Shopware offers maximum flexibility: you can run multiple domains, subfolders, or separate sales channels to handle international markets and language versions. But which approach is right for your business? The key factor is often not the setup itself, but the SEO impact and the risk of duplicate content. Let’s break it down.
Option 1: Multiple domains on a single channel
You assign several domains to one channel, for example:
- myshop.de → Germany
- myshop.at → Austria
- myshop.com → international customers
Pros: clear local signals (SEO & trust), customers recognise familiar TLDs (.de, .at).
Cons: if content for Germany and Austria is nearly identical (both in German), Google sees duplicate content. Without hreflang tags or differentiated content, one domain may lose rankings.
Option 2: Subfolders on one main domain
All markets are handled under a single strong domain with directories:
- myshop.com/de → Germany
- myshop.com/at → Austria
- myshop.com/en → international customers
Pros: one strong domain authority, no competition between domains, simpler SEO setup (one SSL, one analytics/tracking).
Cons: less local trust (Austrian customers may prefer .at domains), legal or tax differences can only be partially reflected.
Option 3: Separate sales channels with their own domains
Here you run truly independent shops within Shopware, for example:
- myshop.de → B2C Germany
- myshop.at → B2C Austria
- businessshop.de → B2B customers
Pros: maximum flexibility: different assortments, prices, legal texts, payment and shipping methods per market.
Cons: high maintenance effort, separate SEO strategies per domain, more technical complexity.
The duplicate content problem (.de vs. .at)
A common mistake: merchants run myshop.de and myshop.at, both in German with nearly identical content. Result: Google recognises duplicate content and only one domain will rank strongly, while the other may be suppressed.
Solutions:
- Implement hreflang tags to tell Google that .de is for Germany and .at is for Austria.
- Introduce small but meaningful differences: local prices, shipping options, legal texts, or content tailored to each market.
- Consider subfolders (.com/de, .com/at) if maintaining separate ccTLDs offers no additional marketing benefit.
Decision matrix
| Option | SEO | Effort | Flexibility | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple domains (.de/.at/.ch) | + Strong local trust - Duplicate content risk | Medium | Medium | Merchants focusing on local branding & trust |
| Subfolders (.com/de) | + Strong domain authority - Less local perception | Low | Medium | SEO-driven, international growth strategies |
| Separate channels | + Full separation - Domains may compete | High | High | B2B/B2C separation, different assortments or legal setups |
Conclusion
Shopware allows all three strategies – and the right choice depends on your business goals. Key considerations are: - SEO: avoid duplicate content, implement hreflang correctly. - Business: are products, prices, and legal frameworks really different per market? - Marketing: is local trust (.de, .at) more important than global reach (.com)?
The golden rule: as few channels as possible, as many as necessary.
👉 Next step
Not sure whether one channel, subfolders, or multiple sales channels are right for you? Get in touch – I’ll help you design the right multi-channel strategy for your Shopware store.