Using The Google Apps Domain Root Redirect Setting

Recently, Google Apps added a setting to the domain administrator desktop GUI, which controls the redirect of the domain root (aka "naked domain"). We initially observed this setting, as an option in working around the problem of setting the domain root redirect, in the Blogger Publishing "Advanced Settings" wizard. It's also possible that this setting should be used in recycling the domain settings, when faced with the "dreaded "Another blog ..." error.

Use of the Google Apps Domain Redirect setting is not complicated. It starts with setup of the domain administrator account. For any newly purchased domain - as well as for domains purchased directly from a registrar, it's a fairly simple matter to setup a Google Apps domain administrator account - then to set (or reset) the redirect.

Having logged in to your new Google Apps account, as the domain administrator, you simply click on "Domain settings", then "Domain names". Under the Status column for your domain, you'll find the link to "Change redirect". Hoping that you have a standard asymmetrical DNS configuration for the domain, already setup, you can ignore the warning

To enable this redirect, you must change the A record with your domain host.

and simply click on "Redirect your naked domain" (for a new domain), or "Change redirect" (for an existing domain).

This is a new domain, with the domain root not yet redirected.
This is an existing domain, with the domain root redirected to "www.nitecruzr-test.net".
If the domain DNS addresses are not setup with both the source and target of the redirect (the "naked domain" and alias) pointing directly to the proper Google servers, as in either the symmetrical or asymmetrical DNS address configuration, the redirect setting is useless. The redirect only works within Google servers. This is another scenario where DNS addresses which use forwarding will not work.


The "Change how your naked domain is redirected" display simply lets you designate the "www" (or any alternate) alias as the target for the naked domain redirect.

Designate a web address to direct your users to when they access your naked domain.

Entering the target (defaulting, simply, to "www"), then hitting "Save changes", you are done with this procedure. Now, the domain root should redirect to the alias of your choice.

If you are recycling the domain settings, you'll want to change the redirect setting to something other than "www" - let us say "test" - then change back to "www".

1. Set the redirect to "test", and hit "Save changes".
2. Set the redirect to "www", and hit "Save changes".
3. You're done with this exercise.

If you are clearing the setting, so you can continue with the Blogger Publishing process, you may shorten the exercise a bit.

1. Set the redirect to "test", and hit "Save changes".
2. You're done with this exercise.

In either case, you now continue with the main task at hand, if necessary.

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