To connect a custom domain to a website builder, start in the builder’s domain settings, choose the option to connect a domain you already own, and apply the exact DNS or nameserver instructions it provides at the service currently managing your domain’s DNS. In most cases, you can keep the domain registered with its current provider; connecting it does not itself transfer the registration.
Connecting a domain does not mean transferring it
Your domain registrar is the company where the domain is registered. DNS hosting is the service that manages the records directing the domain’s traffic. One company may provide both services, or the registrar and DNS host may be different. You can usually leave registration where it is and configure DNS to direct visitors to your builder. Wix and WordPress.com both document ways to connect a domain without moving its registration.
Before changing anything, identify which provider’s nameservers are authoritative for your domain. DNS edits made in a dashboard that is not serving the domain’s DNS will not take effect.
Choose between changing nameservers and pointing records
| Method | Where DNS is managed | When it may fit |
|---|---|---|
| Change nameservers | The builder or the DNS service its instructions specify manages DNS. Wix says its nameserver method puts DNS hosting with Wix. | Use this when you want the builder to manage DNS and can change nameservers at the domain provider. First check services such as email that rely on existing DNS settings. |
| Point with DNS records | Your current DNS provider continues to manage DNS; selected records direct the website traffic to the builder. | This can suit domains whose nameservers cannot be changed, domains using an external DNS host, or situations where existing email settings need to remain in place. Follow the builder’s supported record method. |
Neither method is universally better. The right choice depends on the builder’s supported options, where DNS is managed, and whether other services depend on current records. WordPress.com describes A/CNAME pointing as an alternative when nameservers cannot be changed or existing email must continue; Wix offers its own nameserver and pointing workflows.
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Connect the domain step by step
- Open the builder’s domain settings. Start the flow for connecting a domain you already own. It should show the method, DNS targets or nameservers, any ownership check, and connection status for your account and site.
- Find the authoritative DNS provider. Check the domain’s current nameservers at the registrar. Make DNS changes at the service those nameservers point to, not necessarily at the registrar’s dashboard.
- Choose a supported connection method. Follow the builder’s current instructions for either nameserver changes or record pointing. Before changing nameservers, review your existing DNS-dependent services, especially email.
- Copy the exact values shown by the builder. An A record points a name to an IPv4 address; a CNAME points a hostname, often
www, to another hostname. The required targets vary by platform and can change. Do not reuse another builder’s sample values. - Review existing records before editing. Replace or remove only entries the builder identifies as conflicting. Old A or CNAME records can conflict with a new setup. Shopify’s manual instructions, for example, specify one root A record and one
wwwCNAME for its setup and tell users to remove extra root A/AAAA records; that is not a general rule for other platforms. - Complete verification in the builder. Some builders ask you to add a TXT record to prove ownership; others may verify automatically. Return to the builder’s domain status panel and follow its prompts.
- Check the site and status. Open the domain and the
wwwversion if you configured both. If the builder still reports a problem, use its checker and work through the troubleshooting steps below.
What DNS records should you enter?
Use the values displayed in the builder’s connection flow for your domain. A and CNAME records are common in pointing instructions, but the complete set is platform-specific; Shopify’s manual third-party setup also specifies an AAAA record. The record type, host/name, target, and any other required fields must match the builder’s instructions exactly.
For example, Shopify’s manual instructions accessed in October 2026 specify root A 23.227.38.65, root AAAA 2620:0127:f00f:5::, and a www CNAME to shops.myshopify.com. These are Shopify-specific values, not defaults for other builders. Recheck the current Shopify instructions before applying them.
Wix’s guide for pointing a domain to an external site says to obtain the required A and CNAME values from the external host and remove old conflicting records. That is a different direction from connecting a third-party domain to a Wix-hosted site; use the instructions for the service that actually hosts your website.
Will changing nameservers affect email?
It can, if the new DNS host does not have the records your email service needs. WordPress.com specifically identifies record pointing as an alternative when a user needs existing email or external DNS arrangements to continue. Before switching nameservers, check the DNS-dependent services you use and make sure their required records are present at the new DNS host. The sources here do not establish one universal list of mail records, so follow your email provider’s requirements.
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Check plan eligibility and ownership verification
Some builders restrict connecting an externally registered domain to particular plans. WordPress.com’s external-domain guide, reviewed September 11, 2026, lists Personal, Premium, Business, and Commerce as eligible plans and says free sites must upgrade. Confirm the current rule in your account because plan terms can change.
Ownership verification is also platform-specific. Shopify describes TXT-record verification or automatic verification in its connection workflow. If verification is requested, complete the displayed step before treating the connection as finished.
Quick Recap
If the domain is not connecting
- Confirm the domain is attached to the right site. Check the builder’s domain settings and status panel.
- Verify where DNS is managed. Compare the registrar’s current nameservers with the provider dashboard where you edited records. If nameservers are missing, incorrect, or unreachable, records in another dashboard may not help; Shopify warns about this in its manual connection guidance.
- Compare every record field. Check the host/name and target against the builder’s current instructions. Look for typos and records entered for the wrong hostname.
- Look for conflicts or duplicates. Remove or replace only the entries the builder identifies as conflicting. Do not delete records for other services without checking what they support.
- Finish any verification step. Confirm the requested TXT record or automatic verification has completed.
- Use the builder’s checker, then contact the right provider. Squarespace says its Domains panel displays records to fix if it still detects incorrect setup after 48 hours. This is a Squarespace troubleshooting window, not a guaranteed DNS propagation time for every provider. If the nameserver or DNS controls are the issue, ask the registrar or DNS host for help; a builder may not be able to access a third-party provider’s settings.
Platform-specific instructions to consult
- Wix: Connecting a Wix Domain to an External Site explains records for pointing a Wix-registered domain to an external host. For a third-party domain connected to a Wix-hosted site, use the separate nameserver guide or pointing guide.
- WordPress.com: Connect an Existing Domain covers connecting a domain and plan eligibility; its A/CNAME alternative guide describes record pointing.
- Shopify: Manually connect a third-party domain provides its current manual records, verification options, and troubleshooting advice.
- Squarespace: Connecting a domain to your Squarespace site links to its current DNS instructions and checker guidance. Its DNS records page was last updated July 6, 2026.
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