Go Live, Publish, and Set Up Your Domain

Your site's domain is like its street address; it lets other people find it. Setting up your site domain is very important as it allows people to visit your sites. While our site builder does not host your domains, you can purchase a domain and connect it to your published site by creating a CNAME and two A records in your DNS settings.

Go Live

Taking your site live requires publishing your site, setting up your domain, and setting up your domain through your domain host.

Publish a Site

For your site to show up at any domain, you first need to publish it. To publish your site:

1. In your editor, on the top right, click Publish. If your site was previously published, click Republish.

2. A payment page appears. Select a plan, and continue.

Set up a Domain

After a site is published, you are prompted to select from one of the following three domain options:

1. • Default Domain. This is a domain hosted by Website Builder, and is not good for your site’s SEO. The URL will be a subdomain of Website Builder’s with your custom naming. You may use the original default domain.

   • Purchase a new domain for your site. Purchase a domain from Google Domains or Hover. When you type your domain into the field, a menu appears with suggestions. This domain will already be set up to work with Website Builder. For more detailed instructions, see Purchase a Custom Domain.

   • Use a domain you already own (make sure you added "www." to the URL). You may use a domain that you already own from the domain host you purchased it from. Ensure you add "www." to the URL. If you choose to use your own domain, continue to Set up your Domain in your Domain Host.

Note

To change your domain at any time after publishing your site, in the side panel, click Settings, Site URL, and then click Change site URL.

Set up your Domain in your Domain Host

If you chose to use the Default Domain or to Purchase a new domain for your site, you do not need to set up your domain with your domain host.

If you chose to use a domain you already own, after setting up your domain in Website Builder, complete the following:

1. To connect your domain to your site, click Continue.

2. Website Builder searches for your domain host provider, and prompts you to log in with your provider (for example, GoDaddy).
3. Type your login credentials for your domain host provider, and click Continue.

   • Alternatively, if you do not own the login credentials, click Forward login to a colleague. Copy the link provided and send to a colleague to complete the setup.

4. You will receive a confirmation message that your domain is now configured. Click Done.

Note

• Changes to your domain typically take less than a few hours to go live. However, it may take up to 48 hours.

• If a domain isn't using the registrars default name servers, Website Builder may not be able to correctly add the records.

Domain Host Provider Not Found

If you domain host provider was not found, you must configure your domain manually by adding two A records and a CNAME record to your domain host settings.

Click to copy the records and add them to your domain host. When you have finished, select the I have added the records above to my domain checkbox, and then click Continue.

Note

Some domain hosts will not allow you to set up multiple records for the @ domain. If this is the case for your domain host, then simply add one record for the @ domain and include both IP addresses.

Use the following information for the CNAME record and A records:

CNAME

• Host: www

• Points to: s.multiscreensite.com

A Records

• First A Record:

  • Host/Alias: @

  • Target/Destination: 35.172.94.1

• Second A Record:

  • Host/Alias: @

  • Target/Destination: 100.24.208.97

Two A Records are used for server balance and redundancy.

Note

If you previously took your site live with instructions involving a 301 Redirect and CNAME, you will need to re-create your SSL certificate. For more information, see Add SSL or HTTPS. In addition, you will need to remove the previous settings for the 301 Redirect.

Adding AAAA and CAA records prevents issuing an SSL certificate. Please ensure you do not have these records configured.

Examples

The following is an example from Google Domains, in which they use one A record with two IP addresses:

The following is an example from GoDaddy, in which they use two A records (one for each IP):

Note

Most domain hosts have instructions on creating CNAME records and A records in their help center. If you cannot find this information, you must contact your domain host.

Domain Host Providers

Website Builder searches most large domain host providers, and we are continually adding more domain host providers. To see a list of supported providers, see the documentation.