Connect Your Domain to Websites.ly - The Complete Setup Guide
Your website deserves a home that's truly yours. While every site on Websites.ly comes with a free subdomain to get you started, connecting a custom domain is what turns your project into a real, professional brand - the kind visitors trust and search engines love. Here's everything you need to know about linking your domain to your Websites.ly site.
Why Connect a Custom Domain?
A custom domain does more than look polished in a browser bar. It's a foundational part of how your business is discovered, remembered, and trusted online.
- Stronger branding - "yourbusiness.com" is easier to remember and share than a generic subdomain
- Better SEO performance - a dedicated domain builds authority and history under your name, not a shared platform domain
- Increased credibility - customers trust a business with its own domain over one running on a free subdomain
- Consistent branding - your domain can match your email, social handles, and marketing materials
Two Ways to Connect Your Domain
Websites.ly gives you the flexibility to set your domain up however works best for you - whether you're comfortable in your registrar's dashboard or would rather have it handled for you.
Manual Setup (Free)
Configure your DNS records yourself in a few minutes. This is the fastest option if you've done it before or don't mind following a short guided checklist.
Tailored Service ($100, one-time)
Prefer to skip the technical steps entirely? Our team will handle your full DNS setup for you from start to finish, so your domain is connected correctly the first time.
Manual DNS Configuration, Step by Step
Step 1: Configure Your CNAME Record
Log in to your domain registrar's dashboard and add a CNAME record to point your subdomain (typically www) to your Websites.ly builder address.
- Type: CNAME
- Host: www
- Points To: your-site-name.websites.ly
Step 2: Set Up Your Root Domain
Want your site to work without the "www" (e.g., yourdomain.com instead of www.yourdomain.com)? Add an A record pointing your root domain to our server IP address.
- Type: A
- Host: @
- Value (IP): provided in your Domains page
Note: the exact address shown in your Domains page (for example, your-site-name.websites.ly) is unique to your website - always copy it directly from your account rather than reusing an example.
Where to Manage Your Domain
You don't need to dig for these settings - domain connection lives right where you'd expect it. From your dashboard, open the Domains page for your site to:
- View your unique CNAME and A record values
- Switch between Manual Setup and the Tailored Service
- Check the connection status of your domain in real time
- Update or remove a connected domain at any time
Built with SEO in Mind
Connecting your own domain is one of the simplest ways to strengthen your site's SEO foundation. Once your domain is live, Websites.ly automatically supports the technical essentials search engines look for - clean URLs, HTTPS security, and proper indexing - so your content, not your infrastructure, does the work of ranking.
Ready to Make It Official?
Whether you set it up yourself in five minutes or let our team handle it for you, connecting your domain is the final step in making your Websites.ly site truly yours.
Head to your Domains page to get started.
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