How do I connect my domain to my new site?
Great question! Connecting a custom domain can seem daunting at first, but with the right approach it is very manageable. First, it is important to understand that there are several ways to do this, depending on your registrar and your hosting provider. Generally speaking, you will want to log in to your domain registrar, locate the DNS settings (which may be called something different depending on the provider), and then add the appropriate records.
For the root domain you will typically add an A record pointing to your host's IP address, whereas for the www version you will usually want a CNAME record. Keep in mind that DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to propagate, so do not panic if it does not work right away. You should also make sure not to delete any MX records if you use email on that domain, since that could break your email. Additionally, you may want to set up a redirect from www to the root domain. If you run into any issues, please do not hesitate to let me know.
- The one dangerous instruction is buried mid-paragraph
- No values to enter
- Every step at once, no sense of progress
Open your DNS settings
Squarespace, then Domains, then your domain, then DNS Settings.
Reply there when you can see the record list.
- One step at a time, with a clear way to continue
- The risk is a labelled box, not a clause
- Step 2 supplies exact values, ready to copy