CNAME is used for resolving domain to other another domain - as an alias. CNAME records are often used to point to a host or to point the "www" version of the domain to the naked domain. This record is fairly popular for web development platforms like Wix and Squarespace. Since CNAME is an alias record, it can be a bit confusing and also be damaging if not used properly, so we included some information to consider:
- Unlike an A record, CNAME records cannot resolve to an IP address.
- CNAME does not resolve to URLs - i.e http://name.com/support - because it cannot handle special characters like : and /
- If you wish to forward a domain to an URL, you should use our URL forwarding service, and not CNAME.
- CNAME records should always have a value in the Host field, and never be naked. Leaving the Host field blank could result in the record overwriting other existing DNS records, like MX records - which breaks any email configuration for the domain.
An example of a CNAME record (pointing to Squarespace):
Note: If you wish to setup a DNS record with Name.com, it's important to note you need to use our nameservers - so name.com manage and host your DNS. Domains registered with Name.com use our nameservers by default but in order to point your domain to our nameservers, or verify they are correctly pointed, please see our guide for default name servers.
Once you are using name servers, follow the steps below:
- Log in to your Name.com account.
- Click on the MY DOMAINS link, located on the top right of the navigation.
- Click on the domain name you wish to create a CNAME record for.
- Click Manage DNS Records.
- Here you will add the desired CNAME record, provided by your host.
- Select CNAME in the Type drop-down menu.
- Enter the subdomain in the Host field (usually www).
- Enter the domain/value in the Answer field.
- Enter the desired TTL, or just leave it at 300 (default)
- Click the Add Record button.
Once the records are created, the domain should be working within 24 hours.
