DNS Setup Guide

What is DNS?

DNS (Domain Name System) is what connects your domain name to your website hosting. Think of it as the internet's address book - it translates human-friendly domain names (like yourdomain.com) to server IP addresses that computers use to identify each other.

When you set up a domain with PressKube, you'll need to configure DNS settings to point your domain to our servers.

Understanding DNS Record Types:

  • CNAME Record: Points a domain name to another domain name (like an alias)
  • A Record: Points a domain directly to an IP address
  • AAAA Record: Points a domain to an IPv6 address
  • MX Record: Directs email to your mail server
  • TXT Record: Stores text information, often used for verification

General Steps for All Providers

  1. Access your domain registrar's control panel

    Log in to your account with the company where you purchased your domain.

  2. Find the DNS management section

    Look for "DNS Settings," "DNS Management," "Name Servers," or "Domain Management".

  3. Add a CNAME record for www subdomain

    Host/Name:
    www
    Type:
    CNAME
    Value/Points to:
    lb-01.presskube.com
    TTL:
    Automatic or 3600

  4. Set up apex domain redirection

    For apex/root domains (example.com without www), either:

    • Set up a redirect from example.com to www.example.com (recommended), or
    • Use an A record to point to our IP address (if available from your provider)

  5. Save your changes and wait for propagation

    DNS changes can take up to 24-48 hours to fully propagate throughout the internet, though they often take effect much sooner.

Important Note about Apex Domains

DNS standards do not allow CNAME records for apex/root domains (example.com without www). To use an apex domain with our service, set up a redirect from the apex domain to the www subdomain, or use an A record if your registrar supports it.

GoDaddy DNS Setup Instructions

  1. Log in to your GoDaddy account

    Go to godaddy.com and sign in to your account.

  2. Access domain settings

    Click on "My Products" and find your domain in the list.

  3. Access DNS management

    Click "DNS" or "Manage DNS" for the domain you want to configure.

  4. Add CNAME record

    Scroll down to the "Records" section and click "Add".

    • Select "CNAME" as the record type
    • Enter "www" in the "Host" field
    • In the "Points to" field, enter the value of your load balancer DNS (e.g., lb-01.presskube.com)
    • Set TTL to "1 Hour"
    • Click "Save"

  5. Set up forwarding for apex domain

    GoDaddy offers domain forwarding for apex domains:

    • Go to the "Forwarding" section
    • Add a forward from yourdomain.com to www.yourdomain.com
    • Select "Permanent (301)" as the redirect type
    • Select "Forward with masking" to maintain the URL
    • Click "Save"
GoDaddy Official DNS Management Documentation →

Namecheap DNS Setup Instructions

  1. Log in to your Namecheap account

    Go to namecheap.com and sign in to your account.

  2. Access domain list

    Click on "Domain List" from the left sidebar and find your domain.

  3. Manage DNS settings

    Click the "Manage" button next to your domain, then select the "Advanced DNS" tab.

  4. Add CNAME record

    In the "Host Records" section, click "Add New Record".

    • Select "CNAME Record" as the record type
    • Enter "www" in the "Host" field
    • In the "Target" field, enter the value of your load balancer DNS (e.g., lb-01.presskube.com)
    • Set TTL to "Automatic" or "1 Hour"
    • Click "Save Changes"

  5. Set up URL Redirect for apex domain

    Namecheap provides a URL Redirect Record:

    • Click "Add New Record" and select "URL Redirect"
    • Enter "@" in the "Host" field (@ represents the apex domain)
    • Enter "https://www.yourdomain.com" in the "Target URL" field
    • Set "Redirect Type" to "Permanent (301)"
    • Click "Save Changes"
Namecheap Official DNS Setup Guide →

Cloudflare DNS Setup Instructions

Special Note for Cloudflare Users

Cloudflare offers special features called "CNAME Flattening" and "Cloudflare IP addresses," which allow you to use CNAME-like functionality for apex domains. This makes setup slightly different from other providers.

  1. Log in to your Cloudflare account

    Go to dash.cloudflare.com and sign in.

  2. Select your domain

    Click on the domain you want to configure from your dashboard.

  3. Go to DNS settings

    Click on "DNS" from the top navigation menu.

  4. Add CNAME record for www

    Click on "Add Record".

    • Select "CNAME" as the record type
    • Enter "www" in the "Name" field
    • Enter your load balancer DNS (e.g., lb-01.presskube.com) in the "Target" field
    • Set "Proxy status" based on your preference (proxied is recommended for Cloudflare benefits)
    • Click "Save"

  5. Set up apex domain

    With Cloudflare, you have two options:

    • Option 1 (Recommended): Create a CNAME record for the apex domain:
      • Click "Add Record"
      • Select "CNAME" as the record type
      • Enter "@" in the "Name" field (@ represents the apex domain)
      • Enter your load balancer DNS in the "Target" field
      • Set "Proxy status" to "Proxied"
      • Click "Save"
    • Option 2: Create a Page Rule to redirect apex to www:
      • Go to "Page Rules" from the top menu
      • Click "Create Page Rule"
      • Enter your apex domain (e.g., yourdomain.com/*) in the URL pattern
      • Select "Forwarding URL" as the setting
      • Select "301 - Permanent Redirect"
      • Enter https://www.yourdomain.com/$1 as the destination URL
      • Click "Save and Deploy"
Cloudflare DNS Management Documentation →

Google Domains DNS Setup Instructions

  1. Log in to Google Domains

    Go to domains.google.com and sign in to your Google account.

  2. Select your domain

    Click on the domain you want to configure from your list.

  3. Access DNS settings

    Click on "DNS" in the left sidebar menu.

  4. Add CNAME record

    Scroll down to the "Custom resource records" section.

    • Enter "www" in the "Host name" field
    • Select "CNAME" from the "Record type" dropdown
    • Enter your load balancer DNS (e.g., lb-01.presskube.com) in the "Data" field
    • Leave TTL as default (1h)
    • Click "Add"

  5. Set up apex domain forwarding

    Google Domains offers simple forwarding:

    • Click on "Website" in the left sidebar
    • Select "Forward domain"
    • Enter "https://www.yourdomain.com" in the "Forward to" field
    • Select "Permanent redirect (301)"
    • Select "Forward path" (to preserve URL paths)
    • Turn on "SSL" (recommended)
    • Click "Save"
Google Domains DNS Settings Guide →

AWS Route 53 DNS Setup Instructions

  1. Log in to AWS Management Console

    Go to console.aws.amazon.com/route53/ and sign in.

  2. Go to Hosted Zones

    In the Route 53 dashboard, click on "Hosted zones" in the left sidebar.

  3. Select your domain

    Click on the domain you want to configure.

  4. Create CNAME record

    Click "Create record".

    • Switch to "Simple routing" if not already selected
    • Click "Define simple record"
    • Enter "www" in the "Record name" field
    • Select "CNAME" for "Record type"
    • Enter your load balancer DNS (e.g., lb-01.presskube.com) in the "Value" field
    • Leave the default TTL or set it to 3600 (1 hour)
    • Click "Define simple record"
    • Click "Create records" to finalize

  5. Set up apex domain redirect

    Route 53 allows apex domain to www redirection using S3 website hosting:

    • Create an S3 bucket named exactly like your apex domain (e.g., example.com)
    • Enable static website hosting on the bucket
    • Configure it to redirect all requests to www.yourdomain.com
    • Return to Route 53 and create an A record for the apex domain:
    • Record name: leave empty (default is apex)
    • Record type: A - IPv4 address
    • Alias: Yes
    • Alias target: Select your S3 website endpoint
    • Click "Create records" to finalize
AWS Route 53 DNS Configuration Guide →

Bluehost DNS Setup Instructions

  1. Log in to your Bluehost account

    Go to my.bluehost.com and sign in.

  2. Access Domain Manager

    In the sidebar, click "Domains" and then "Domain Manager".

  3. Access DNS settings

    Find your domain and click "Manage", then select the "DNS" tab.

  4. Add CNAME record

    Scroll down to the "CNAME Records" section and click "Add Record".

    • Enter "www" in the "Host Record" field
    • Enter your load balancer DNS (e.g., lb-01.presskube.com) in the "Points To" field
    • Leave TTL as default (14400 or change to 3600)
    • Click "Save"

  5. Set up apex domain redirection

    For apex domain redirection in Bluehost:

    • Go back to the Domain Manager
    • Click on "Redirects" in the sidebar
    • Add a new redirect from yourdomain.com to www.yourdomain.com
    • Select "Permanent (301)" as the redirect type
    • Click "Add Redirect"
Bluehost DNS Management Guide →

DNS Troubleshooting

How to check if your DNS is properly configured

You can use various online tools to check if your DNS changes have propagated:

Common DNS Issues & Solutions

DNS changes not showing up

If your DNS changes aren't visible, it could be due to caching. DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to fully propagate. Try clearing your browser cache or using a different network connection.

Website showing error after DNS changes

Double-check your DNS records for typos. Ensure you've entered the correct load balancer domain exactly as provided by PressKube.

Can't set up CNAME for apex domain

This is normal - DNS standards don't allow CNAME records for apex domains. Use domain forwarding or the A record approach as described in the provider-specific guides above.

SSL certificate issues

If your site shows SSL warnings after DNS setup, wait 24 hours for our automatic SSL certificate to provision. If issues persist, contact our support team.

Still Need Help?

Our support team is ready to assist if you're having trouble setting up your DNS records.

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