How to activate a custom domain name for DNS Providers without ALIAS Records
Introduction
If your DNS provider does not allow you to add ALIAS records for a domain name, the process of activating a custom domain, which is not a subdomain, is a little different. This process is divided into 5 simple steps:
- Choose your custom domain
- Activate your free SSL certificate
- Activate your domain
- Set up domain forwarding
- Test your custom domain
Step 1: Choose your custom domain
Login to your dashboard and click Admin => on your left-hand side, click the drop-down for Settings => Click Domain name => Request Custom Domain
Paste the custom domain you would like to make use of. Confirm that you already own the domain name and click Start Activation.
Please note that you must add www in front of the domain name.
Step 2: Activate your free SSL certificate
On the next page, some CNAME records would be pasted.
Login to your domain registrar's DNS Manager to input the CNAME records to verify your ownership of the domain name. While inputting the CNAME records, make use of 60 seconds or 1 minute as the TTL.
Note that I did not add all the records; instead, I stopped at www. This is because you are adding the records in the domain name's DNS manager, and the system already recognizes it. Adding it again would render the records redundant.
After the records have been added, wait for a few minutes. Then, click the “ check certificate” button.
Step 3: Activate your website
After checking the certificate, a page with a new CNAME record would open up. Repeat step 2 and add the CNAME record in your DNS manager.
Wait for some minutes and click the “check website” button.
If the CNAME records have successfully propagated, a new page would open to tell you that your custom domain has been activated.
Step 4: Set a domain forwarding or redirect
Check the dashboard of your DNS Manager, and click add forwarding/redirect
Tick the HTTPS option and add your custom domain name.
Step 5: Test your custom domain
Afterward, you can load your custom domain on the browser, and it will load securely.
And with this, you have activated your custom domain with a registered domain name.
Congratulations. 😉