Pointing your Namecheap domain

This guide is for domains registered at Namecheap. Read Pointing your domain first if you want the big picture.

Namecheap has its own instructions too: How to create a CNAME record and How to set up a URL redirect.

We will send you the exact values to use. The usual target is sites.guardhouse.host.

Part 1: Add the www record

Sign in to Namecheap.
Open Domain List from the left menu. Click Manage next to your domain.
Open the Advanced DNS tab. In the Host Records section, click Add New Record.
Set the type to CNAME Record.
In Host, enter www.
In Value, enter sites.guardhouse.host.
Click Save All Changes.

Namecheap says to remove any other CNAME, URL redirect, ALIAS, or A record that uses the same host (www), because they can conflict. If you do remove one, tell us what it was first.

Namecheap says to expect about 30 minutes for the change to take effect.

Part 2: Redirect the plain address

This sends yourbusiness.com to https://www.yourbusiness.com. Namecheap calls this a URL redirect.

On your domain’s page, find the Redirect Domain section.
Click Add Redirect.
Enter your domain as the source, and https://www.yourbusiness.com as the destination (use your own domain).
Save the changes.
Open Advanced DNS and remove any conflicting records for the same host, such as an A, CNAME, or ALIAS record.

Namecheap also lets you do this from the Advanced DNS tab by adding a URL Redirect Record with host @, and you can choose a redirect type: 301 (permanent), 302 (unmasked), or masked. We want 301 (permanent).

Namecheap notes that HTTPS redirects work to a different destination domain, and that both domains need SSL certificates for an HTTPS-to-HTTPS redirect. Our destination is www.yourbusiness.com on the same domain.

Extra verification records

If we ask for them, add them the same way as Part 1, choosing TXT Record as the type. Paste the host and value we send you.

Stuck?

Email us at hello@useguardhouse.com. Or send your IT person the technical reference.