If you registered your domain through Squarespace, you can access its Advanced DNS settings in the Domains panel.
Editing DNS settings is usually only necessary if you're an advanced user and you're setting up a third-party email service or pointing your domain to another provider.
In your Advanced DNS settings, you can view and edit these records:
- A Records
- AAAA Records
- CNAMEs
- MX Records
- TXT Records
- SRV Records
Note: For domains you registered elsewhere (like GoDaddy, Hover, or 1&1), you'll manage their records in your domain provider's account, not Squarespace. For example, you'll need to edit these records to connect your domain to Squarespace.
Before you begin
Changing DNS settings affects how your domain points to your Squarespace site. In most cases, you don't need to edit these settings.
DNS settings can't be used for:
- Transferring a third-party domain to Squarespace for hosting
- Connecting a third-party domain
- Changing settings for your G Suite account
If you're not sure what to do, contact us first, and we'll be happy to help.
Open Advanced DNS settings
In the Home Menu, click Settings, and then click Domains. You can also press the ? key while any panel is open and search domains.
Click the domain name. If you have multiple Squarespace domains, you'll manage their DNS settings separately.
Click Advanced Settings.
Add a new record
To add a new record, choose the record type from the drop-down menu in the bottom row of the Custom Records section. Then manually enter the record information.
Add records for specific tasks with presets
Certain domain tasks, like configuring MX records for a third-party email provider or setting up domain forwarding, require specific records. To add records based on what you're setting up, select an option from the Add Presets drop-down menu:
|
Preset option |
Purpose |
|
G Suite |
Select this preset if you signed up for G Suite through a company other than Squarespace, or if you previously deleted your MX records. Visit Adding G Suite MX records to learn more. |
|
Zoho Mail |
Select this preset to add the required fields for Zoho Mail. You’ll also need to add a unique verification code CNAME. Visit Using Zoho Mail with your Squarespace domain to learn more. |
|
Forward Domain |
Select this preset to forward your domain to a different URL. |
|
Forward Subdomain |
Select this preset to forward a subdomain to a different URL. |
|
Website Defaults |
If you've deleted or edited the original settings, select this preset to restore the default records for your Squarespace domain. |
|
Subdomain |
Select this preset to add a subdomain to your root domain. |
|
G Suite verification |
Select this preset to retry your G Suite verification on a parking page. |
When you're finished adding DNS records, click Save at the top of the page.
Nameservers
Although you can access your nameservers in the Nameservers tab at the top of the panel, we don't recommend editing them. Changing your domain's nameservers will break its link to your Squarespace site and disconnect any linked G Suite account.
In most cases, you only need to edit nameservers to point your domain to a different provider. However, we recommend transferring your domain away rather than switching nameservers.
Note: Squarespace doesn't use nameservers for connecting domains.
Troubleshooting common errors
Replacing placeholder values
When adding a custom record, ensure you replace the gray placeholder values in the Host and Data fields. These placeholders are examples of common entries for the record type you're adding, but don't count as actual entries. If you add the record without replacing these two fields, the record won't save properly.
The Priority field, however, is optional. You can save a record without entering a Priority value.
Adding your domain name to the Host field
If you’re adding custom records, note that your domain name is automatically added after any Host value.
For example, if your provider asks you to use a Host value of mail.yourdomain.com, you only need to enter mail in the Host field. Squarespace will automatically add .yourdomain.com, even though it’s not visible in the panel.
If your provider asks you to enter your domain without a value in front of it, like yourdomain.com, enter @ in the Host field.
Note: It’s not possible to enter two CNAMEs with the same Host value.
Adding IPv6 data to AAAA records
If you're adding an AAAA record, ensure that you've added the fully-expanded version of the IPv6 address to the Data field. You'll know you're using a shortened address if you see a "Not a valid IPv6 address" error in your Advanced Settings, or if you see a double colon in the address instead of a single one.
For example, here are both versions of the same IPv6 address:
- Incorrect, shortened address: 2620:12a:8000::3
- Correct, expanded address: 2620:12a:8000:0:0:0:0:3