Connecting a custom domain — the full walkthrough

Tell us your domain

You build for free on an Avago address; connecting your own domain is what makes the site truly yours, and you only pay when you go live. Start by telling Avago the domain you want to use — open your domain settings and enter it, whether it's one you already own or one you've just bought. Avago then shows you the exact DNS records to add at your registrar.

Adding the two DNS records

Connecting a domain comes down to two DNS records, added wherever your domain's DNS is managed:

1. An A record on the root domain (the bare example.com), pointing to the IP address Avago gives you.
2. A CNAME record on the www subdomain, pointing to the target Avago gives you.

The exact screens differ by registrar, but the records are the same everywhere. Leave any existing conflicting records out — two A records on the root will fight.

Watching DNS propagate live

DNS changes aren't instant; they spread across the internet over minutes to a few hours. Avago checks your records for you and shows the status live, so you can see when each one is detected rather than guessing. Most updates are visible within an hour, though registrars quote up to 48 hours for full propagation.

Clicking Go live

Once the records are detected and SSL has been issued, the Go live button activates. Clicking it publishes your site to your own domain on the Go live plan (£34.99/mo). From that point your domain serves the site directly.

After: SSL, redirects, the 301 list

A few things are handled once you're live:

• SSL is issued automatically via Let's Encrypt and renews itself — no fee, on every plan.
• www and root are unified so visitors land in the right place whichever they type.
• Old URLs can be redirected: if you're moving from a previous site, add 301 redirects from the old paths to the new ones so you keep your search rankings and don't strand existing links.

Keep a list of your old site's important URLs before you switch. Mapping them to the new pages with 301s is the single biggest thing you can do to protect your traffic during a move.