Managing Your Custom Domain

As I stated in The Choice Is Yours, given the choice in the future, I would personally recommend and use the "Buy A Domain" wizard for setting up any new domain. Not all bloggers will agree with me on this, as some have additional needs, and prefer to setup their domains with more detail.

If you already own a domain, and maybe have additional components like mail or other servers defined, you'll use the "Advanced Settings" wizard in Blogger - after using the wizard provided by your DNS host to setup the DNS for your domain. If you bought your domain from GoDaddy, you'll use the GoDaddy DNS Manager; if you bought your domain from another registrar, you'll use their DNS Manager.

Note that some basic functions, like payment / domain registration renewal, may be available in the Apps desktop, for Google Apps accounts setup for domains purchased through Blogger. These functions may not be available for domains purchased directly from a registrar, with the Google Apps account setup after purchase.

If you intend to setup additional components for a new domain, you might choose the same procedure, though you'll have more work to do. And the additional work is not unavoidable, because you can setup any new domain using the "Buy A Domain" wizard, then use the wizard provided by your DNS host (the GoDaddy DNS Manager, or any other) to setup any additional components, at your convenience. You can even do this to setup any blog or web site not hosted by Google.

• Setup your new domain, using the "Buy A Domain" wizard.
• Find and open the domain registration confirmation email from Google Apps. Look for email from "google-apps-do-not-reply". If you paid for the domain, but didn't get email from Google Apps, you have to go to Google Apps Help, and Google Apps Frequently Reported Issues, and have the domain reset. Be imaginative, and persistent, in searching for the email message.
• Find, and click on, the link accompanying

  If you haven't already created an administrator account for your domain, click the following link:

• Setup an administrator account, for Google Apps, for your domain.
• Login to Google Apps with your administrator account.
• You are now in Google Apps, and looking at the Google Apps dashboard. This is where you start, when recycling domain settings in Google Apps.
• Find, and click on, the "domain names" link at the top of the dashboard, above "Service settings".
• Find, and click on, "Advanced DNS settings".

  Sign in to godaddy to change your MX records, CNAME and other advanced DNS settings.

• "Advanced DNS settings" has 4 key identity elements, and a URL.
  1. Sign-in name.
  2. Password.
  3. Customer service PIN.
  4. Customer service email.
  5. The URL to login to the GoDaddy (or eNom) DNS Settings wizard.
• Once in the GoDaddy (eNom) wizard, it's the same as if you had purchased the domain on your own, except that you are a Google customer, and enjoy the Google GoDaddy (eNom) Custom Service relationship. Now, you can
  • Setup a primary or "www" alias with a "CNAME" referral.
  • Setup a primary domain, redirected to the "www" alias.
  • Setup additional virtual hosts in your domain.
• Bookmark the Google Apps signon, for future use.

The "Advanced DNS settings" link is where you start. If that link isn't on your screen, you have a problem, and it's time to look for help from Google Apps.




"Advanced DNS settings" has 4 key identity elements, and a URL, to let you use the resources provided by the registrar.

1. Sign-in name.
2. Password.
3. Customer service PIN.
4. Customer service email.
5. A URL to login to the GoDaddy DNS Settings wizard (if the domain is registered by GoDaddy), or the eNom DNS Settings wizard (if the domain is registered by eNom).

So, use "Advanced Settings" if you already have a working domain. If you don't already have a working domain, start with "Buy A Domain" and concentrate on making the domain easy for your readers to use. Don't waste time setting up the domain on your own.

If you can't find the email from Google Apps, or if you just bought the domain directly from a registrar and Google Apps wasn't involved, you're now here trying to setup your domain in Google Apps. If the domain was never setup in Google Apps, use the Google Apps Sign Up wizard.

If you just bought a popular domain, and that domain has been used by someone else previously, maybe it's already registered in Google Apps. When you go to setup your Google Apps account, you get

This domain has already been registered with Google Apps. Please contact your domain administrator for instructions on using Google Apps with this domain.

In the latter case, you have to go to Google Apps Help, and Google Apps Frequently Reported Issues, and have the domain reset. You'll need to use this procedure also, if you don't have email from Google Apps.

And, if you bought your domain using "Buy a domain" or Google Apps, and you have not yet setup your Google Apps account, please consider this as your wakeup call.

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