A domain is the link your visitors use to access your website. It is visible in the address bar of your web browser whenever you are browsing your website. By default, the domain of your website contains references to your website provider. You can change the domain to make it easier for your visitors to remember and find your website. We'll guide you through the required steps towards such a custom domain.
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Register your domain
First things first. If you don’t yet own a custom domain that you’d like to use for your website, you first need to register your desired custom domain at the domain provider of your choice. There are several domain providers available, for example: Bluehost, GoDaddy, or Strato. Before you decide on a domain provider, be sure that it offers to change the DNS A Record of your domain.
Note
When registering your domain, be sure to also create a "www." subdomain. Meaning, if you registered "exquisite-vines.com" as your domain, you need to create "www.exquisite-vines.com" as a subdomain of your domain.Configure your domains
Now that you own your custom domain and subdomain, you need to configure both domains according to our IP address. Meaning, you need to clearly map your website to your custom domains.
Note
As this mapping is quite tricky, we advise you to contact your domain provider. They can change the so-called DNS A Record mapping for you without the risk of undesired side effects. All they need to know is that the DNS A Record of your domain and "www." subdomain needs to point to the IP address 130.211.62.41 and that no DNS AAAA Record should be set.If you'd like to configure the domain on your own, we cannot give you a detailed instruction for every domain provider as their menu and structure vary widely. That's why the following steps are only an example that might not match your domain provider. Perhaps, you'd like to check back with your provider if further steps are required or which effects changes in the DNS settings may have.
- Log in to your domain provider account.
- Navigate to the Domains section.
- Further navigate to the Domain management section. You'll now see a list of your custom domains.
- Select Manage next to the domain you'd like to map to your website.
- Navigate to the DNS settings.
- Edit the settings of the DNS A Record. The DNS A Record needs to point to the IP address 130.211.62.41.
- Some providers also set the DNS AAAA Record by default. If that's the case with your provider, delete the related entry.
- Save your changes.
Be sure to follow these steps for your custom domain and the "www." subdomain. You don't need to take care of the SSL certification. We've got you covered.
Note
It might take some hours until the mapping was successfully changed by your domain provider.The description didn't match the structure of your domain provider? Check these help articles provided by the specific providers:
If your provider is not listed above, we recommend to contact them directly.
Assign your domain
Last but not least, you'll need to assign your configured custom domain. To do so, follow these steps:
- In the sidebar of your cockpit, select Settings > Domain.
- Enter your custom domain without "https://" and "www." in the input field Your custom domain. Meaning, you'll need to enter mywebsitename.com instead of https://www.mywebsitename.com.
- Select Assign domain.
Great! You've just finished the setup of your custom domain.
Note
After you have successfully assigned your domain, you will be automatically logged out of your cockpit.Now, you need to use the new domain for logging in to your cockpit. Meaning, if your new domain is mywebsitename.com, you need to use mywebsitename.com/cockpit for log in.
Your visitors will be automatically forwarded to your new domain when trying to access the old one. So, no need to worry about that.
Unassign your domain
You would like to remove or change your custom domain? No problem! You can unassign it at any time and assign a new one if you like.
Caution
After you have unassigned your custom domain, your website is reset to the original domain. Keep in mind, though, that your visitors will not be redirected to it automatically! This may have an impact on your SEO ranking as well. To learn more about how to set up a redirect, we advise you to take a look at your provider’s online help or contact your provider directly. The steps on how to do so may differ for each provider.To unassign your domain, follow these steps:
- In the sidebar of your cockpit, select Settings > Domain.
- Select Unassign domain.
You have successfully unassigned your domain.
Note
After you have unassigned your domain, you will be automatically logged out of your cockpit. Please keep in mind that you'll need to use the original domain again for logging in to your cockpit, meaning for example: mywebsitename.originaldomain.com/cockpit.You can reassign your custom domain at any time if you wish to do that. You can also register and configure a new domain and use that one for your website.