Connect a custom domain to your Square Online site
About connecting your domain to your Square Online site
A custom domain name serves as your unique address on the internet, allowing customers to find your Square Online site easily. Whether you’ve registered your domain directly through Square or with a third party, the process of connecting it to your website is simple and easy.
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) comes included with any domain connected to Square Online, and encrypts the data that goes from a user’s device to your Square Online site and back, making the data exchange secure. SSL is especially important for eCommerce, as buyers expect their information to be secure when buying online.
Before you begin
You can manage domain registrations, connections and forwarding from your Square Dashboard. When connecting a third-party domain, you should also have your domain host account available.
After connecting your custom domain to your site, your last step to see your website online is to publish it from the site editor. Learn how to publish and unpublish your Square Online site.
When manually connecting your third-party domain to your Square Online site, DNS changes can take 24–48 hours to propagate, so it may take time before your website starts working.
You have two options for connecting a third-party domain to your Square Online site: either keep your current host for domain hosting and billing, or fully transfer both to Square to manage your domain and website within a single account. To start a domain transfer, learn how to transfer your domain to Square.
If your domain is hosted at Square, SSL is enabled by default for you the first time you publish your website. Occasionally, it may take up to 24–48 hours before the SSL certificate is configured, especially for third-party domains.
Register and purchase a new domain
Sign in to Square Dashboard and go to Online.
Click Website > Domains.
Click Connect domain.
Click Find a custom domain, and enter the domain name you want in the search box to start the guided registration and purchase process.
Connect your third-party domain
You can connect a custom domain you’ve purchased from another provider to your Square Online site. This can be done either automatically, which is the simplest method, or manually.
Sign in to Square Dashboard and go to Online.
Click Website > Domains.
Click Connect domain.
Type in your domain name under Use a domain I own elsewhere and click Verify.
Proceed below depending on your domain host.
Some domain hosts allow you to automatically connect your third-party domain by simply signing in to your domain host account directly within Square Online.
- Select Connect to automatically connect your domain to your site.
- Select Continue to sign in to your domain host account and follow the prompts in the modal until you finish. Once complete, the domain connection process will take care of itself automatically within 24 hours. SSL should also be enabled after this time period.
If you’re unable to sign in to your domain host account using the modal or can’t connect automatically, select Connect manually and follow the steps in the next section.
Any domains that can’t be connected automatically can be set up manually.
- Select Connect manually to view the information you need to update DNS with your domain host account.
- Sign in to your domain host account in a separate tab or window, and change your DNS settings to the values listed in the Set up your domain pop-up window. You’ll see values under Type, Name, and Points to. The Points to values are specific to your website. Make sure you use the values listed in these fields to also make sure SSL is automatically enabled for your site after DNS propagation. Without the correct values, you won’t have SSL.
- When finished making the changes in your domain host account, go back to the Set up your domain pop-up window and select Verify changes.
You can leave any TTL values unchanged, as Square doesn’t use them. Your host’s default TTL settings should be sufficient.
If you’re not comfortable making the DNS changes on your own, your domain host should be able to help. Let them know you’ve built your site with Square and you need them to update the DNS settings for you. Share the details from the Set up your domain pop-up window with them to get started.
Connect your Square-hosted domain
You can connect a domain you’ve previously registered and purchased from Square to a Square Online site at any time.
Sign in to Square Dashboard and go to Online.
Click Website > Domains.
For the domain you want to connect to your site, click Manage > Manage domain.
Under Destination, select Edit site destination.
Choose the Connect to one of my current sites option and choose one of your sites from the drop-down menu.
Click Save > Done.
Forward additional domains to your primary domain
You can forward additional domains to your primary site address. If the domain you want to forward is hosted outside of Square, contact your current domain host for assistance.
Sign in to Square Dashboard and go to Online.
Click Website > Domains.
For the domain you want to forward, click Manage > Manage domain.
Under Destination, select Edit site destination.
Choose the Forward to a URL option and type in your primary domain.
Click Save > Done.
Disconnect your domain
You can disconnect your custom domain from your Square Online site at any time.
Sign in to Square Dashboard and go to Online.
Click Website > Domains.
Under the domain you’d like to disconnect, click Manage > Manage domain.
Under Destination, select Edit site destination.
Choose the Disconnect from my current site option.
Click Save > Done.
You can also automatically disconnect a custom domain from your site by simply replacing it with a free Square subdomain.