If you purchased a domain from Dotster, you can use it for your Squarespace 5 site by following a process called domain mapping. This process includes changing a few settings in your Dotster account, which will tell the domain where to point.
To follow this guide, you should already have an active domain with Dotster. Once you connect your domain by following the steps in this guide, you must leave it registered with Dotster to keep it connected to your Squarespace 5 site.
Note: This guide was written in 2015, and Dotster's interface may have changed. For a more recent guide with general steps, visit Connecting a domain to your Squarespace 5 site.
Before you begin
Before following the steps in this guide, review our requirements for connecting a third-party domain.
Step 1 - Log into Dotster
Go to www.dotster.com and click My Account at the top of the screen. Enter your username and password and click Login.
Click DomainCentral to go to your domain list and choose the domain you want.
Click DNS.
Step 2 - Add the CNAME Record
Select CNAME Alias from the Modify drop-down menu.
- Add www to the Host field.
- Add ext5-cust.squarespace.com to the box under Points To.
- Click Add to save your changes.
Step 3 - Add the A Records
After adding your CNAME, add four A Records for the non-www version of your domain.
- Select A Record from the Modify drop-down menu.
- Scroll down this page and add 198.185.159.160 to the box in the Points To column.
- Click Add to save your changes.
Repeat this process three more times using the following values:
- 198.185.159.161
- 198.49.23.160
- 198.49.23.161
Note: If present, delete the A record with * in the Host column.
Step 4 - Link your domain
- Log into your Squarespace 5 site.
- In the Website Management bar, click Custom Domain under Structure.
- Click Link Domain.
- Enter your custom domain.
- Click Add.
If all records are entered correctly, your domain will connect to your site within 24 hours. At times, it can take up to 72 hours to connect. We have more information about this on our Squarespace 7 help site.
While you wait, you can check your domain’s progress across the Internet by using Whatsmydns.net. Until it connects, you'll see one of these two warnings:
When your Dotster domain is correctly linked, it will appear in the Domains list.
Step 5 - Set domain display preferences (optional)
When you link a domain to your site, both the www domain version (e.g. www.yourdomain.com) and non-www domain version (e.g. domain.com) are automatically included.
Click the Toggle WWW link next to the domain to display the version you prefer.