How Do I Connect My Domain to My Website? A 123 Reg Guide
If you’ve bought a domain together with a 123 Reg plan like Website Builder or Managed WordPress Hosting, the chances are it’s already connected — so once you’ve hit publish, it should appear when someone visits your web address. There are other times when you’ll need to connect it yourself. For example, if the domain is in a different account, if you’re switching to a different hosting plan, or if your site is hosted somewhere else. This guide explains how the connection works, and what to do if you need to manually “point” your domain to 123 Reg hosting or a third-party website. Why do you need to connect your domain? Your domain name is what people type in to find your site, like “your-big-idea.co.uk”. Your website is the content you’ve built using an easy tool like Website Builder or Managed WordPress Hosting, or perhaps even one you’ve set up yourself with hosting. On their own, they don’t link up. Connecting them makes sure that when someone enters your domain, they’re taken to your website. If your domain isn’t connected to your website, people won’t be able to reach your site through your main web address. Your website might still exist on a temporary address, but your domain won’t take visitors there until it’s linked properly. It’s a bit like putting a house name on your front door. Connecting your domain is that simple final step that turns your web address into a real destination for visitors. This also helps search engines like Google understand where your site lives. When your domain is correctly connected, it’s easier for search engines to find and show your pages in search results, which helps people find you more easily over time. How to connect your domain to your website There are two main ways this usually works. In many cases, the connection is already set up for you, or you can quickly assign your domain inside your 123 Reg Control Panel. Otherwise, you may need to point the domain yourself so it links to the right website. ☐ Automatic or guided connection (common when bought together) When your domain and website product (like Website Builder or Managed WordPress) are in the same 123 Reg account, they’re often linked during setup or shown as ready to connect. In most cases, you just choose the domain and assign it to your site in your Control Panel. ☐ Manual connection (when they aren’t already linked) If the domain isn’t already assigned, you can connect it from inside your website product settings by selecting the correct domain and linking it to your site. If your website is hosted outside of 123 Reg, you’ll need to point your domain using DNS records or nameservers instead. Connecting a 123 Reg domain to 123 Reg hosting What do you need before you connect your 123 Reg domain? Before you start, it helps to have a few things ready: ✓ A domain registered with 123 Reg (or one you’re happy to move or connect). ✓ A live website already built, whether with 123 Reg hosting or a third-party provider. ✓ Access to your 123 Reg account and the product where your site is managed (for example, Website Builder or your hosting control panel). If you’re using 123 Reg Website Builder, it’s a little easier when both the domain and the site are in the same 123 Reg account, so it’s worth checking that first. Can I use more than one domain for the same website? Yes! And it can actually be a good idea. You can register multiple domains in your 123 Reg account and point them all to the same website. That helps you cover different versions of your name, common misspellings, or alternative endings, so people still find you even if they don’t type the exact address. What should you do if your 123 Reg domain is in a different account? If your domain is with 123 Reg but sits in a different account to your Website Builder site, you won’t be able to connect it straight away. The domain needs to be in the same 123 Reg account as your Website Builder product before it can be linked. You’ll need to transfer the domain into the correct account first. Once that’s done, you can continue with the normal steps. How to connect my 123 Reg domain to my Website Builder site Start by going to your 123 Reg My Products page. In Websites + Marketing, select Manage next to your website. From your dashboard, select Edit Website to open Website Builder (like you would if you were going to edit your site). From there, go into Settings in the right-hand menu and click Manage. You’ll see the domains in your 123 Reg account in the dropdown under “My Domain”. Simply choose the domain you want to use, then click Save & Publish to connect it to your site. In most cases, the change happens within a few minutes, but it can take up to 72 hours to fully update. For more, see our Support article: Connect your Website Builder site to a new domain Connecting your Website Builder site to an external domain You’ll also see an option to Add an external domain. This is for domains that aren’t already set up in the same account or aren’t currently linked to your Website Builder site. When you choose this option, your domain needs to be pointing to your Website Builder site using an A record. This is a DNS setting that connects your domain to your website using an IP address. You’ll find the correct A record details in your Website Builder settings when you select Add an external domain. Then, tick the box that says “Yes, my domain’s A record has been updated”, and click Save & Publish to complete the connection. For more help, see our Support article: Connect my Website Builder site to a domain registered outside of 123