist on your original web host. You can access it using one of the following methods:

1. Use a Direct or Temporary URL

Most web hosts provide a direct URL to access your site without needing the domain name. This is often called a temporary URL, a staging URL, or a direct server IP address. You will need to log into your hosting account's control panel (e.g., cPanel) or contact your host's support to get this specific URL. It will look something like http://server123.bluehost.com/~yourusername.

2. Modify Your Local hosts File (Advanced)

For a more technical workaround, you can temporarily trick your computer into thinking your domain still points to the old host. This involves editing the hosts file on your computer to map your domain to the IP address of your WordPress hosting server. This method only affects your computer and allows you to access the WordPress admin by typing your normal domain name. This is a common technique developers use for testing before going live with DNS changes.

Important Considerations and Best Practices

  • Back Up Everything: Before making any DNS changes, ensure you have a complete backup of your WordPress site, including its database and files.
  • Content Migration: If you need to move content like LearnDash courses from WordPress to Shopify, investigate migration options. The WordPress software includes a Tools -> Export feature to create an XML (WXR) file of your content, which some services may be able to import.
  • Long-Term Strategy: If you need prolonged access to both platforms, consider delaying the full DNS switch until all content migration and editing is complete. Alternatively, you could use subdomains to split traffic, but this is a more complex setup.

By using a direct URL from your host or a local hosts file modification, you can securely access your WordPress admin to manage your content long after your domain lives on Shopify.

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