Pointing your Squarespace Domains domain

This guide is for domains registered through Squarespace Domains (formerly Google Domains). Read Pointing your domain first if you want the big picture.

Squarespace has its own instructions too: DNS records for web hosting and Edit your domain’s DNS records.

We will send you the exact values to use. The usual target is sites.guardhouse.host.

If your domain is only connected to Squarespace from another company, change DNS where it is registered instead. Squarespace says its DNS editor works for domains registered through Squarespace or connected with Nameserver Connect.

Part 1: Add the www record

1. Open your Squarespace domains dashboard and select your domain.
2. Open the DNS section, then choose DNS Settings.
3. In Custom Records, start a new record.
4. Confirm it is you, using your password or two-factor method.
5. Set the record type to CNAME.
6. In Name, enter www.
7. In Data, enter sites.guardhouse.host. Do not add slashes or colons.
8. Save the record.

Squarespace says custom records default to a 4-hour TTL, and that changes can take 24 to 48 hours to appear. If the domain currently has a www record that points to a Squarespace site, tell us before you change it.

Part 2: The plain address

Squarespace’s page for CNAME records says you cannot put a CNAME on the root (the @ name). It describes an ALIAS record for the root instead: enter @ as the name and the target domain as the data. It also says you must turn off DNSSEC in the DNS settings before adding one.

We do not yet support the plain address pointing straight at our servers with an A record. Our plan is to send visitors from yourbusiness.com to https://www.yourbusiness.com.

For now, email us and we will tell you which option to use for your domain.

Extra verification records

If we ask for them, Squarespace has a separate guide for adding TXT records.

Stuck?

Email us at hello@useguardhouse.com. Or send your IT person the technical reference.