Squarespace DNS

This chapter shows how to configure the zone file at Domeneshop to map to a domain hosted on Squarespace.

Table of contents

• Introduction
• Setting up DNS
  • Step 1 - Start the connection in Squarespace
  • Step 2 - View your DNS settings in Squarespace
  • Step 3 - Log into your registrar
  • Step 4 - Add the CNAME records
  • Step 5 - Add the A records
  • Step 6 - Wait for the connection to complete
  • Step 7 - Set primary domain
  • Troubleshoot on Squarespace
• Final word

Introduction

Squarespace is an American website building and hosting company. It allows users to use pre-built website templates and drag-and-drop elements to create and modify web pages.

Its business mode is SaaS.

Its hosting plan includes DNS for your domain, but it only do that for a limited set of TLDs. This set does include most country TLDs (for example, ut does not include “.no”). To use Squarespace with a country TLD, you need to configure the zone file to map the domain to connect to your site hosted by Squarespace.

This guide is adapted from Squarespace's guide Connecting a domain to your Squarespace site to be more explicit about how to do on Domeneshop.

Setting up DNS

If you registered a domain from a third-party registrar (like Domeneshop, GoDaddy, or Google), you can connect the registration to your website hosted on Squarespace by following a process called domain mapping. After completing these steps, your domain will stay registered with the registrar that you purchased the domain from, but it the domain will connect to your Squarespace website.

Step 1 - Start the connection in Squarespace

To connect your domain, start in the Squarespace Domains panel:

1. In the Home Menu, click “Settings”, then click “Domains”.
2. Click “Use a Domain I Own”.
3. Enter the full domain name you are connecting in the “Enter Domain” field, then click the arrow. (e.g. “tolfa.no”)
4. Click Connect Domain.
5. Select your domain provider from the drop-down menu. If you do not see your domain provider, select “Other”.
6. Click “Connect Domain”.
7. In the message that appears, click “Continue”.

Step 2 - View your DNS settings in Squarespace

After you connect your domain, a new panel will open with the records you need to enter in your provider account so your domain connects to Squarespace. Keep this DNS settings panel open for your reference.

If you ever need to access your DNS settings in the future, open Domains panel. Then click the name of your third-party domain to see the DNS settings for that domain.

Incorrect or missing entries are highlighted in red, depending on what Squarespace is seeing from your domain provider. The screenshot below shos an example:

The “Host” column does not actually show the full hostname, just what to enter in the “Host” column at your registrar. The tool to edit the zone file at Domeneshop shows the domain name in the form as well.

To manage these settings, log in to your registrar and alter the zone file.

Step 3 - Log into your registrar

Log into your registrar. Navigate to the place where you manage your DNS settings. Depending on your provider, this may be called Zone File Settings, My Domains, Manage Domains, Domain Manager, DNS Manager, or something similar.

At Domeneshop (in Norwegian) click on “Mine domener”, and in the table that appears, on the domain name you want to administrate. Select the tab named “DNS-pekere”.

Here, you'll set up the zone file records that shall point your domain to your Squarespace-hosted website.

Step 4 - Add the CNAME records

A CNAME (Canonical Name or Alias) is record in the zone file that sets up an alias for another canonical name.

You need to set up two CNAME records fot two subdomains as indicated by the “Host” “Required Data” columns in your Squarespace DNS settings panel. The first one with an unique long string (shortened here). The second with “www”. These are reproduced below:

HOST                        REQUIRED DATA
g8lklcy2…zfcpz.example.com  verify.squarespace.com
www.example.com             ext-cust.squarespace.com

Step 5 - Add the A records

An A record associates a domain with an IP-address.

In the screenshot above, three IP-addresses are listed to the “Required Data” column in your Squarespace DNS settings panel, with a “@” symbol in the “Host” column. These are the A-records for the domain. Add the first one as the domain, and use “@” as subdomain for the remaining three to indicate they're aliases.

example.com   198.185.159.144
@.example.com 198.185.159.145
@.example.com 198.49.23.144
@.example.com 198.49.23.145

After you've completed this step, a simplified view may look like this:

There is also an subdomain (“booking”), not related to Squarespace, that has a single A-record with the IP-address of another host.

Step 6 - Wait for the connection to complete

It can take up to 72 hours for the connection to start working properly.

Check progress at Whatsmydns.net: Check DNS propagation.

Step 7 - Set primary domain

Visit the website. You may see this error:

This means tahat the DNS is set up correctly at the registrar. To fix this error, click on “Set as primary domain” in the Squarespace Domains panel.

Finally, verify that all is set up correctly in the Squarespace DNS settings panel. All records should be green, with the word “Correct” in the “Current settings” column:

Troubleshoot on Squarespace

If we detect that your records weren't set up properly, your domain will appear in the Domains panel with an error message.

Final word

[TBA]

---

Last update: 2021-04-01 [gh].