Troubleshooting domain connections

Note: While our most popular guides have been translated into Spanish, some guides are only available in English.

Troubleshooting domain connections

Last updated April 20, 2023 15:36

Determine why your domain connection failed.

Use this guide to troubleshoot the connection between your Squarespace site and your third-party domain host.

If you recently connected your domain and the DNS settings panel shows error messages, this is normal. It can take 24-72 hours for the connection to start working properly.

Watch a video

Error message: This domain is already connected to another Squarespace site

If this message appears in your site's Domains panel, review your other Squarespace sites to find where the domain is connected. When you find the site, disconnect the domain. If you can't find the site where your domain is connected, contact us for help.

Issues adding the CNAME records

There are two CNAME records needed to connect your domain: one that points to verify.squarespace.com and one that points to ext-cust.squarespace.com.

Troubleshooting verification CNAME record issues

The verification CNAME record (the one that points to verify.squarespace.com) has a few specific troubleshooting steps to try:

Issue	Where the issue appears	Troubleshooting steps
Verification CNAME isn't connecting	In your site's DNS settings panel and in your provider's DNS editor	The verification code is a string of letters and numbers unique to your site. We recommend copying the code from your site's DNS settings panel and pasting it into your provider's settings to keep it accurate.
Verification CNAME isn't listed	In your site's DNS settings panel	This means your domain is already verified. You don't need to take any troubleshooting steps.
Domain provider doesn't support CNAME records	In your provider's DNS editor	You can verify your domain using a TXT record.
Domain isn't verified	In your site's DNS settings panel	If you entered the verification CNAME code into your domain provider's editor correctly and the domain still won't connect, you can verify your domain using a TXT record.

Troubleshooting issues with either or both CNAME records

Try these troubleshooting steps for either of the CNAME records:

Issue	Where the issue appears	Troubleshooting steps
CNAME record includes domain in the value (like ext-cust.squarespace.com.example.com)	In your site's DNS settings panel	Log into your domain provider's DNS editor and add a period to the end of the record's Required data value (like ext-cust.squarespace.com.).
Duplicate domain in the alias or host (like uniquecode.example.com.example.com)	In your provider's DNS editor	Add a period to the end of the record's Host value (like uniquecode.example.com.) in your domain provider's DNS editor.
CNAME records show your domain at the end (like verify.squarespace.com.example.com)	In your provider's DNS editor	There's no action required. Some providers always add your domain to the end of the record.

Issues adding the A records

If you find A records in your domain provider's account that don’t match the four used to connect your domain, they may need to be deleted. You can take the following actions based on the data in the host field:

Host: @ - Delete only if it doesn't match the four records used to connect your domain.
Host: blank - Delete. "Blank" specifies your domain without the www in front.
Host: Mail or Email - Don’t delete. This connects to your email address. Deleting it could interfere with your email service.

“Record not found” labels in the DNS Settings panel

When we detect an issue with the connection, records in your site's DNS Settings panel appear red and may show a “Record not found” label. A warning message may also display in the Domains panel, such as “DNS error.” You can fix this issue by ensuring the DNS settings are entered correctly:

Open the Domains panel, then click the domain that’s not connecting properly.
Click View DNS settings.
Look for Record not found labels in the Current data column. These records aren’t connecting to your site.
Log into your domain provider's account and find where you edit your DNS settings.
Correct the error shown for each record, by ensuring that the Host, Type, and Required data information is entered correctly in your domain account. For help, visit Connecting a domain to your Squarespace site. You can also review the full list of provider-specific guides.
Click Refresh in your Squarespace DNS Settings panel. While waiting for your settings to refresh, keep the following in mind:

Records can take between 24 and 72 hours to update. If the record appears correctly in your provider's DNS panel but your Squarespace DNS Settings panel still shows an error, wait 72 hours, then click Refresh again.
Refreshing repeatedly causes the DNS checker to try different servers. Some servers update with the new records sooner than others. This may temporarily cause your domain to connect for some visitors but not all. If clicking refresh shows inconsistent results, wait 72 hours before refreshing again.
Return to the Domains panel. If your DNS Settings display Correct for all values in the Current Data column, your domain will show a yellow flag and read “Connection in progress.” After the changes have fully propagated and your domain is correctly connected, it will show a green flag and read “Connected.”

If you followed the steps above and the DNS Settings panel still shows an error message, contact your domain provider to troubleshoot. You can also contact us as you work on the connection. We may suggest that you retry the connection process. This involves disconnecting the domain from your site and deleting the records from your provider’s account, before starting over.

Deprecated record label in the DNS settings

If a Deprecated label appears in the Current data column of your site's DNS settings panel, you're using outdated domain records. While most visitors can still access your site through a standard URL (beginning with http://), deprecated records can prevent visitors from loading your site through an SSL secure URL (beginning with https://). To fix this, log into your domain account and ensure your CNAME and A records match our current requirements.

Extra records in the DNS settings

If your domain has records that conflict with the Squarespace required records, your site's DNS settings panel will show those records in red. These are different than the "Record not found" labels, as those will be listed beside the Squarespace records.

To fix the conflict, log into your domain provider's account and delete the extra records.

Extra_DNS_records_in_the_Squarespace_DNS_Settings_panel.jpg

Issues with the nameservers

How you troubleshoot nameserver issues depends on the domain connection setup your domain is using. The table below explain how to proceed with nameserver issues based on if your domain connection setup is Nameserver Connect or DNS Connect.

We're rolling out Nameserver Connect in waves to all Squarespace sites. Nameserver Connect is currently only available for GoDaddy, Namecheap and Network Solutions. Domains from all other providers are connected through process called DNS Connect, which involves adding two CNAME records and four A records to your DNS settings.

My domain connection setup is...	Nameserver troubleshooting tips
Nameserver Connect	A nameserver is a server that stores information about your domain, which helps your browser locate the domain’s records. If your domain still hasn't connected after 72 hours, reset your nameservers to your domain provider’s default nameservers and manually connect your domain by adjusting the DNS records. We have step-by-step instructions on this process for the following providers: GoDaddy Namecheap Network Solutions
DNS Connect	If you're connecting your domain using DNS Connect, we don't recommend editing or using custom nameservers. Changing the nameservers for a domain connected to a site via DNS Connect will break its link to the site and disconnect any linked Google Workspace account. If you’re seeing nameserver errors and your domain is connected via DNS Connect, contact your domain provider to ensure that the domain’s nameservers point to the host where you entered the records. Once you’ve confirmed you’re using your domain provider’s nameservers, manually connect your domain to Squarespace.

More help

If you've reviewed all the steps here, but your domain is still showing errors in your Squarespace settings, we recommend contacting your domain provider for more help.

Was this article helpful?

158 out of 787 found this helpful