Build & automatePractical guide · updated for 2026
How to Connect a Custom Domain to Your Website
Add the domain in your host's dashboard first, then create the DNS records it shows at your registrar, and wait for propagation. The certificate issues only after DNS resolves correctly.
Have this ready
- Domain registrar login
- Hosting dashboard access
- The DNS values from the host
Step by step
- 1Buy the domain from any registrar and confirm you control the account and the contact email.
- 2Add the domain in the hosting platform and copy the exact DNS values it shows.
- 3At the registrar, create the A or CNAME record for the root and the www subdomain.
- 4Remove conflicting old records, such as a parking page A record or a stale CNAME.
- 5Wait for propagation, checking with a public DNS lookup tool rather than a browser cache.
- 6Let the host issue the TLS certificate, then test https on both the root and www.
- 7Decide one canonical version and redirect the other to it permanently.
Want it done with you?
I can walk you through it in a Magic Box, show you the exact clicks, or do it with you and keep the recording. You log in yourself; I never see your password.
Common questions
How long does DNS take?+
Often minutes, sometimes a few hours, and up to a day in rare cases. The certificate cannot issue until it resolves.
Should I use A or CNAME at the root?+
Follow what your host specifies. Many hosts use an ALIAS or flattened record at the root because a plain CNAME is not valid there.
Why does www still show the old site?+
A stale record or a separate www entry. Check both records and the redirect rule.