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Setting Up A Custom Domain

Having written my referential guide Troubleshooting Your Custom Domain Problems, I have seen more than a few questions in Blogger Help Forum: Something Is Broken that are solved by use of the guide. Maybe you can avoid use of that guide, if you plan ahead of time.

The vast majority of all bloggers, when seeking to publish their blog to a custom domain, will do quite well to use the "Buy A Domain For Your Blog" wizard.
  1. Have a major bank issued credit card, for an account that's in good standing, in hand.
  2. Pick an available domain.
  3. Provide the credit card information.
  4. Get the email from Google Apps.
  5. Setup your new Google Apps account.
  6. Get to work planning and managing the transition to the new URL.
  7. If you just completed step #6, please skip to the end of the article, now. What's below is not your concern.


As of 2013/06/23, "Buy a domain" is no longer offered, as part of "Add a custom domain".
Maybe you can't use "Buy A Domain", for your purchase.If you're in this group, I suggest that you plan the setup process, and similarly, the domain renewal options. Save yourself (and us) a lot of headache, by considering the details, before you purchase.
  1. Choose a registrar that will provide the proper DNS services, and the required support. Even if you cannot use "Buy A Domain", you may do well to use eNom or GoDaddy as your registrar, if possible.
    • We are more familiar with their procedures and wizards. We can provide corrections, for well known problems.
    • Their CSRs are becoming increasingly familiar with needs of Google Custom Domains.
    • We are reasonably certain that they are able to provide the necessary services.
    • As a GoDaddy customer, you can use the Blogger / GoDaddy "Update your DNS records" wizard, to setup your DNS, after your domain is registered by GoDaddy.
    It's your choice, but you can make it easier for yourself, and for us.
  2. Setup the DNS addresses properly, using one of three models. For details, please see:
  3. Re publish the blog to the new domain. Select the "Redirect" option (if desired). Note that even if you do not (or cannot) redirect one URL to another, using one of the three models is seriously recommended.
  4. Setup a new Google Apps account (if necessary).
  5. Get to work planning and managing the transition to the new URL.

This is simple advice, but it will be worth your while to understand the requirements, and to execute the details, religiously. Custom domains are very simple, in concept - but if you set one up wrong, you can have all sorts of problems.

Get it right, from the start. Make it easier, for everybody.

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Comments

Amy said…
Hi. Are you saying that if my client registered his domain through the Blogger interface that he is NOT ABLE to now switch hosts because no access is granted to the DNS settings?
Nitecruzr said…
I don't think so, Amy. If your client registered his domain through the Blogger interface, he'll need the email from Google Apps, which will give him access to setup an Apps account, which will give him instructions and access to eNom / GoDaddy.
seowebmaster said…
no, that's not correct. it does not matter where you purchased your domain? it is the game of setting dns on your domain control panel
Nitecruzr said…
it does not matter where you purchased your domain

All registrars being equal, it should not matter. But all registrars won't be equal.

Every different registrar has different policies, and a different Control Panel. Not all registrars allow "CNAME" referral, or "4 x A" referral for the domain root.

So no, all registrars are not equal, and it does matter where you purchased your domain.

http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/2007/10/dns-host-is-crucial-for-custom-domain.html
Kanchan said…
I really need to... actually i creat a blog name http://astrofeed.blogspot.com now i want to host my own custom domain on it, which i purchased from net4.in.
how can i do it... please tell me
http://gotvnews.com
Kanchan said…
i Have purchased www.gotvnews.com from net4.in please help me to host it with blogger blog www.hotloop.blogspot.com
Ed B said…
I have a .us domain name with Godaddy. Can I use blogger to host my .us domain? Google Blogger only allows 5 domains: .com .net .org .info and .biz. All other domains are not supported. Thank you.
Nitecruzr said…
Ed,

If you use "Buy a domain", you will be hosting a blog with either eNom or GoDaddy - Blogger does not host domains, period.

You can't use "Buy a domain" to purchase a .us domain. You can only use "Buy a domain" to purchase a ".com", ".net", ".org", ".info", or ".biz" domain.

If you want to purchase a ".us" domain, you will have to purchase it directly from eNom, GoDaddy, or any other registrar. Having purchased the domain, please set it up properly.

http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/2012/01/choose-your-registrar-when-buying.html

http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/2012/04/simplicity-of-custom-domain-setup.html

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