Connect a Domain in 10 Minutes

💡 In this guide, you will copy the AllinCMS admin CNAME target, add both @ and www CNAME records at your DNS provider, then check DNS and SSL in AllinCMS admin. Estimated time: 10 minutes.

If this is your first time connecting a domain, do not start by learning every DNS term. First follow this main path:

Copy CNAME target -> Add @ and www CNAME records -> Add both domains in AllinCMS admin -> Wait for DNS/SSL -> Test access

Overview

Stage	What you finish	Key point
1. Get target	Copy the CNAME target from AllinCMS admin	Copy the plain domain only
2. Add DNS	Add @ and www CNAME records	Use the same value; do not use A
3. Refresh	Add the root and www domains	Check DNS and SSL for both
4. Test	Open the domain in your browser	Use https://

📺 Video: DNS Setup

📺 Video blank? Open it in a new tab.

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1. Get Target

You do not need to guess where the domain should point. AllinCMS admin gives you the target value.

① Open Dashboard

Log in to the AllinCMS admin workspace, open Sites, find the site you want to connect, and enter its dashboard.

In the dashboard, open Settings -> Domains from the left sidebar.

This page is used to:

• Copy the AllinCMS admin CNAME target.
• Add the domain you want to connect.
• Check whether DNS and SSL have passed.

② Copy Target

At the top of the Domains page, find the CNAME target. It usually looks like this:

8j9u3j5h1a.web.allincms.com

Click the copy button to the right of the CNAME target.

Do not add https

Copy the plain domain, such as 8j9u3j5h1a.web.allincms.com. Do not enter https://8j9u3j5h1a.web.allincms.com.

Now you know where the domain should point. Next, go to your DNS provider.

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2. Add DNS

Your DNS provider is where the domain is purchased or currently managed, such as Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud, Cloudflare, West.cn, or Name.com.

If you are not sure where the domain was purchased, find the registrar account first. DNS must be changed in the platform that currently manages the domain.

① Confirm Both Domain Versions

To make both the root domain and www domain open the site, Alibaba Cloud needs both versions below:

User visits	Host	Example
Root domain	@	example.com
www domain	www	www.example.com

② Add Two CNAME Records

Using Alibaba Cloud as an example, open the domain's DNS page and click Add Record twice. Save these two records separately:

Host	Type	Value / Target
@	CNAME	Paste the AllinCMS admin CNAME target
www	CNAME	Paste the same CNAME target

Leave TTL at the default value for both records.

Alibaba Cloud requires both records here. Do not add only one. Add and save @ first, then click Add Record again and save www.

After saving, check:

• Both @ and www appear in the DNS record list.
• Record type is CNAME, not A.
• Both records use the same AllinCMS admin CNAME target.
• The value has no https:// prefix and no path suffix.

Cloudflare users

If your domain uses Cloudflare, finish the main flow in this guide first. Proxy and root-domain redirect details are in 📚 Cloudflare DNS.

Alibaba Cloud now points both the root and www domains to the AllinCMS site. Next, add both domains in AllinCMS admin.

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3. Refresh

After saving both DNS records, return to AllinCMS admin and add the root and www domains separately. Otherwise AllinCMS admin does not know which site should use them.

① Add Domain

Return to the AllinCMS admin Domains page and add both domains below.

First add the www domain:

www.example.com

Then add the root domain:

example.com

② Wait

Check the status badges on the right side of the domain row:

Status	Meaning	What you need
Alias	The domain was added to AllinCMS admin	Added
DNS	DNS points to the CNAME target provided by AllinCMS admin	Passed
SSL	HTTPS certificate was issued	Passed

DNS does not update everywhere instantly. Wait 5 to 10 minutes, then click the refresh button on both domain rows. In some cases it may take around 30 minutes.

DNS and SSL may not pass at the same time. After DNS passes, SSL may still need a little more time. If DNS is already correct, do not keep deleting and recreating records.

At this point, the main setup is done. AllinCMS admin is checking the domain and issuing the HTTPS certificate.

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4. Test

When the statuses pass, open:

https://www.example.com

If the site opens normally, the domain is connected.

Wait 10 minutes, then stop if it works

After adding DNS and returning to AllinCMS admin, wait about 10 minutes. Refresh the DNS and SSL statuses, then open the site. If both statuses pass and the site opens normally, the domain is connected. You do not need to read the troubleshooting or special cases below.

If it does not open, check in this order:

1. The domain you visit is the same domain you added in AllinCMS admin.
2. The browser address starts with https://.
3. The DNS Host and Value were not swapped.
4. DNS and SSL both pass in AllinCMS admin.

💡 Site opens but the browser says it is not secure? Read SSL Certificate Not Active.

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Special Cases

Nameservers

Some platforms do not ask you to add DNS records directly. They first ask you to change nameservers. This is common when delegating DNS to Cloudflare, West.cn, Name.com, or another DNS platform.

Finish DNS delegation first, then add the CNAME record.

The order is:

1. Copy the two NS nameserver values from the new DNS platform.
2. Go back to the original domain registrar.
3. Find DNS server, Nameserver, or Change DNS.
4. Replace the old nameservers with the two new values.
5. After delegation takes effect, add the CNAME record in the new DNS platform.

After changing nameservers, records in the old DNS platform usually stop controlling the domain. Manage future DNS records in the new platform.

Cloudflare

In Cloudflare, add the CNAME record with proxy disabled first. The cloud icon should be gray and show DNS only.

Remember:

• To let AllinCMS admin verify DNS and SSL, use DNS only first.
• To redirect the root domain to www, read 📚 Cloudflare DNS.
• If access fails after enabling proxy, disable proxy and refresh in AllinCMS admin.

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Pitfalls

Mistake	Result	How to avoid it
🔴 Adding https:// before the CNAME target	DNS never passes	Enter the plain domain only
🔴 Choosing record type A	The domain does not point to the CNAME target provided by AllinCMS admin	Choose CNAME
🔴 Adding only @ or only www in Alibaba Cloud	The other domain version does not open	Add both @ and www CNAME records
🟡 Mixing up @ and www	The address users visit does not open	@ is root, www is the www domain
🟡 Reconfiguring before SSL passes	You waste time and may break DNS	Wait after DNS passes
🔴 Deleting old DNS records casually	Email or verification may break	Do not delete MX or TXT blindly

Completed

• ✅ You copied the AllinCMS admin CNAME target.
• ✅ You added both @ and www CNAME records at the DNS provider.
• ✅ You added the domain in AllinCMS admin.
• ✅ You know how to check DNS and SSL.
• ✅ You know how to handle Cloudflare and nameserver cases.

Next

• 📚 Cloudflare DNS: read this if your domain uses Cloudflare.
• 📚 SSL Certificate Not Active: read this if the browser says the site is not secure.
• 📌 Migrate an Old Site: read this when moving an existing website to a new AllinCMS site.