Connect your Domain.com custom domain name

When your Domain.com custom domain name is set up correctly yourdomain.com will display your Format site with https://www.yourdomain.com showing in the web browser address (URL) bar.

Format Domain settings

1. From the lower-left of your Format sidebar, navigate to 'Settings'

2. Click 'Domain and Email'

3. Scroll down to the Format Address area

4. Replace the auto-generated Format Address with your own unique Format Address (it is best to match as closely as possible to your actual custom domain name (in this example jane-dovercourt without the .com or other .tld (top-level-domain extension)

5. Website Domain: your website can always be accessed through your Format address (in this example https://jane-dovercourt.format.com )

6. Click 'Connect Your Domain' to access and enter your existing custom domain name (see screenshot below)

Add your existing Custom Domain Name

1. Add your unique existing custom domain name. If you have previously used the same domain name with another Format website it will not be possible to use this without it being disconnected from the other website, contact our support team

2. Follow instructions to update your domain registrar/provider DNS Zone settings to connect to your Format site (you will sign in to your Domain.com account to complete the connection, see below)

3. Click 'Save Changes'

Failed Connection

1. Failed Connections happen when the correct connection settings have not been sent, or propagated (updated) from your domain registrar

2. BEFORE you click the 'File a help request' link ensure you have completed the remaining steps in this guide below:

Sign in to Domain.com

1. From the left sidebar, go to the 'Domains' pane

2. Locate the domain you are wanting to connect

3. Scroll down the page until you reach…

4. 'Advanced Tools'
5. Click the icon to open the accordion pane

Access the Manage Advanced DNS Records area

1. Domains pane selected

2. Scroll down (Advanced Tools is near the very bottom of the page)

3. Advanced Tools with accordion pane opened

4. Nameservers need to be set to the default ns1.domain.com and ns2.domain.com for the connection to work correctly, see below before resetting
5. Click the 'MANAGE' link to access the Advanced DNS Records

Delete the ‘*’ (wildcard) A Record

You may want to take a screenshot of your DNS Records, prior to editing in case you need to revert in the future.

1. Search through the rows of 'A' Records
2. Locate the wildcard ‘*’ character
3. Use the 'kebab' ellipse icon to activate the dropdown menu
4. Click 'Delete'

You will see a warning notification similar to:

Please read, and understand before confirming, and clicking the 'DELETE' button.

Edit the ‘@’ (at) A Record

1. Search through the rows of 'A' Records
2. Locate the at ‘@’ character
3. Use the 'kebab' ellipse icon to activate the dropdown menu
4. Click 'Edit'

1. Type = 'A'
2. Refers to = '@'
3. Change the numeric IP address to be exactly 174.129.25.170
4. TTL (time to live) = '1 Hour'
5. Notification that DNS changes may take up to 24 to 48 hours to fully take effect
6. Click 'EDIT'

Updated A @ Record

The A Record should update and display with the change you have made similar to the screenshot above.

1. A Record '@'
2. IP address of 174.129.25.170

Add a CNAME Record

1. Find, and click the '+ ADD RECORD' button to activate the 'Add Advanced DNS Record' modal
2. Type = 'CNAME'
3. Refers to = 'www'
4. Alias to: your Format address. Do not use our example jane-dovercourt.format.com.
5. TTL = '1 Hour'
6. Notification that DNS changes may take up to 24 to 48 hours to fully take effect
7. Click 'ADD'

If there was an existing CNAME record on the www subdomain, you will not be able to save a second one, and will get an error message. Instead, edit the existing record, replacing the fields following the steps above.

Updated DNS Records

1. DNS Record showing the A Record
2. DNS Record showing the CNAME on www (subdomain)
3. Your Format site address

Check domain connection

Changes made in your Domain.com account are not usually instant. They may take up to 24 to 48 hours to fully propagate and connect.

It is best to check your connection after one-two days.

You will know that your domain connection is working when you enter yourdomain.com and your Format site loads with www.yourdomain.com in the address bar.

Be sure to check that www is visible in the address bar along with a 'secure padlock' icon.

Custom Domain Connection Confirmed

1. Status updated to show as 'Connected'

Your custom domain should connect within 48 hours once all settings here, and the Domain.com DNS Zone records have been set correctly.

Still not working?

You may feel you have done everything correctly, just as this guide says, but your domain is still not working.

Please send us a secure Domain Help Request so we can assist you.

Reach us at our live chat or via our email info@format.com if you have any more questions. We’re happy to help!