In this section, you’ll go over some technical considerations about implementing your chosen set-up, whether you need a single store or multiple stores to support your internationalization requirements.

Domains

If you want to use different domains with a single Shopify store, International Domains enables you to configure specific domains, subdomains, or language-specific subfolders to automatically associate with a specific language and local currency. You can use country code top-level domains (ccTLD), for example, .ca, .co.uk, .au, or subdomains, for example, eu.store.com, ca.store.com, when assigning a specific domain to a country or region.  

If you’re using multiple stores, you must set up a different domain or subdomain for each store. The same domain or subdomain cannot be shared by multiple stores and language/region specific subfolders are not supported. 

Whether you’re setting up domains for one or multiple stores, below are some important considerations:

• If you already own the root domain, you can set up subdomains by configuring new DNS records.
• To use ccTLD you must purchase a domain for each country or region you want. Some domain registrars don't support all ccTLD, so you may need to use multiple registrars to purchase and manage the domains. Some ccTLD require the purchaser to have residency or a business presence in the country to purchase the domain.
• Using ccTLD results in independent search engine page rankings. This requires you to build page authority and rank for each domain. This can also cause duplicate content across domains (when not redirecting to the store’s primary domain) and should be used carefully.

Language, currency, or country switchers

To direct your customers to the correct language, currency, or localized experience, you can use the following methods. 

Apps

Geolocation, an app made by Shopify, allows you to set up a language or currency switcher if used in conjunction with Shopify Payments. Alternatively, there are apps available that provide store and domain redirects. Apps like Locksmith can be used to conditionally hide or display content on a Shopify store based on several criteria, including domain and custom Liquid conditions. Please note that not all apps are currently compatible with Shopify Markets. Verify if the app you are considering is compatible here. 

Pop-ups and drop-downs

You can provide an option for a customer to choose their currency, language, or location manually. This is often provided in the form of a pop-up or a drop-down menu where they can select the appropriate currency, language, or location.

Javascript 

You can create redirects for customers by using Javascript on your theme. You can conditionally display content to a customer by referencing the current domain (e.g. eu.example.com) in Javascript using the window.location.hostname property and using additional client-side logic. This typically requires using a paid service to help translate a customer’s IP address into an approximate location.

Shopify Scripts

With Shopify Scripts, you can hide or show payment methods and shipping rates based on the shipping location.

• Payments Scripts examples
• Shipping Scripts examples

Liquid

Shopify Liquid templates can be configured to conditionally display content in the resulting page render. You can learn how to use liquid to customize content by country in this tutorial.