How to connect your own domain to your eSponsor website

Your eSponsor website comes with an address that's ready to use. But if you have your own domain, like www.yourbrand.com, you can connect it so your audience finds you under your brand.

Before you start

You need:

• An eSponsor website. If you don't have one yet, read the complete website guide.
• A paid plan. Custom domains are included in the Verified and Creator plans, and in the paid plans for foundations. See every feature by plan.
• A domain you've bought from a provider like GoDaddy, Namecheap, Hostinger or Cloudflare, and access to its dashboard to edit DNS records.

DNS records are like the internet's phone book: they tell the browser which server to go to when someone types your domain. To connect your domain, you'll add one or two records pointing to eSponsor.

Step 1: open the domain settings

1. In your dashboard, go to Appearance → Website and open your site's editor.
2. Go to Settings → Domain.

There you see your site's addresses:

• Main domain and Subdomain: eSponsor addresses that come ready and work without you doing anything.
• Custom domain: your own domain, once you connect it.

Step 2: enter your domain

1. Tap Connect custom domain.
2. Type your domain the way you want visitors to see it, for example www.yourbrand.com or yourbrand.com. No https:// and no slash at the end.
3. Tap Connect domain.

You can't use an eSponsor address or a domain that's already connected to another site.

Step 3: add the DNS records

In the same window, under DNS records, eSponsor shows what you need to add at your domain provider. Copy the details exactly as they appear.

CNAME record

This is the main record. It points your domain to eSponsor's target:

With most providers, under Name (or "Host") you only type the part before your domain. For example, for www.yourbrand.com you type www.

If you connect your domain without www

The domain without www (for example, yourbrand.com) is called the root or apex domain, and many providers write it as @. Some providers don't allow a CNAME there. In that case, use an A, ALIAS or ANAME record pointing to the same target, depending on what your provider offers.

TXT record (if shown)

If eSponsor shows you a TXT record, add it too, with the exact name and value. It proves the domain is yours.

If you use Cloudflare

Set the CNAME record to DNS only (the gray cloud), not proxied.

Step 4: also connect the version with or without www

Ideally, your site opens both with and without www. Once your domain is saved, you'll see the Also connect option with the other version:

• If you connected www.yourbrand.com, you can also connect yourbrand.com.
• If you connected yourbrand.com, you can also connect www.yourbrand.com.

Turn it on and add the second CNAME record shown under DNS records at your provider (and its TXT record, if shown). Anyone who comes in through that other version is sent to your main domain.

Step 5: wait for verification

Below the records you see your domain's status:

• Pending verification: eSponsor doesn't see your DNS records yet. That's normal at first.
• Connected: done! Your site now opens on your domain.
• Connection failed: something doesn't match. You'll see the error details right below.
• Moved: your domain no longer points to eSponsor. Check that your DNS records are still at your provider.

DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to show up. Once your domain is Connected, eSponsor turns on the secure connection (HTTPS, the padlock in the browser) automatically. You don't need to do anything else.

When you connect it, your domain becomes your site's main address. The eSponsor addresses keep working.

Change your domain

To use a different domain, go back to Settings → Domain, tap Update domain, enter the new one and add its DNS records at your provider.

You can also choose which of your addresses is the main one by tapping it in the Settings → Domain list.

If something isn't working

• It's been "Pending verification" for hours: check at your provider that the record is saved, that the type is right, and that the name and target were copied with no extra spaces or dots.
• There was already another record with the same name: if your domain had an A or CNAME record for www or @ (for example, from an earlier page), delete or replace it. Two records with the same name conflict.
• The site opens with www but not without it (or the other way around): turn on Also connect and add the second record.
• The browser shows a security warning: wait until the status is Connected. The HTTPS certificate is created after DNS is verified.

If it still isn't connected after 24 hours, contact us and tell us your domain. We'll help you check it.