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At the DNS service authoritative for your parent domain, create a record for the subdomain label. Use a CNAME when the external service gives you a hostname, or an A/AAAA record when it gives you an IP address. Then add the subdomain as a custom hostname at the destination service and complete its HTTPS validation. DNS records map a name to a service; they do not redirect visitors to a different URL or path.
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What pointing a subdomain actually does
A subdomain is a name below your parent domain. In blog.example.com, blog is the label and example.com is the parent domain. Pointing the name means publishing DNS data that tells resolvers where the service for that hostname is located.
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When someone requests blog.example.com, a resolver first looks up its DNS record. A CNAME lookup returns another hostname, while A and AAAA lookups return IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. The browser then opens an HTTP or HTTPS connection to the resulting service and sends blog.example.com as the requested host. The external provider must recognize that host and serve the correct site; DNS alone cannot make an unconfigured provider accept it.
There are two different goals that are often called “pointing”:
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- Host mapping: keep the subdomain in the browser’s address bar and have the external service serve content for it. This is what CNAME, A, AAAA, and managed alias records provide.
- URL redirection: send the browser to another URL, such as
https://other.example/path. This requires an HTTP 301/302 redirect at a web server, redirect service, CDN, or application.
A DNS record cannot rewrite a path such as /pricing, preserve a path while changing domains, or issue an HTTP redirect.
What to obtain from the external website provider
Get the exact destination
Ask the provider for its custom-domain instructions before editing DNS. It should specify one of the following:
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- A fully qualified domain name (FQDN), such as
sites.provider.example, for a CNAME. - One or more stable IPv4 addresses for an A record.
- One or more IPv6 addresses for an AAAA record.
- A provider-specific target, such as a managed distribution that your DNS service can select with an alias record.
Use the target exactly as supplied. A CNAME target is a hostname only: do not prepend https://, append a path, or include a port number. If the provider specifies a trailing dot or a separate verification record, follow those instructions literally.
Confirm custom-hostname support
The destination dashboard normally has an “Add custom domain,” “Domains,” or similarly named control. You will enter the complete hostname, for example blog.example.com, and may have to prove ownership with a verification record. A provider hostname can resolve correctly while the custom hostname still returns an error until this step is complete.
Know who controls DNS
The company where you bought the domain is the registrar. The company listed in the domain’s nameservers is the authoritative DNS provider. They may be the same company, but they often are not. You must create the record in the authoritative provider’s zone; changing a DNS screen at the registrar has no effect when the domain’s nameservers point elsewhere.
Choose CNAME, A, AAAA, or an alias
| Record type | Target supplied by the provider | Use it when | Important behavior |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNAME | Another hostname, such as sites.provider.example |
The destination is identified by a hostname and may change its underlying addresses | The name generally cannot also contain unrelated A, AAAA, or other data. The resolver follows the CNAME and then looks up the target. |
| A | An IPv4 address, such as 203.0.113.25 |
The provider publishes stable IPv4 addresses and specifically asks for an A record | If the provider changes its address, you must update the record. Never enter a hostname in an A-record value. |
| AAAA | An IPv6 address | The provider gives IPv6 service and asks for an AAAA record | It supplies IPv6 resolution; it does not replace an A record when clients also need IPv4 connectivity. |
| Route 53 alias | A selectable AWS resource, such as a CloudFront distribution | The destination is an AWS-managed service supported by Route 53 alias records | It is not a conventional CNAME. The Route 53 console targets the managed resource directly and can be used for a subdomain. |
Why CNAME is normally the right choice for a hostname target
A CNAME lets the external provider operate its own address changes. You publish the provider’s stable hostname instead of copying today’s IP addresses. This is why GoDaddy’s DNS guidance says a subdomain connecting to another domain name needs a CNAME, while an IP destination needs an A record.
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When an address record is appropriate
Use A or AAAA only when the destination gives you addresses intended for direct DNS publication. Do not convert a hostname into an A record by looking up its current address yourself: that creates a brittle configuration and can break when the service changes infrastructure.
When an alias is better than a CNAME
AWS documents a Route 53 alias workflow for CloudFront distributions. Select the distribution as the alias target in the parent domain’s hosted zone rather than typing the distribution hostname into a conventional CNAME. Other DNS providers may offer an equivalent managed-service integration; use their documented target type.
General setup: point the subdomain step by step
- Choose the label. Decide on the leftmost part of the hostname, such as
blog, which will produceblog.example.com. Check that the label is not already used for mail, verification, an internal application, or another website. - Identify the authoritative nameservers. Inspect the parent domain’s nameserver delegation. Open the DNS zone at the service those nameservers identify, not automatically at the registrar.
- Open the parent zone. Select
example.comand its DNS-record management page. You normally add a record namedblog, not a second copy of the parent domain. - Select the record type. Choose CNAME for the provider’s hostname, A for IPv4, or AAAA for IPv6. In Route 53, choose an alias when the target is a supported AWS resource such as CloudFront.
- Enter the value in the provider’s required format. For a CNAME, the target field contains only the FQDN, such as
sites.provider.example. It must not containhttps://sites.provider.example/path. For A or AAAA, enter the supplied address exactly. - Resolve conflicts. If the DNS console reports that the name already has conflicting data, inspect every record at
blog.example.com. A CNAME generally cannot coexist with unrelated record data at that same owner name. Remove or consolidate obsolete records only after confirming what they serve. - Save and account for TTL. Resolvers and intermediate caches retain the old answer until the record’s time to live expires. The authoritative documentation does not support a universal propagation promise, so test from more than one resolver instead of relying on a fixed number of minutes.
- Register the custom hostname at the destination. In the external provider’s dashboard, add
blog.example.com, publish any ownership-verification record it requests, and wait for validation. The provider must issue or attach a certificate for the hostname before HTTPS can work. - Test the application. Check DNS resolution first, then request both
http://blog.example.comandhttps://blog.example.com. Confirm that the response serves the intended site and not merely the provider’s generic hostname or an “unknown host” page.
Where to add the record with common DNS providers
Cloudflare DNS
In the authoritative zone, create an A, AAAA, or CNAME record and enter the subdomain label in the name field. Cloudflare’s guidance says to select CNAME when pointing to a fully qualified domain name. Its DNS interface also exposes proxy status and TTL. Decide whether the record should be DNS-only or proxied according to the destination provider’s requirements.
Cloudflare separately documents redirect features. A DNS record by itself will not send a visitor to another URL. If Cloudflare is authoritative and is expected to provide the certificate through its edge, review the proxy setting: Cloudflare’s SSL/TLS certificate service for a DNS record requires Proxied status. The origin or destination still has to be configured for the custom host.
GoDaddy DNS
GoDaddy’s dashboard path is Domain Portfolio → select the domain → DNS → Add New Record. Enter blog as the host label. Choose CNAME when the destination is another domain name and A when it is an IP address, matching the exact value supplied by the external service. If the domain uses different nameservers, make the change in the provider those nameservers identify instead of this screen.
Amazon Route 53
For a normal subdomain, open the parent domain’s hosted zone and create the record there. Route 53 can also delegate a child zone: create a hosted zone for blog.example.com, copy its assigned nameservers, and add an NS record for blog.example.com in the parent zone. The child zone then becomes authoritative for records below that name, which is useful when another team or DNS service needs independent control.
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CloudFront with Route 53
When the external site is a CloudFront distribution, Route 53 supports an alias record that targets the distribution. Use the alias workflow in the hosted zone instead of treating the distribution as an ordinary IP address. CloudFront also requires the distribution configuration and certificate to include the custom hostname.
Make HTTPS work on the new hostname
DNS success and HTTPS success are separate checks. DNS only gets the browser to an endpoint. The endpoint must have blog.example.com in its site or distribution configuration and possess a certificate whose names cover that hostname.
- Add the complete custom hostname in the destination service.
- Complete the ownership or certificate validation record requested by that service.
- Wait until the provider reports that the certificate is issued and attached.
- Request the HTTPS URL and inspect the certificate and returned page. A certificate for the provider’s default hostname does not cover your subdomain.
If Cloudflare is authoritative, its proxy setting can change where TLS terminates. A proxied record sends traffic through Cloudflare’s edge; DNS-only sends clients to the published destination. Follow the origin provider’s compatibility instructions and ensure the selected mode has a valid certificate on the side terminating HTTPS.
How to redirect a subdomain to another URL
Suppose the requirement is “when someone visits go.example.com, send them to https://other.example/path.” Creating a CNAME to other.example does not perform that operation. The browser would still request go.example.com, and the destination would need to serve that host.
Instead, point the subdomain at a service that can issue an HTTP redirect, then configure the redirect there. Suitable implementations include:
- A redirect feature in the DNS provider’s edge or web service.
- A web server virtual host with a 301 or 302 rule.
- A CDN rule that matches the hostname and returns the redirect response.
- An application route that returns the desired status code and
Locationheader.
Keep the subdomain’s DNS record aimed at the redirect service. Configure the destination URL, status code, path handling, and HTTPS certificate in that service; none of those settings belong in a CNAME value.
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Verify resolution and the served host
Check the authoritative answer
Use a DNS query tool from a terminal, replacing the example names with yours:
dig blog.example.com CNAME
dig blog.example.com A
dig blog.example.com AAAAA CNAME query should show the exact provider hostname. An A or AAAA query should show the address supplied by the provider. Querying both the authoritative nameserver and a public recursive resolver helps distinguish an incorrect zone edit from a cache that has not expired.
On systems without dig, nslookup blog.example.com provides a basic check. A CNAME may ultimately resolve to addresses after the resolver follows the chain, so inspect the record type as well as the final IP.
Check HTTP and HTTPS separately
curl -I http://blog.example.com
curl -I https://blog.example.comLook for the expected status, any intentional redirect, and the certificate presented for the custom hostname. A response that works only when you visit the provider’s hostname indicates that the destination has not mapped your host correctly.
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Compare a home connection, a mobile connection, or independent DNS resolvers. Different caches can retain old answers for different periods based on TTL and prior negative responses. Do not declare failure solely because one resolver still has the previous record.
Troubleshooting common failures
The record was added at the registrar, but nothing changed
Check the domain’s nameservers. If they point to a separate DNS host, recreate the record in that authoritative zone. The registrar’s DNS page may be informational or inactive for the current delegation.
The CNAME field contains a full URL
Remove the scheme and path. Replace https://sites.provider.example/page with the hostname-only value sites.provider.example. Put URL paths in an HTTP redirect or application setting, never in DNS.
An A record was used for a hostname target
Delete the incorrect A record and create the CNAME the provider specified. Copying a temporary address into an A record can stop working when the provider changes infrastructure. Use A only for addresses the provider explicitly publishes for this purpose.
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List all records whose owner name is blog.example.com. Remove stale A, AAAA, or other conflicting data after checking that it is not required by another service. A CNAME generally must stand alone at its name.
HTTP loads, but HTTPS shows a certificate error
Add the custom hostname in the destination dashboard and complete its certificate validation. Verify that the issued certificate includes the exact subdomain, not only the provider hostname or parent domain. If Cloudflare is authoritative, review whether proxy status matches the intended TLS termination and the origin’s certificate setup.
The provider returns an unknown-host or default site page
DNS may already be correct, but the application has not been told to serve blog.example.com. Add the host to the provider’s custom-domain, site, distribution, or virtual-host configuration, then wait for its deployment and certificate checks.
A CloudFront distribution does not respond to the subdomain
Use the Route 53 alias workflow when applicable, add the hostname to the distribution’s alternate domain names, and attach a certificate that covers it. A conventional record pointing at an arbitrary address is not a substitute for the distribution configuration.
The old destination is still appearing
Inspect the record’s TTL and resolver caches. Check the authoritative answer directly to determine whether the new value is published. If the authoritative answer is correct, allow caches to expire rather than repeatedly changing the record, which can make diagnosis harder.
Delegating a subdomain to another DNS team
Most projects need one CNAME, A, or AAAA record in the parent zone. Delegation is different: it gives another DNS service control over the child zone.
- Create a hosted zone for the child name, such as
blog.example.com, at the DNS service that will manage it. - Copy the child zone’s assigned nameserver records.
- In the parent zone, create an NS record for
blog.example.comcontaining those nameservers. - Add the website’s CNAME, A, or AAAA records inside the child zone.
Use delegation when ownership or operational boundaries require separate DNS administration. For a single external website, adding the record directly in the parent zone is simpler and avoids an extra delegation layer.
Quick Recap
Operational checks after launch
- Record the final hostname, target, record type, and TTL so another administrator can identify the intended configuration.
- Keep the destination provider’s custom-domain entry and certificate active; deleting it can make a correctly resolving name fail at the application layer.
- When changing providers, provision the new custom hostname and certificate before replacing the DNS record to reduce downtime.
- Remove obsolete records only after verifying that no mail, verification, API, or internal service still uses the label.
- Re-test both address families if you publish A and AAAA. An incorrect AAAA response can make IPv6-capable clients fail even when IPv4 works.
A practical decision checklist
- Does the provider give you a hostname? Create a CNAME.
- Does it give you an IPv4 address? Create an A record.
- Does it give you an IPv6 address? Create an AAAA record.
- Is the target a supported CloudFront resource in Route 53? Use an alias record.
- Are you trying to send visitors to another URL or path? Use an HTTP redirect service or server rule.
- Are you editing the zone named by the domain’s authoritative nameservers?
- Did you enter only the subdomain label in the name field and only the provider’s exact target in the value field?
- Has the destination provider added the custom hostname and issued its certificate?
- Have you checked DNS, HTTP, and HTTPS independently?
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