Lesson 5 of 5Guide6 min
Connect your own domain
Point a domain you already own, like riveraplumbing.com, to your site. Your free address keeps working while you do this.
On this page
Video coming soon. The written steps below cover everything in the meantime.
You can use a domain you already own instead of your free yourname.skaude.site address. Your site stays live on its free address the whole time.
Before you start
Note: You’ll need the sign-in for the company where you bought your domain (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google…). Adding the records takes about 5 minutes. DNS changes can then take up to a few hours to reach everyone.
Connecting your own domain is included in your plan.
1. Add your domain in the dashboard
Open Domain in the dashboard menu. Type your domain without the www. in front, for example riveraplumbing.com, and select Connect domain.
Both addresses are added: www.riveraplumbing.com and riveraplumbing.com. They show Waiting for DNS until the next step is done.
2. Add the DNS records
Sign in where you bought the domain, open its DNS settings and add the records shown under Finish connecting your domain. They look like this:
| Type | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| CNAME | www | edge.skaude.net |
| ALIAS | @ | edge.skaude.net |
The records are listed under the domain whose DNS settings they go in. Use the copy buttons next to each value in the dashboard, so nothing gets mistyped.
Tip: If your provider has no ALIAS, ANAME or “CNAME flattening” for the @ record, skip that one. Set up a forward from your domain to the www address instead.
Moving a site that’s live somewhere else?
Open Moving a site that’s live elsewhere? Verify first in the dashboard. Add the TXT records it shows before you switch the CNAME. That way the secure connection (SSL) is ready the moment you switch.
3. Wait for Connected · SSL
We check your domain every 15 minutes and turn on SSL automatically. When it’s ready, the status changes from Waiting for DNS to Connected · SSL. Select Check now to check right away.
If both addresses are connected, choose the one people see with Make primary.
Tip: No domain yet? Use Get a new domain on the same screen. We set up its DNS for you, and it connects automatically, usually within the hour.
To stop using a domain, select the trash icon next to it and confirm. Visitors who type it no longer reach your site; if it was your main address, your free address takes over. To use it again later, you connect it and set up its DNS from the start.
If a check fails, the reason is shown under the address. Still stuck? Write to team@skaude.com and we’ll help.