Connecting a Register.com domain to your Squarespace site

If you purchased a domain from Register.com and want to keep it registered with them, you can connect it to your site by following this guide. You may also find Register.com's guide helpful as you work on the connection.

Before you begin, review our requirements for connecting a third-party domain.

Tip: If your domain is eligible, we recommend transferring it instead of connecting it. Learn more about the differences between transferring and connecting or get started with a transfer.

Step 1 - Start the connection in Squarespace

To connect your domain, start in the Domains panel:

1. In the Home Menu, click Settings, then click Domains. You can also press the ? key while any panel is open and search domains.
2. Click Use a Domain I Own.
3. Enter the full domain name you’re connecting in the Domain Name field, and then click Continue.
4. Click Connect From Provider.

Note: If you see a message that says "This domain is already connected to another Squarespace site," check your other Squarespace sites to find where the domain is connected. Then disconnect it from that site.

5. Select Register.com from the drop-down menu.
6. Click Connect Domain.
7. In the message that appears, click Okay.
8. A new panel will open with the records to create in your Register.com account. Keep this panel open for your reference.

Step 2 - Log into Register.com

Open a new browser window or tab to access your Register.com account:

1. Go to www.register.com and log into your account.
2. In the Account Manager, click My Domain Names.
3. Click Manage for the domain you want to map to Squarespace.
4. Click Change where domain points.
5. Choose Advanced DNS, then click Continue.

You'll now copy the records from the Squarespace DNS Settings panel into your Register.com Advanced DNS to link your domain to your site.

Note: Don't delete MX records during this process. MX Records connect your email address, and deleting them could interfere with your email service.

Step 3 - Edit and add A records

Register.com creates an A record with "www" as the host. This record must be deleted to set up the connection.

In the last four lines of your Squarespace DNS Settings, you'll see four IP addresses in the Required Data column. Using the steps below, delete the "www" record and create four A Records in Register.com matching these values:

Host	Type	Points to
@	A	198.185.159.144
@	A	198.185.159.145
@	A	198.49.23.144
@	A	198.49.23.145

1. In the IP Address (A Records) section, click Edit A Records. 
2. In the row where www is listed as the host, check Delete.
3. In the row where @ (None) is listed as the host, enter 198.185.159.145 in the Numeric IP field. 
4. In a new row without a host specified, enter @ in the Host field, then enter 198.185.159.144 in the Numeric IP field.
5. Repeat step four twice more, using the following IP addresses:
   • 198.49.23.144
   • 198.49.23.145

6. Scroll down and click Continue, then click Save Changes on the confirmation page.
7. Click Return to Advanced DNS Summary.  

Note: If you have existing A Records, edit any with Host Name @ so that Points To matches the values above. If you see other A Records in your account that don’t match what’s shown in this guide:

• Host: @ - Delete only if it doesn't match what’s shown in this guide.
• Host: blank - Delete. "Blank" specifies your domain without the www in front.
• Host: Mail or Email - Don’t delete. This connects to your email address. Deleting it could interfere with your email service.

Step 4 - Add the first CNAME

In the first line of your Squarespace DNS Settings panel, copy the unique code that appears directly below the Host column. The unique code is a random string of numbers and letters that must point to verify.squarespace.com. In your Register.com Advanced DNS, you'll add a new record with these values:

Host	Type	Points to
Copy and paste the unique code under Host on the first line.	CNAME	verify.squarespace.com

1. In your Register.com Advanced DNS, scroll down to Host Aliases (CNAME Records).
2. Click Edit CNAME Records.
3. In the Alias field, paste the unique code from Host column of the DNS Settings panel in your Squarespace site.
4. Select @ (none) from the Refers to Host Name drop-down menu. 
5. In the Other Host field, enter verify.squarespace.com

Note: If you don't add this CNAME, or if it's entered incorrectly, the domain will unlink from your site after 15 days. If this happens, you can start over to reconnect the domain.

Step 5 - Add the second CNAME

In the second line of your Squarespace DNS Settings, www appears directly below the Host column. This record must point to ext-cust.squarespace.com.

Host	Type	Points to
www	CNAME	ext-cust.squarespace.com

1. In your Register.com Add/Edit Host Aliases (CNAME Records) panel, create a CNAME record on the second line.
2. In the Alias field, enter www
3. Select @ (none) from the Refers to Host Name drop-down menu. 
4. In the Other Host field, enter ext-cust.squarespace.com
5. Scroll down, click Continue, then on the confirmation page click Save Changes. 
6. Click Return to Advanced DNS Summary. 

Note: If you have an existing www CNAME in place, edit this CNAME so that points to is ext-cust.squarespace.com

Step 6 - Wait for the connection to complete

Now that you've entered the records, it can take 24 to 72 hours for the connection to start working properly. While you wait:

• You can return to your Squarespace DNS Settings, click Refresh below the records, and the Current Data column will start to show if your records are entered correctly. When the domain is correctly linked, it will appear in the Domains panel with a Connected label.
• It’s normal to see errors in the Domains panel or when visiting your domain for up to 72 hours after completing the steps in this guide. If you see any error messages after 72 hours has passed, see the next section.

Troubleshoot with the DNS record checker

If we detect that your records weren’t set up properly, your domain will appear in the Domains panel with the message Can’t verify domain ownership.

To troubleshoot, use the DNS checker tool in the Domains panel to see the exact CNAME and A Records to fix with your domain provider.

Click the domain in the Domains panel, and then click DNS Settings. For detailed instructions, visit Checking your domain mapping records.

Getting more help

For more help with settings in your Register.com account, contact their support team. To help them understand your issue, you can use our sample message. You can also visit their documentation.