A custom domain is a personalized address for your business such as www [dot] my-cool-website [dot] com. Generally, websites with custom domains receive more traffic, get more leads, and customers. If you do not have a custom domain, you can purchase one from vendors (e.g. IONOS, GoDaddy or Namecheap)

To connect your custom domain for free to your Solo website, we offer an automatic and manual method.

Connect your domain – automatic method #

Please follow the steps below:

1. Visit the designer

2. In the top toolbar, click [Settings]

3. In the Settings right sidebar, next to Custom domain, click [Connect]

4. A modal will appear.

• If you already have a custom domain, click [Connect].

• If you do not have a custom domain or want to purchase a new one, click [Browse] to see domains offered by our partner IONOS, several offered at a significant discount.

5. Click [Continue]

6. Type in your domain name (e.g. yourdomain.com), then click Continue

7. Solo will now attempt to identify your DNS provider (e.g. GoDaddy, Namecheap)

• If Solo is able to detect the DNS provider for your domain, you will be presented with a screen to log into your DNS provider, so we can setup your DNS records automatically

Note: In the image above, the example domain was registered/managed at Cloudflare. You may see a different DNS provider (e.g. GoDaddy, IONOS…).

• If we are unable to detect your DNS provider, scroll the list to find and click on your DNS provider. If you do not see your DNS provider in the list, click the [Go to our manual setup] option at the bottom of the list and scroll to the instructions below in this article where we detail the steps for the “manual method.”

8. After logging-into your DNS provider, you can click [Continue]. Solo will automatically add the DNS records to point your custom domain to your Solo website.

• If you are unable to log-into your DNS provider, click the [Back arrow], scroll to the bottom of the DNS provider list and click [Go to our manual setup]. Scroll to the instructions below in this article where we detail the steps for the “manual method.”

9. You will see a success message. Click [Ok]. You will return to Solo and in the sidebar, you will see that Solo has begun the connection process.

10. The connection process may take up to 48 hours to complete but often faster.

Note: If after 48 hours or sooner, the custom domain connection was unsuccessful (where you observe the message Connection not established in the custom domain area in Settings right sidebar), you can try again by clicking [Re-Configure] or alternatively re-try via the manual method below. If you need help from a more technical friend, you can invite them to edit your website so they can set up your custom domain. 

Connect your domain – manual method #

Please follow the steps below:

1. Visit the designer
2. In the top toolbar, click [Settings]
3. In the Settings right sidebar, next to Custom domain, click [Connect]
4. A modal will appear. If you already have a custom domain, click [Connect]. Note, if you do not have a custom domain or want to purchase a new one, click [Browse] to see domains offered at a significant discount. 
5. Click [Continue]
6. Type in your domain name (e.g. yourdomain.com)
7. Solo will now attempt to identify your DNS provider (e.g. GoDaddy, Namecheap)
   • If Solo is able to detect the DNS provider for your domain, you will be presented with a screen to log into your DNS provider, so we can setup your DNS records automatically. You will want to ignore this and click [go to our manual setup] under the blue [Continue] button. If you don’t see this option, click the [Back arrow], scroll to the bottom of the DNS provider list and click [Go to our manual setup] option.
   • If we are unable to detect your DNS provider, scroll to the bottom of the list, click the [Go to our manual setup] option.

8. In another browser tab, you will want to visit the website for your DNS provider. You will need to login and visit the screen where you can manage the DNS records for your owned domain.
9. Now, go back to Solo and begin to copy and paste the values for the A, CNAME, and TXT DNS records. You will want to enter each of these values into your DNS provider’s screen for configuring DNS records for your domain. If you have any existing A records for your domain, you will want to delete those as they may conflict with Solo. 

8. Once you are complete, click the [I have copied 0/3 records] in Solo. This button will become active after you have clicked [Copy] for each value.
   • If you find this process difficult, we suggest inviting a colleague or tech buddy as an editor to your Solo website so they can connect the custom domain.

8. After you see a success message and click [Ok]. The connection process has begun.
9. See the Custom domain connection progress in the right sidebar and allow up to 48 hours for the connection to complete

Note: When connecting your domain via the manual method, please delete any pre-existing A or AAAA records as they may conflict with Solo. We will attempt to do this for you in the automatic connection process but we suggest that you verify your DNS records using the Google DIG tool. The DNS records should match what we have provided. Read more here. Further, any pre-existing TXT or CNAME records should be ok, if they are not duplicates.

If you have additional difficulty with the custom domain connection process, some common troubleshooting steps are provided here.

If you still have issues, you can contact support@soloist.ai. Note, we do not have access to your DNS provider and cannot update or change your records for you. If you contact support, please provide your Solo website handle (e.g. soloist.ai/handle), the name of your custom domain and a screenshot of the custom domain connection status that appears in the Settings right sidebar.