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Custom Domains

Give your website a professional URL like www.yourname.com instead of the default yourusername.new.salon.io/sitename.

Domain Overview

What is a Custom Domain?

A custom domain is a web address you own, like:

  • yourname.com
  • www.portfolio.design
  • photos.yourcompany.com

Benefits of Custom Domains

  • Professional appearance - Your own branded URL
  • Easier to remember - Simple, clean addresses
  • Better for SEO - Search engines prefer custom domains
  • Email matching - Consistent with your email domain

Requirements

Before setting up a custom domain:

  1. Own a domain - Purchase from a registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, etc.)
  2. Access to DNS - Ability to modify DNS records
  3. Active subscription - Custom domains require a paid plan

Setup Process

Step 1: Add Domain in New Salon

  1. Go to Settings > Domains
  2. Click Add Custom Domain
  3. Enter your domain (e.g., yourname.com)
  4. Click Add Domain

Step 2: Configure DNS Records

New Salon will display the required DNS records. You'll need to add these at your domain registrar.

For Root Domain (yourname.com)

Add an A Record:

| Type | Name | Value | |------|------|-------| | A | @ | 76.76.21.21 |

For Subdomain (www.yourname.com)

Add a CNAME Record:

| Type | Name | Value | |------|------|-------| | CNAME | www | cname.new.salon.io |

Step 3: Verify Domain

  1. Return to New Salon Settings > Domains
  2. Click Verify Domain
  3. Wait for DNS propagation (up to 48 hours)
  4. Status changes to "Verified" when complete

Step 4: Set as Primary (Optional)

If you have multiple domains:

  1. Click the domain you want as primary
  2. Toggle Primary Domain
  3. Visitors to other domains redirect here

DNS Configuration by Provider

GoDaddy

  1. Log in to GoDaddy
  2. Go to My Products > DNS
  3. Click Add under Records
  4. Enter the record details from New Salon
  5. Save

Namecheap

  1. Log in to Namecheap
  2. Go to Domain List > Manage
  3. Click Advanced DNS
  4. Add records as specified
  5. Save changes

Cloudflare

  1. Log in to Cloudflare
  2. Select your domain
  3. Go to DNS
  4. Click Add record
  5. Enter details (set Proxy Status to DNS only)
  6. Save

Google Domains

  1. Log in to Google Domains
  2. Select your domain
  3. Go to DNS
  4. Scroll to Custom records
  5. Add the required records
  6. Save

Common Configurations

Root Domain Only

Use just yourname.com:

  1. Add A record pointing to 76.76.21.21
  2. Set up redirect from www to root (optional)

WWW Subdomain

Use www.yourname.com:

  1. Add CNAME for www pointing to cname.new.salon.io
  2. Optionally redirect root to www

Both Root and WWW

Use both yourname.com and www.yourname.com:

  1. Add A record for root domain
  2. Add CNAME for www subdomain
  3. Set one as primary (other redirects)

Subdomain Setup

To use a subdomain like portfolio.yourname.com:

  1. Add CNAME record:
    • Name: portfolio
    • Value: cname.new.salon.io
  2. Add the subdomain in New Salon settings
  3. Verify the domain

SSL Certificates

Automatic SSL

New Salon automatically provisions SSL certificates:

  • Free SSL via Let's Encrypt
  • Automatic renewal
  • HTTPS enabled by default

SSL Status

Check SSL status in Settings > Domains:

  • Pending - Certificate being generated
  • Active - HTTPS working
  • Error - Configuration issue

Forcing HTTPS

All traffic automatically redirects to HTTPS. No configuration needed.

Troubleshooting

"Domain not verified"

DNS changes take time to propagate:

  • Wait up to 48 hours
  • Use DNS Checker to verify
  • Double-check record values

"SSL certificate pending"

After verification, SSL takes a few minutes:

  • Wait 10-15 minutes
  • Try accessing via HTTPS
  • Contact support if persists over 1 hour

"Domain already in use"

The domain is connected to another New Salon site:

  • Remove from the other site first
  • Or contact support if you don't own the other site

Redirect Loop

Usually caused by Cloudflare or other proxies:

  • Set Cloudflare to DNS only (gray cloud)
  • Disable SSL in proxy settings
  • Let New Salon handle SSL

WWW not working

Ensure you have the CNAME record:

  1. Check CNAME exists for www
  2. Value should be cname.new.salon.io
  3. Wait for propagation

Domain Best Practices

Choose the Right Structure

  • Root domain (yourname.com) - Clean, professional
  • WWW subdomain (www.yourname.com) - Traditional, some prefer
  • Project subdomain (portfolio.yourname.com) - For multiple sites

Configure Redirects

Ensure all variations reach your site:

  • Root redirects to www (or vice versa)
  • HTTP redirects to HTTPS
  • Old URLs redirect to new

Keep Registration Current

  • Enable auto-renewal on your domain
  • Keep contact info up to date
  • Monitor expiration dates

Removing a Domain

To disconnect a custom domain:

  1. Go to Settings > Domains
  2. Click the domain to remove
  3. Click Remove Domain
  4. Confirm removal

Your site remains available at the default .new.salon.io URL.

Next Steps

Custom Domains - Salon Docs