How do I set up a CNAME record on my domain name?
This article will help you to set up a CNAME record.
CNAME stands for ‘canonical name’ and it is a redirection to the zone file of the entered target domain. All entries (NS, MX, A) therefore apply to this target domain. CNAMEs are primarily used to make it easier to maintain domains with the same basic data, or to assign other domains entered in the same zone the same data as the zone itself. A CNAME record lets you assign a domain or sub-domain to another address or hostname.
You can use CNAME records in several ways. For example, you may have mywebsite.com as your domain name. If you are worried about someone typing your domain wrong, like ww.mywebsite.com or wwww.mywebsite.com, you could set up a CNAME record on your domain for ww.mywebsite.com or wwww.mywebsite.com to point to www.mywebsite.com. That way, they would still be redirected to the correct location by the CNAME record.
You can also use a CNAME to point a domain to another domain. Much like web forwarding, you could create a CNAME record for your domain which points to 123-reg.co.uk. So, when you type in www.mywebsite.com in the browser, it will direct you to the 123 Reg Home page.
Creating a CNAME record
Before you begin, you’ll need to ensure your domain is pointed to the 123 Reg nameservers. Otherwise, you will not be able to configure the DNS zonefile.
Please note: it will take between 24-48 hours for any new nameserver (DNS) records to become active. For more information on changing your DNS records, please view the following article: How do I change the nameservers for my domain name?
From there, select your desired domain from the drop-down menu within the Manage Active Products section and click Manage.
Alternatively, you can scroll down to the Domain names section and select the relevant domain name from the drop-down menu. Once selected, click Manage.
Scroll down to the Advanced Domain Settings section and click Manage DNS.
Select the Advanced DNS tab near the top.
On the next page, create a new record with the following information:
In the type field, select CNAME from the drop-down list.
In the Hostname field, enter www – you can also add * which resolves for any subdomain.domain.com address.
In the Destination CNAME field, enter the domain name you want the CNAME record to point to.
Once done, click Add to save the new record.
Please note: having an @ CNAME will overwrite your MX records, which will prevent your mail from being delivered. This can be avoided by setting the CNAME on “www” only and then using a URL redirect to send visitors from http://yourdomain.com to http://www.yourdomain.com. That way, you can still use an MX record on yourdomain.com without losing your emails.