Complete Guide to Custom Domains

Website & Templates › Complete Guide to Custom Domains

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Purpose of Custom Domains
3. What is a Custom Domain?
4. Default Subdomain vs. Custom Domain
5. Connecting a Custom Domain (Step-by-Step)
6. Field-by-Field Explanation
7. DNS Configuration Explained
8. Domain Verification & Status
9. SSL Certificate (HTTPS)
10. Primary Domain
11. Website & CRM Integration
12. Best Practices
13. Tips & Recommendations
14. Common Mistakes
15. Troubleshooting
16. Frequently Asked Questions
17. Related Articles

1. Introduction

A custom domain lets your website live at your own address — for example www.yourcompany.com instead of yourcompany.araonaconnect.in. This guide walks you through connecting a domain you already own, updating a few settings at your registrar, and going live over secure HTTPS — all without touching any code.

[Screenshot: Custom Domain Settings]

2. Purpose of Custom Domains

• Show your own brand to every visitor.
• Improve trust with buyers — a branded URL looks professional on cards, hoardings, and Google.
• Better SEO — search engines rank your own domain independently of ours.
• Keep marketing links stable even if your subdomain name changes.

3. What is a Custom Domain?

A domain is the human-friendly address of a website. Examples: google.com, bengalproperty.com, araonaconnect.com. You buy a domain once a year from a domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, BigRock, Google Domains, etc.). Once you own it, you can point it at any website — including your Araona Connect site.

4. Default Subdomain vs. Custom Domain

5. Connecting a Custom Domain (Step-by-Step)

1. Go to Admin › Website › Domains.
2. Click + Add Domain.
3. Type your domain, e.g. bengalproperty.com. Also add www.bengalproperty.com as a separate entry.
4. Click Save. You will see the DNS records to add.
5. Log in to your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.).
6. Open the DNS Management section for the domain.
7. Add the records shown on the Araona Connect screen — an A record and a TXT record.
8. Save the changes at your registrar.
9. Come back to Araona Connect and click Verify. Verification usually completes within a few minutes.
10. Once Active, click Set as Primary to make it the main address of your site.

[Screenshot: Add Domain]

6. Field-by-Field Explanation

Domain (required) — the address you own, without https:// or a trailing slash. Example: bengalproperty.com.

Include www (recommended) — add both bengalproperty.com and www.bengalproperty.com so visitors typing either version reach your site.

Primary (one per tenant) — the main address; all other domains redirect here.

Status — shows where the domain is in the verification journey (see Verification & Status).

DNS Records — the exact A and TXT values you must add at your registrar.

7. DNS Configuration Explained

What is DNS? DNS (Domain Name System) is the internet's phone book. It translates a domain like bengalproperty.com into the server address where your website lives. When you point DNS at Araona Connect, visitors typing your domain land on your Araona Connect site.

Why DNS changes are required. Ownership of a domain and the address it points to are two different things. You already own the domain; DNS tells the internet where to send visitors.

Records you'll typically add:

• A record — Name @ (root) → Value shown on screen. Also an A record with Name www for the www version.
• TXT record — Name _araona (or as shown) → the verification token displayed by Araona Connect. Proves you own the domain.

Where to make the changes. Log in to your registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, BigRock, Google Domains, Cloudflare, etc.) and open DNS Management or DNS Zone Editor for the domain. Every registrar's screen looks slightly different but the fields are the same: Type, Name/Host, Value, TTL.

GoDaddy tip: under Domain Settings › DNS, also disable Domain Forwarding and Cash Parking, otherwise GoDaddy overrides your new DNS.

[Screenshot: DNS Instructions]

8. Domain Verification & Status

Verification delayed? DNS changes can take from a few minutes up to 72 hours to spread across the internet. If you added the correct records, be patient. Use DNSChecker.org to see if the records have propagated globally.

[Screenshot: Verification Status]

9. SSL Certificate (HTTPS)

What is SSL? SSL (now called TLS) encrypts the connection between the visitor's browser and your website. It's what turns http:// into https:// and shows a padlock in the address bar.

Why HTTPS matters. Google penalises non-HTTPS sites, browsers show "Not Secure" warnings, and buyers hesitate to share their phone number on insecure forms.

Automatic. Once your domain is Verified, Araona Connect automatically requests and installs a free SSL certificate. Renewals are automatic — you never need to touch it again.

Confirm your site is secure: open your custom domain in a browser. You should see https:// and a padlock icon. Click the padlock to see the certificate details.

10. Primary Domain

You can attach multiple addresses to the same site (e.g. bengalproperty.com and www.bengalproperty.com). One of them must be the Primary.

• All non-primary domains and the default yourcompany.araonaconnect.in subdomain automatically redirect to the primary.
• The primary domain appears in your SEO tags, social share previews, and email templates.
• To change the primary, open Admin › Website › Domains and click Set as Primary on the domain you want.

[Screenshot: Active Domain]

11. Website & CRM Integration

Once your domain is Active:

• Your website is instantly available on the custom domain.
• All CRM data (properties, featured listings, blog, cities) continues to power the site — nothing to migrate.
• Your Website Content CMS entries (logo, tagline, About, contacts) render exactly as before.
• Lead capture forms keep sending enquiries into your CRM.
• Switching templates continues to work normally; your domain is independent of design.

12. Best Practices

• Double-check every DNS record for typos before saving at your registrar.
• Allow up to 24 hours for DNS to propagate — verification often works within minutes but can take longer.
• Test both http:// and https://, plus www and non-www.
• Keep your registrar contact email and payment card up to date so the domain never expires.
• Add both the root domain and the www version for maximum reach.
• Auto-renew your domain — an expired domain takes your site offline.

13. Tips & Recommendations

• If you are on Cloudflare, either set the record to DNS Only (grey cloud) or contact support for a proxy-aware setup.
• Choose a short, memorable domain — easier to type on a billboard.
• Register your brand name across common extensions (.com, .in, .co.in) and point them all here.
• After going live, update your Google Business Profile, social media bios, and printed materials with the new URL.

14. Common Mistakes

• Wrong A record IP value — copy exactly from the Araona Connect screen.
• Missing TXT record — verification will fail without it.
• Typing a URL like https://www.bengalproperty.com/ into the domain field — enter only the hostname.
• Leaving GoDaddy's Domain Forwarding or Cash Parking enabled — it overrides DNS and shows an ad page.
• Expecting DNS changes to work in seconds — always allow at least a few minutes.
• Forgetting to save changes at the registrar after adding records.
• Using an expired domain — renew before it lapses.

15. Troubleshooting

Why is my domain still Pending Verification? The DNS records haven't reached our verifier yet. Confirm the values in your registrar match exactly, wait 10-30 minutes, then click Verify again. Check propagation on DNSChecker.org.

Why is SSL not Active? SSL only starts after verification succeeds. If it stalls, check for a CAA record on your domain that restricts Let's Encrypt — either remove it or add letsencrypt.org to the allow list.

Why does my website not open? Confirm the domain status is Active, then hard-refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R). If a browser shows a certificate warning, wait 5 minutes for SSL to finish provisioning.

Why am I seeing the default subdomain instead of my domain? Either the domain isn't Active yet, or it isn't set as Primary. Fix by clicking Set as Primary once Active.

Why are DNS changes taking so long? DNS is cached across many servers worldwide. Some ISPs update within minutes; others take up to 72 hours. Nothing you can do to speed it up — just wait.

My GoDaddy domain shows an ad/parking page. Log in to GoDaddy, open the domain, and disable Domain Forwarding and Cash Parking. Then re-check your DNS records.

The site opens but images or links break. Clear your browser cache. If using a CDN like Cloudflare, purge cache too.

16. Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Do I need to buy the domain from Araona Connect?
No. Buy from any registrar you like; we just need you to update DNS.

Q. Can I use a subdomain like properties.mycompany.com?
Yes. Add it exactly as you want it to appear, then create the matching DNS record at your registrar.

Q. Can I connect more than one domain?
Yes, unlimited. Pick one as Primary; others redirect to it.

Q. Will emails to sales@mycompany.com keep working?
Yes. We only change the DNS records for your website (A and TXT). Your existing MX (email) records are untouched.

Q. What happens to my default company.araonaconnect.in subdomain?
It keeps working and redirects to your primary domain, so old links never break.

Q. Do I have to pay Araona Connect for SSL?
No. SSL is free and auto-renews forever.

Q. Can I move my domain to another project later?
Yes. Remove it here, then add it in the other project and re-verify ownership.

Q. Does switching templates affect my domain?
No. Domains and templates are independent.

17. Related Articles

• Website Templates
• Website Content
• Company Profile
• SEO Settings
• Tenant Onboarding