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DOMAIN AND WEBSITE SETUP

Connect a domain to a static HTML site.

Publish and test the website on its host first. Then point only the web address records to that host.

Find the service that manages DNS.

Your registrar sells or manages the domain, but DNS may be hosted by a different company. Look up the domain’s nameservers or DNS settings to find the authoritative DNS provider. For example, GoDaddy says its DNS records can be edited in your account when the domain uses GoDaddy nameservers; otherwise edit records where those nameservers are managed. Namecheap likewise directs customers to Advanced DNS host records when they use its BasicDNS, PremiumDNS, or FreeDNS.

Before editing, save or screenshot the current DNS zone. Have the website host’s exact custom-domain instructions open. The required record values differ by host, so do not copy values from a different company’s example.

Open your provider’s DNS editor.

Add the records the host requests.

  1. Add the root domain record.

    For the bare domain such as example.com, the host may request an A record pointing to one or more IP addresses, or an ALIAS/ANAME record pointing to a hostname. In the DNS editor, the root name is often shown as @. Use exactly the record type and value from your host.

  2. Add the www name if you want it.

    A host commonly asks for a CNAME with name www that points to its assigned target hostname. A CNAME is a DNS alias; it is not itself a browser redirect. The web host must also know which custom domain belongs to your site.

  3. Resolve DNS conflicts.

    Edit or remove only conflicting web records for the same hostname after comparing them with the host’s instructions. Do not replace the whole DNS zone or switch nameservers as a shortcut. A root CNAME can conflict with other records, including mail and verification records.

GoDaddy’s DNS record guide explains its account editor and record purposes. Namecheap’s record-type guide covers its Advanced DNS host records.

Verify the domain after saving.

Return to the website host and complete its domain verification. DNS caches take time to update; the time varies by provider and prior TTL. Check both the root and www address if you configured them. Confirm the intended site loads, redirects consistently if the host provides redirects, and HTTPS is active before sharing the address. Keep your previous site deployment available until the new domain works.

For Squarespace-managed DNS, its record editing guide says the domain must be registered there or connected through Nameserver Connect; for other setups, make changes in the provider’s DNS editor.

If your files are in Benchlight.

A private draft is not a public site. Benchlight publication requires the website UI and a Benchlight hosting plan, and its assistant connector does not configure DNS. You can use these same steps with any host that provides custom-domain records.