Connecting a Register.com domain to your Squarespace site

Before you begin, review our requirements for connecting a third-party domain. You may also find Register.com's guide helpful as you work on the connection.

To connect your domain, start in the Domains panel:

1. Open the Domains panel.
2. Click Use a domain I own.
3. Enter the full domain name you’re connecting in the Enter domain field, then click the arrow.
4. Click Connect domain. 

5. Select Register.com from the drop-down menu.
6. Click Connect domain.
7. In the message that appears, click Continue.
8. A new panel will open with the records to create in your Register.com account. Keep this panel open for your reference.

Open a new browser window or tab to access your Register.com account:

1. Go to www.register.com, then log into your account.
2. In the sidebar, click Domain Names.
3. Under Domain Name, click the domain you want to connect, then click Advanced Tools.
4. Next to Advanced DNS Records, click Manage.
5. In the message that appears, click Continue.

You'll now copy the records from the DNS Settings panel of your Squarespace site into your domain's settings.

In the first line of your Squarespace DNS Settings panel, a unique code appears directly below the Host column. The unique code is a random string of numbers and letters that must point to verify.squarespace.com. In your Register.com’s DNS settings, you'll add a new record with these values:

1. Click Add Record.
2. From the Type drop-down menu, select CNAME.
3. From the Refers to drop-down menu, select Other Host.
4. In the Host Name field, copy and paste the unique code that appears directly below the Host column in your DNS Settings panel.
5. In the Alias to field, enter verify.squarespace.com
6. From the TTL drop-down menu, select 2 Hours.
7. Click Add.

In the second line of your Squarespace DNS Settings, www appears directly below the Host column. This record must point to ext-cust.squarespace.com.

1. Click Add Record.
2. From the Type drop-down menu, select CNAME.
3. From the Refers to drop-down menu, select www.
4. In the Alias to field, enter ext-cust.squarespace.com
5. From the TTL drop-down menu, select 2 Hours.
6. Click Add.

In the last four lines of your Squarespace DNS Settings panel, you'll see four IP addresses in the Required Data column. Create four A records in your Register.com’s DNS settings matching these values:

1. Click Add Record.
2. From the Type drop-down menu, select A.
3. From the Refers to drop-down menu, select @.
4. In the Points to field, enter 198.185.159.144
5. From the TTL drop-down menu, select 2 Hours.
6. Click Add.

Repeat this process three more times using the following values in the Points to field:

• 198.185.159.145
• 198.49.23.144
• 198.49.23.145

Now that you've entered the records, it can take 24 to 72 hours for the connection to start working properly. While you wait:

• You can watch the connection's progress. Return to your Squarespace DNS Settings, click Refresh records, and the Current Data column will show green labels as your domain connects. When the domain is correctly linked, it will appear in the Domains panel with a Connected label.
• It’s normal to see errors in the Domains panel or when visiting your domain for up to 72 hours after completing the steps in this guide. If you see any error messages after 72 hours has passed, see our tips below, or visit Troubleshooting domain connections.

If we detect that your records weren’t set up properly, your domain will appear in the Domains panel with the message Can’t verify domain ownership. To troubleshoot, use the DNS checker tool in the DNS Settings panel to see the exact CNAME and A records to fix.

For more help with settings in your Register.com account, contact their support team. To help them understand your issue, you can use our sample message. You can also visit their documentation.