What Is Web Hosting
Web hosting is a kind of warehouse that stores all the information on your site: pictures, music, video, texts, product cards, descriptions, prices – all the materials that you fill out the site with. All Squarespace sites are hosted on servers, much like store merchandise is placed on store shelves by sellers.
How To Change The Built
May 11, 2021 Step 1. Go to Settings > Domains · Step 2. Delete the crazy long domain name and type in your own.
DNS records tell computers how to find your website and where to deliver your companys email messages. Youll copy a verification code from the Google
Under Squarespace domains, click the domain name. If you have multiple Squarespace domains, youll manage their DNS settings separately.
In order to connect your domain name to your Squarespace website, Click the button for Use a domain I own, type in your own domain name and click Next
I Received An Email Asking Me To Set Data Sharing Settings For My Domain
After registering a new domain, youll receive an email from customercare@squarespace.com asking you to set your data sharing preferences. One of our domain registrars, Tucows, requires that we send this email to comply with data regulations like GDPR. To view and edit that info, click the link in the email, or you can ignore it. Sharing your data is optional and your domain will work normally even if you dont take any action.
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Editing Your Cname Entry
You almost certainly already have a CNAME entry set up in your domains Zone File for www. You will edit this existing CNAME to direct traffic to ext-cust.squarespace.com.
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Restrictions On Connecting Domains
There are a lot of little items you need to meet before you can connect a domain to Squarespace. Ive formatted them here as a checklist to make sure you meet them or bypass them.
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You have to have a domain registered with a third-party registrar. If you havent registered a domain name yet, you might as well just register it through Squarespace, unless its a TLD they wont accept.
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You must have full access to DNS settings. Connecting a Squarespace site to a third-party domain just means changing the DNS settings and waiting for it to propagate, so if you dont have this access, you need to transfer your domain to a service that gives it to you.
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You should do this well in advance of any deadlines. It takes 24-72 hours for a DNS change to propagate across the internet, and in the meantime, service can be disrupted.
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You must have an active Squarespace site. It can be a trial site, but it cannot be an expired site.
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You must not be using a parking page on your Squarespace site.
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You cant connect a domain that has Squarespace or SQSP in it.
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You should be aware that Unicode characters in URLs might not render properly.
Thats it! Most of these are fringe cases, so most of you should be in a situation where you can connect your domain relatively quickly and easily. Itll still take a bit of time, but the actual process is just a matter of navigating through a few menus. There may be some small variations between different domain registrars, but the general process is the same.
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What Is My Domain And Where Is It Hosted
This is a question I got asked today by a client, and its not the first time Ive been asked so I thought Id share my answer to here with you!
Your domain is the internet address of your site. For example, my domain is www.lucydesigns.ie
Domains can be .ie, .com, .co,uk, .es, .fr and so on. If you are using a Squarespace website, you can buy your .com domain from Squarespace. You can simply go to this page and enter the domain you wish to buy.
Once you have your .ie domain with one of these companies, you can still connect it to your Squarespace website. More about that below.
Personal Vs Business Domains
Think about the kind of website you want to build with your domain. If youre launching an online store for an existing business, choose a domain name that will help customers find your website. Start by searching for a domain name that matches the name of your business. Ideally, your domain name and your business name will be the same or similar.
If youre launching a resume website or creative portfolio, your domain can be your full name or nickname. You might want to consider including your middle initial, to distinguish your website from anyone else who shares your name.
If youre creating a blog or other personal website, you might be migrating an existing audience from a social media platform or an email list. Align your domain name with the channel people already follow you on. This could look like choosing a domain name that matches your Instagram handle, or that references the name of your email newsletter.
No matter what kind of website youre launching, youll want to consider how your domain name will impact other arms of your online presence. For example, if you plan to set up an email for your business, your domain will be a prominent part of your email address.
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Set Up The Domain Name At The New Registrar
At this point, youll need to set up the domain name at your new registrar. Namecheap is an industry standard in domain names, and I highly recommend them.
Right in Namecheaps main menu is a link called Transfer to Us. Hover over that and select Transfer Domain.
Enter the name of the domain to transfer and follow the instructions. Youll be asked to enter the transfer key that you got from Squarespace.
Note: This is a professional review site that receives compensation when you purchase through the affiliate links at no extra cost to you. I personally test or research each product before endorsing it. This site is independently owned and the opinions expressed here are my own.
How To Build A Website With Squarespace: Preparation
Before you get stuck in with building, its worth deciding what youre going to include on your site. Are you building a portfolio, writing a blog, or hoping to launch an ecommerce store? Knowing the purpose of your site ahead of creation will help you decide on the best template design and price plan for your needs. Have a browse of similar websites to see how other businesses advertise their wares for inspiration.
Once you know what youre creating, youll need to make a Squarespace accounthead to the Squarespace homepage and click Get Started to begin. Its worth mentioning thatwhile you can trial Squarespaces free plan for two weeksthere is currently no long-term free plan available. However, creating an account requires no payment details, so youre free to explore the platform beforehand.
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How To Connect Your Ca Domain Name To Squarespace
Connecting your .CA domain name to your Squarespace website can be done in just a few clicks.
Erin Hutchison
Editors note: As of December 2019, Squarespace now offers .CA domains! Weve made some changes to this post to reflect this exciting update!
Building a website has never been easier. While knowing how to code can give you a lot of flexibility, website builders are opening up new opportunities for people with big ideas but not a lot of technical skill. You can jump in and start building your website, making use of the free trials that many website builders offer, and see how exciting it is to watch your ideas come to life!
Change The Name On Squarespace
Once youve decided on your name, head over to your Squarespace dashboard and go to SETTINGS> > DOMAINS. Then you will choose to get a new domain or use a domain you already own.
At this point the choice is yours. If you are going with an extension other than a .com, it may not be free on Squarespace and is cheaper somewhere else.
However, at some point you will probably want to have it administered by Squarespace, and youll have to pay to the transfer of that accomplished. And youll have to go into some deeper settings to get that done, which makes some people nervous.
Since I like to keep things simple, Id go with Squarespace from the beginning and get your new domain from them.
If you decide to purchase the domain from Squarespace, follow the steps to check out and, Congratulations, you now have a new domain associated with your site!
If you have purchased the name somewhere else, you can either transfer it to Squarespace or have it pointed to Squarespace. If you have just bought it you will probably have to point it to Squarespace as there is a waiting period to do that after the purchase of a domain.
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Should I Transfer My Domain From Godaddy To Squarespace
No, you shouldnt transfer your domain from GoDaddy to Squarespace.GoDaddy is a full-service domain registrar that can be used with any web hosting provider, so theres no need to switch. Plus, Squarespaces domain management features are limited, and youll likely end up paying more for your domain on Squarespace than you would on GoDaddy.
Why Should I Own One
As I learned first-hand, having a custom domain gives you an instant credibility boost. It doesnt matter whether youre using a personal site to help you land a job, increase your visibility in your field or industry, find freelance gigs, showcase your work, or promote your brand: The more credibility you have, the better.
Plus, custom domains are usually far easier to remember than generic ones. Imagine you told someone you met at a networking event to check out your site, janedoeportfolio.squarespace.com. Hell probably forget the link by the time he gets in front of his laptop. However, janedoe.bio will be a cinch to remember. These names also look much more sleek when you put them on business cards, in the header of your resume, or anywhere else you might be directing people to learn more about you.
A domain that incorporates your name also helps others find you in search results. When someone enters your first and last name into Google, theyre much more likely to see your website if its domain matches their search. When you search Aja Frost, for example, my site is the first thing that comes up:
This gives you the chance to really own the conversation around your personal brand, making sure people see what you want them to see first.
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Point To An Ip Address
If youre pointing to an IP address, add an A record to your DNS settings.
A records can point your domain with a subdomain or without it. Follow these steps to add an A record that points your domain without a subdomain:
Heres how that would look pointing to Tumblrs IP address, 72.32.231.8:
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Search For Your Domain On Godaddy
to search for the domain that youd like to transfer to GoDaddy. You will need to be logged into your GoDaddy account to do this, if you dont have one, you will need to make one.
If you have correctly unlocked your domain in step 1, the domain will show a green check mark next to Unlock the domain if you dont see this, head back to step one and ensure you have unlocked your domain on Weebly.
You may be asked to enter an authorisation code, you will find this in your weebly account under Registrar Lock section from Step 1.
Once you have completed the above steps, you can head to Domains > Transfers In and you will see that the domain transfer process has begun. You can keep an eye on this page to check on the process.
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Align With Your Social Media Handles
Think about aligning your domain name with your social media handles. This is especially important if youre building your brand on social media, or have a significant social following already. When you match your domain name with your social media handles, its easy for your audience to find your brand across channels.
If your domain and social handles are different, there are other ways to connect your audience. You can integrate your social media accounts with your website, and use tools like Bio Sites from Unfold to drive your social followers to your website content through links in bio.
Can I Use My Own Domain On Squarespace
When you sign up for your Squarespace account, you are given a unique Squarespace URL that looks like this: http://youraccountname.squarespace.com. If you want complete control over the branding of your site or simply want a unique URL, you can map, or point, a custom domain to your Squarespace account.
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Set Up The New Nameservers
If youre using Squarespaces nameservers , you will need to use new nameservers when you transfer the domain name, because Squarespaces nameservers will go away after the transfer.
Namecheap offers free a free DNS called, well, FreeDNS. Once you select this at Namecheap, youll have to copy a TXT record into the existing DNS records at Squarespace before it can be used.
Once you do that, it takes less than an hour to be activated. Note that activated means ready to use, not that it is actually being used yet.
After its activated, you can start entering the new DNS records which you copied from a few steps back .
This is under a tab called Advanced DNS, which I thought at first was a different product. It is actually where you edit the records for FreeDNS.
Very carefully enter the DNS settings that you copied from Squarespace here. If you make a mistake, your site might not show up after the transfer and email might not work , so double and triple check!
TIP: If Im doing a transfer for a client, I always make sure I have an alternate email address and their phone number IF they are using the domain name as their email address. During the process I keep them updated on both their main email address and the alternate, in case something goes wrong.
How To Change Domain Name On Bluehost
Changing a domain name when using Bluehost is not as easy as one would hope. The best thing anyone who is not technically inclined can get in touch with Bluehost support for assistance.
If one is feeling courageous, one could attempt to change the primary domain of oneself. Although it is worth mentioning that even if one were to try this process themselves, the person will likely end up on the phone or chat with support either way.
Contacting Bluehost support is encouraged, but it is also actually a requirement for part of the process.
Due to the difficulty in the process, it is almost better to migrate a site from one domain to another and not attempt to change the primary domain.
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To change a site to a new domain, simply register the new domain with Bluehost and contact support to request migrating a website.
Remember that any links out in the world and point to the old site domain will need to be updated. If not, a redirect will need to be created from the early domain and pointed at the new domain. But well get into that later in this article.
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Should I Buy A Domain With Squarespace
Where you buy your domain is completely up to you. Squarespace is a fantastic domain host with a low initial cost and a ton of built-in SEO and security features .
However, if you have domains from other third-party sites and want to keep them all in the same place, using a site like GoDaddy, BlueHost, NameCheap, or Google Domains is fine.
Squarespace Domain Vs Godaddy
If youre trying to decide between Squarespace and GoDaddy for your web domain needs, there are a few things to consider. First, Squarespace has limited domain management features compared to GoDaddy. Additionally, GoDaddy offers a wider variety of top-level domains than Squarespace.
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