Your own domain, explained without the jargon
What a domain actually is, what it costs, why email is a separate thing, and the one setting you may need to add.
A domain is the address people type: example.com. That is all it is — a name you rent, year by year, that points at something. What it points at is up to you, and it can change without the name changing.
Do you need one?
Not to start. Your site is live from the first minute at an address of its own. A domain of your own matters when you print it on a card, put it on a sign, or want people to remember it. It also tends to be worth more than people expect: it is the one part of your online presence that never has to move.
What it costs
A .com is usually about $10–12 a year at any domain company. Domains renew annually; if the renewal lapses, someone else can take the name. Registrations and renewals are not refundable anywhere.
Two ways to get there
- Connect one you already own. We show you a single record to add at the company where you bought it, of type CNAME. Add it there, press “Check status”, and the site is usually live within 5–30 minutes with the certificate issued automatically.
Email is a separate thing
This is the point that trips people up most. A domain can be used for a website and for email addresses, and those are handled by different settings. We publish websites only. If you want info@example.com, keep or buy a mail service (Google Workspace and similar). And if your domain already handles your email, connecting the website does not disturb it — as long as you only add the record we show you and leave the others alone.
A practical tip
Use www.example.com. Many domain companies do not allow the bare example.com to point at a hosted service, and www has no downside. If you want the bare name to work too, ask them to forward example.com to the www version — most offer that in one click.