WordPress - Adding Domains for your site

This article provides instructions for adding and configuring domains for a WordPress website. It is important to note that this article only intends for new WordPress installations made on or after March 31st, 2023.

How to Incorporate Domains into Your WordPress Website

To make your WordPress website publicly accessible via a specific domain, adding that domain to your site is crucial. The domain acts as your website's address, allowing visitors to reach your site easily.

This guide offers detailed steps on how to add a primary domain, additional domains, and a root domain (also referred to as an apex domain or naked domain) to your WordPress website.

The article also underscores the potential need for a staging domain. This allows you to preview your website's appearance before linking your actual domain to it. Additionally, the guide includes tailored instructions for users who have their domain registered with GoDaddy.

a)  Adding a domain for your site:

1) To add your first Domain, click the add Domain or sub-domain button. Enter your Domain name and click on the 'Add Domain' Button. You will get two TXT and CNAME records (optional but required for pointing to website traffic).

2) Copy the Key and Value of the TXT and CNAME records. Configure the TXT records and CNAME records for your Domain in your DNS provider

Please Note:

If you are using CLoudflare, please make sure to disable Cloudflare Proxy and switch the Proxy status to DNS only.

After inserting the TXT and CNAME records into your DNS provider, return to your WordPress dashboard, checkmark the please; I have added the above domain records in my domain provider's DNS settings checkbox, and then click on Verify Records.

3) Once configured the Domain will be set as your Primary Domain by Default.

b) Adding additional domains for your WordPress site

1) To add additional domains, follow the same steps mentioned above. This time you only need to add your CNAME record.

2) Any additional domain will not be set as Primary by Default, and the user can opt to set it as Primary if required. 

3) You will see an unverified tag near the Domain for any added domain, but the DNS Verification is not yet done.

4. Click on DNS Settings to add your credentials to your domain hosting platform

c) Adding Root Domain to WP site:

The term "Root Domain" refers to the domain name that represents the main entry point for a website, usually denoted by adding "www" in front of the domain name (www.example.com). The "APEX Domain" or "naked domain" refers to the domain name without the "www" prefix (example.com).

The CNAME value for Root Domain (www.example.com) and APEX Domain (example.com) is identical by default. If you have added your root domain already, use the CNAME Value of your root domain to set up your APEX domain and vice versa.

If you try adding an APEX Domain (example.com) after adding a primary root domain, you will get the following information. Use the CName name and Value provided here to configure the DNS records.

Please Note:

For Users having a domain in GoDaddy, Please use the Name as your domain name instead of '@'