Connecting Your Domain to a Website

Once you own a domain, the next step is connecting it to your website. This guide covers how to point your domain to popular hosting providers including Vercel, Netlify, AWS, and others.

Understanding Domain Connection

Connecting a domain to a website involves updating DNS records to point to your hosting provider servers. The exact steps vary by provider, but the general process is similar.

Connecting to Vercel

Vercel is a popular platform for deploying Next.js and other frontend applications. Here is how to connect your domain:

1. 1

   Log into your Vercel dashboard and select your project

2. 2

   Navigate to Settings > Domains and click "Add Domain"

3. 3

   Enter your domain name and follow the verification steps

4. 4

   Add the A record (76.76.21.21) and CNAME (cname.vercel-dns.com) at your registrar

5. 5

   Wait for DNS propagation and SSL certificate provisioning

Connecting to Netlify

Netlify offers simple domain configuration for static sites and serverless applications:

1. 1

   Go to your Netlify site dashboard and click "Domain Settings"

2. 2

   Click "Add custom domain" and enter your domain name

3. 3

   Choose to use Netlify DNS or configure external DNS

4. 4

   For external DNS: Add A record to Netlify load balancer IP

5. 5

   Enable HTTPS and wait for SSL certificate to be issued

Connecting to AWS

AWS offers multiple services for hosting. The configuration depends on your specific setup:

• check_circleS3 + CloudFront: Create a CloudFront distribution and add your domain as an alternate domain name
• check_circleEC2: Point A record to your EC2 instance Elastic IP address
• check_circleRoute 53: Transfer DNS management to Route 53 for tighter integration
• check_circleElastic Beanstalk: Add CNAME record pointing to your EB environment URL

Other Hosting Providers

Most hosting providers follow a similar pattern for domain connection:

• check_circleGoDaddy Hosting: Use their DNS management or point nameservers to GoDaddy
• check_circleDigitalOcean: Add A record pointing to your Droplet IP address
• check_circleCloudflare Pages: Add domain in Cloudflare dashboard and update nameservers
• check_circleGitHub Pages: Add A records to GitHub IPs or CNAME for username.github.io
• check_circleSquarespace/Wix: Follow their specific domain connection wizards

Verifying Your Connection

After updating DNS records, verify your domain is correctly connected:

1. 1

   Wait for DNS propagation (usually 15 minutes to 48 hours)

2. 2

   Use online DNS lookup tools to verify record changes

3. 3

   Test your domain in a browser (try incognito mode to avoid cache)

4. 4

   Verify SSL certificate is properly installed (look for padlock icon)

5. 5

   Test both www and non-www versions of your domain

Troubleshooting Connection Issues

• check_circleDomain not resolving: Double-check DNS records and wait for propagation
• check_circleSSL errors: Ensure certificate is valid and covers your domain
• check_circlewww not working: Verify CNAME record is correctly configured
• check_circleRedirect loops: Check hosting provider redirect settings

Need Assistance?

If you encounter issues connecting your domain, our support team can help. Contact us via live chat, our contact form, or email at support@markforge.xyz.