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To connect a custom domain to a website builder, open the builder’s domain settings, start its flow for connecting a domain you already own, then make the DNS changes it specifies at the service currently managing your domain’s DNS. You usually do not need to transfer the domain registration. The builder’s instructions determine whether to change nameservers or update selected DNS records; there are no universal A-record or CNAME values that work for every builder.
Before you start: find the domain’s DNS manager
Your registrar is the company where the domain is registered. Your DNS host is the service whose nameservers control its DNS records. They may be the same company, but they do not have to be. Make changes in the dashboard for the service currently authoritative for the domain—not simply whichever provider you remember buying it from. Shopify warns that records entered in a dashboard will not resolve the issue if the domain’s nameservers are missing or unreachable.
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Sign in to your website builder and open its domain settings. Choose the option to connect a domain you already own. This setup flow should identify the supported connection method and provide the records or nameservers, any ownership-verification step, and a status check. Use the values shown for your account and site.
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Choose nameservers or DNS-record pointing
| Method | Where DNS is managed | When it may fit |
|---|---|---|
| Change nameservers | The builder may host and manage DNS. Wix says its nameserver method moves DNS hosting to Wix, while domain registration can stay with the existing registrar. | Consider this if you can change nameservers and want the builder to host DNS. First check what other services use the domain’s DNS. |
| Point selected records | DNS stays with the current DNS provider; selected records direct the website traffic to the builder. | Consider this if the builder supports it and you need to retain external DNS arrangements, such as existing email settings, or cannot change nameservers. |
Neither method is universally better. The available choices depend on the builder and your DNS setup. WordPress.com, for example, recommends nameserver changes when possible but describes A/CNAME updates for cases where email or external DNS needs to continue. Wix also documents both methods for connecting a domain to a Wix-hosted site. Follow the instructions for your own builder and connection direction.
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Connect the domain step by step
- Start in the builder. In its domain settings, select the flow to connect a domain you already own. Note whether the flow calls for nameservers, DNS records, or ownership verification.
- Check which nameservers are active. Sign in to the registrar or DNS provider and confirm where DNS is actually managed. If you edit records at a service that is not authoritative for the domain, those changes will not direct visitors.
- Review other DNS-dependent services. Before switching nameservers, check whether email or other services rely on records in the current DNS zone. WordPress.com identifies record pointing as an option when existing email or external DNS needs to continue; no single list of records applies to every domain.
- Enter the builder’s exact values. An A record directs a name to an IPv4 address; a CNAME directs a hostname, often
www, to another hostname. These are common in pointing instructions, but the required targets are platform-specific. Do not reuse another builder’s example. - Inspect existing records before editing. Replace or remove only records the builder identifies as conflicting. Wix notes that old A and CNAME records can conflict. Shopify’s manual setup, for its specified domain configuration, calls for one root A record and one
wwwCNAME and instructs users to remove extra root A/AAAA records. - Complete verification and check status. Return to the builder’s domain panel and follow any remaining steps. Shopify’s connection flow may verify ownership with a TXT record or automatic verification; use the option and status shown in your account.
What the platform examples do—and do not—tell you
Wix
For a domain being connected to a site hosted elsewhere, Wix’s external-site guide says to get the required A and CNAME values from that site’s host and remove conflicting old records. That is different from connecting a third-party domain to a Wix-hosted site: Wix documents nameserver and pointing options for that direction. Its external-site guide, pointing guide, and nameserver guide cover distinct setups.
WordPress.com
WordPress.com’s external-domain connection page lists Personal, Premium, Business, and Commerce plans as eligible for connecting an external domain; it says free sites must upgrade. Its A/CNAME alternative guide describes record updates for situations where nameservers cannot be changed or existing email or external DNS needs to remain. The plan rules and available setup options can change, so check the current account flow.
Shopify
Shopify’s manual third-party connection instructions specify a root A record of 23.227.38.65, a root AAAA record of 2620:0127:f00f:5::, and a www CNAME of shops.myshopify.com. These are Shopify-specific values from its manual connection guide, not general settings for other builders. Shopify also warns that incorrect or unreachable nameservers can prevent connection even when the displayed records look right.
Squarespace
Squarespace provides platform-specific records in its third-party DNS reference; use the current connection flow for the values applicable to your account. Its page, last updated July 6, 2026, says that after 48 hours its Domains panel displays records to fix if it still detects incorrect setup. That is a Squarespace troubleshooting feature, not a universal DNS propagation deadline.
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If the domain still does not connect
Work through these checks in order rather than repeatedly changing records:
- Confirm the domain is attached to the correct site in the builder.
- Confirm the registrar’s active nameservers point to the service where you are editing DNS.
- Compare every record’s name or host and target with the builder’s current instructions.
- Look for duplicate or conflicting records, and remove only those the builder identifies as incompatible.
- Check whether the builder still needs ownership verification, then review its status panel or DNS checker.
- If the DNS dashboard or nameserver settings appear unavailable or incorrect, contact the domain provider. Shopify notes it cannot access a third-party provider’s settings.
For example, Squarespace says its Domains panel can show records to correct after 48 hours if it detects a bad setup. Do not treat that window as a promise that every provider or domain will connect on the same schedule.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Will connecting the domain transfer it?
No. Connecting changes how the domain routes visitors to the website; transferring changes which registrar manages the registration. Wix and WordPress.com both describe ways to connect a domain while it remains registered with its existing provider. You may transfer separately if you want to, but it is not an inherent requirement of connecting the site.
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It can affect email or other services that depend on DNS if their records are not present in the DNS zone that becomes authoritative after the change. Before switching, identify the services in use and confirm their needed records will be configured with the new DNS host. If preserving the existing DNS setup is important, check whether the builder supports pointing selected records instead.
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