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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Updated: How to Set up Custom Domain for Blogger.com (Blogspot)

If you are looking for or planning to add/ set up the custom domain for your Blog on Blogger.com (to replace the the free YourBlogName.Blogspot.com domain name) by using the domain name registered at the domain registrar, here's the latest information for you.

This article includes the information for setting up domain names from www.GoDaddy.com, ix web hosting, 1and1, EveryDNS.net, Yahoo!SmallBusiness, No-IP, DNS Park and especially Namecheap.com.

If you already got domain name from Namecheap,  please check the latest step by step setup guide in my other post:
Important to know

Google now asks 2 CNAME records to be added into your domain registrar's account since its late September update for the process (before the update, only one CNAME record was required). The updated process was aiming to increase the security for the custom domain setup.

Many of the guides on Internet for custom domain setup have been expired since the Google update, and here I will give you a updated reference.

let's start.

Where To Get a Custom Domain Name ?

 Update July 2013: You can not buy domain name directly from Blogger site any more. details see this post.

To consider a custom domain, the first question is always asking: Where should I go to get a custom domain name?

You can get a domain name either from Blogger.com (Google) directly or from other independent registrars.

Choice 1:  Get domain name from Blogger.com directly (Google)

Blogger.com (Google) does not host or manage domain name, if you order custom domain from your Blogger's dashboard directly, Google will guide you through the purchase process and give you the choice to either get domain from eNom or Godday, at a rate of $10.0 per year.

Alert: Because you are using the same account running your Blog and the domain registration, you blog issue with Google may also cause problem with your domain name.

We have heard many bad stories that when people registered domain name from their hosting companies, they got trouble to transfer later when they want to move. So it's always a good idea (for me, it's a must !) to register your domain name from a separate domain name registrar.

Note: If you purchase the domain  name from your Blogger.com dashboard, the custom domain will be set up and running automatically once you finish your purchase.

Choice 2: Get domain name from other independent domain name registrars

A few best domain name registrars are:
  • GoDaddy- the most reputable and world largest domain name registrar. Godday provides the most reliable services and best domain price all the time. GoDaddy.com almost always provides special deals for domain names, currently .com domain is $7.99, domain privacy (optional) is $10. If you'd like to get both the domain name and privacy, the combination is around $18.0 a year.

    Godaddy's official website
    : www.GoDaddy.com ,
    Special deal page: $7.99.com Domain with Free InstantPage Website Builder from GoDaddy.com

  • Namecheap- bloggers' most preferable domain name provider. Namecheap is a new star in domain name registration market, provides fast, open, friendly and reliable service, easy to follow procedure, currently its service is rated 4.6 out of 5 on Google Checkout. Namecheap domain name is at a low rate of $10.69 per year (not cheapest), but with domain privacy (WhoIsGuard service) free for first year and $2.88 afterwards, it provides a cheap combination- $13.6 per year for both Domain name and Privacy protection.

    Namecheap official website
    : www.namecheap.com

  • 1and1- Cheapest domain name + privacy combo provider. 1and1 is one of the top 10 largest domain name registrars, big, reliable, have been on the market for many years, provides free (lifetime) domain privacy as long as you stay with it, and sometimes very cheap domain name. For example now the .com is only $0.99 for the first year and $10.99 afterwards. So this is the cheapest domain name and privacy combo choice, only $10.99 per year for a long run. The only complain some people have is when trying to move out or transfer the domain, you may need to wait a little bit longer time than above 2 companies.

    1and1's official website: www.1and1.com
    Special deal webpage
    : Domain Name Special Offer!

    Update: 1and1.com DNS setting has problem with Blogger- can't meet the requirement for 2 CNAME setup, therefore avoid 1and1.com for Blogger (blogspot) .If you already got a domain name from 1and1.com, take a look the following work-around:
    http://blog.mridey.com/2012/10/how-to-setup-your-blogger-blog-with.html

2 Steps to Set Up the Custom Domain on Blogger (blogspot)


If you purchase the domain name separately, you will have to set up the domain DNS settings yourself.

There are 2 steps for you to set up the custom domain for Blog on Blogger.com.
  • 1nd step, login to your Blogger dashboard, to get the 2 CNAME records
  • 2st Step, login to the control panel at Namecheap, add the 2 CNAME records we just got, as well as other 4 A-records. 
First Step: detail tutorial step by step

You can follow the instructions from my following post, from step 1 to 4, to get the 2 CNAME records that we need for domain setup at Registrar:

Latest: How to Set Up Blogger (blogspot) Custom Domain Using Namecheap (Screenshots)

Second step: Detail guides for 7 Domain Registrars

For the 2st Step to set up the 2 CNAME records and 4 A-records at your domain registrar account,   Google has provided detail instructions for following 7 domain registrars:
Update: Looks like 1and1.com has issue with the DNS settings for Blogger, if you already got a domain name from 1and1.com, take a look at following work-around:

http://blog.mridey.com/2012/10/how-to-setup-your-blogger-blog-with.html

For other registrars other than 1and1.com, follow Google's instructions:

http://support.google.com/blogger/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=58317

If your domain registrar is not listed above

Once again, if your domain name is from Namecheap,  you can follow the latest step by step setup tutorial below to set up easily:

Latest: How to Set Up Blogger (blogspot) Custom Domain Using Namecheap (Screenshots)



If  your domain registrar is none of those, I believe you will still be able to work through. If not, please let me I will try my best to help.

(Disclosure statement for this post: cmp.ly/5)




1 comment

  1. Google has changed their system to make 1and1.com work.
    See http://blog.mridey.com/2013/03/how-to-setup-your-blogger-blog-with.html

    ReplyDelete