Using your own web address

Connect a web address you own to your website, with the DNS records to add and what to do if it isn’t working.

Updated

Your website comes with a free address ending in pootlrhost.co.uk, made from your site’s name when you set up. If you already own a web address, like www.yoursite.co.uk, you can use that instead. We sort out the secure padlock for you.

Before you start

You need to be able to change the DNS settings where you bought the address, usually the company you renew it with each year. If someone else looks after it, send them this page.

Use an address with something in front of your domain, such as www.yoursite.co.uk or book.yoursite.co.uk. If you enter www.yoursite.co.uk, we set up yoursite.co.uk with it too, so once you’ve added its record (see below) either works.

Connect your address

  1. Go to Settings › Web address. You can also get there from Website › Web address.
  2. Type your address under Your web address and tap Connect.
  3. Two records appear. Add both in your DNS settings, copying each value with Copy:
    • A CNAME record. Its name is your address, and it points to the address shown under Points to. It sends visitors to your website.
    • A TXT record. Its name starts with _pootlrhost. and its value starts with pootlrhost-verify=. It shows us the address is yours.
  4. Come back and tap Check again.

Some providers want only the part before your main domain in the Name box: “book” rather than book.yoursite.co.uk, or “_pootlrhost.book” for the TXT record. Use “@” or “_pootlrhost” for the main domain itself.

With and without www

If your address has a www and bare form, the page also shows So yoursite.co.uk works too, with one more CNAME record. It’s optional: add it and anyone who types the other form is sent to your address. Some providers don’t allow a CNAME on the bare domain. If yours doesn’t, use its web forwarding to send it to your address instead.

What happens next

We check for your records a few times in the first hour, then every hour. Tap Check again to check straight away. It can take up to a day for DNS changes to work. Once both records are in place, the page says your address is working, and anyone who visits your pootlrhost.co.uk address is sent there automatically. Old links keep working.

Good to know

  • If we can’t see both records within 3 days, we remove the address from your site. You can connect it again.
  • If it says We couldn’t confirm your address, check the CNAME points to the address shown, then tap Try again.
  • Remove this address takes it off your site. Your website stays at its pootlrhost.co.uk address.
  • You can’t use a pootlrhost.co.uk address, or one another PootlrHost site uses.
  • Only the site owner or a manager can change the web address.