say.novo

Help center Connect your domain

Domains and SSL

Connect your domain

This guide walks you through pointing the domain your customers already know at your Saynovo site, and proving you own it so we can turn on SSL. It takes a few minutes at your domain registrar; the changes can take a little time to take effect.

Saynovo shows you the exact records to add in your dashboard when you publish. The names and values below are written as placeholders like your-site.saynovo.app - always copy the real values from your dashboard, because they are issued specifically for your domain.

The easy way: follow along on your screen

Pick where your domain is registered and we will show you the exact Add record screen, field by field, with example values in place. When you connect a real domain, your dashboard fills these in with your own values to copy.

Where is your domain registered?

Pick the company you bought your domain from. We will show you that exact screen.

Open your DNS settings at GoDaddy

  1. Sign in, open the account menu, and choose My Products.
  2. Find your domain and select DNS (or open the domain, then Manage DNS).
  3. On the DNS Records page, select Add New Record.

Add the first record - this points your domain at your site

Fill in the Add record form so it matches this exactly:

GoDaddy / Add record how your screen looks
Type CNAME
Name www
Value your-site.saynovo-hosts.com
TTL 1 Hour leave as is
Save

Add the second record - this proves you own the domain

Add one more record the same way. This one lets us turn on the free SSL padlock.

GoDaddy / Add record second record
Type TXT
Name _cf-custom-hostname
Value saynovo-verification-value
TTL 1 Hour leave as is
Save

Save, then come back and check

Save both records at GoDaddy. Then return here and select Verify / Check status. DNS can take a few minutes (sometimes longer) to update everywhere - if it is not live yet, wait a bit and check again.

GoDaddy adds the record inline - press Save on the row.

Good to know for GoDaddy

  • GoDaddy adds your domain for you, so type only the part shown (for example www), never the whole address.
  • GoDaddy cannot point a bare root domain with a CNAME. Connect the www version and use Forwarding to send the root to it.

Still stuck? Two ways to get help. We will walk you through it - email [email protected] with your domain and where it is registered, and we will guide you step by step. Or, if you would rather someone manage your whole site for you, work with SyntroAI, our agency team.

The two records you will add

Connecting a domain takes two DNS records at your registrar. Your dashboard shows the exact values for both:

  • A CNAME record - this points your domain (or a subdomain like www) at Saynovo's servers so visitors land on your site. It looks like a host name, for example your-site.saynovo.app.
  • A DCV TXT record - DCV stands for Domain Control Validation. This is a short text record that proves to the certificate authority that you control the domain, so we can issue and auto-renew a free SSL certificate. It has a special name (often starting with _acme-challenge) and a long random value, both shown in your dashboard.

Add both exactly as shown, then come back to your dashboard and select Verify / Check status on the domain. Once the records are visible to us, your site goes live on your domain over https.

www versus apex: which one do I use?

Your domain has two common forms, and the difference matters for DNS:

  • The apex (also called root or naked) domain is example.com with nothing in front of it.
  • The www subdomain is www.example.com.

A CNAME is the cleanest way to point a name at Saynovo, and most registrars allow a CNAME on www without any trouble. Many registrars do not allow a plain CNAME on the apex itself. Because of that, the simplest reliable setup is:

  • Add the CNAME on www pointing at the host your dashboard shows, and use www.example.com as your published address; then
  • Set the apex to redirect to www using your registrar's built-in forwarding or redirect feature, so someone typing example.com still arrives at your site.

Some registrars (Cloudflare, and a few others) support pointing the apex directly using a feature called CNAME flattening or ALIAS/ANAME records; if yours does, you can point the apex straight at Saynovo instead of redirecting. Whichever you choose, the DCV TXT record is added the same way. If you are unsure, use the www setup above - it works everywhere.

Step-by-step by registrar

Find your registrar below for the exact menu path. In every case you are adding the two records from your dashboard: a CNAME and a DCV TXT. When a field asks for the name or host and you are adding the record for www, enter www; for the DCV record, paste the full name your dashboard provides.

GoDaddy

  1. Sign in and open My Products, then select your domain.
  2. Select DNS (or "Manage DNS") to open the DNS records list.
  3. Select Add, choose type CNAME, set Name to www, set Value to the host from your dashboard (for example your-site.saynovo.app), and save.
  4. Select Add again, choose type TXT, set Name and Value to the DCV record from your dashboard, and save.
  5. To cover the apex, open Forwarding for the domain and forward example.com to https://www.example.com.

Namecheap

  1. Sign in, open Domain List, and select Manage next to your domain.
  2. Open the Advanced DNS tab.
  3. Under Host Records select Add New Record, choose CNAME Record, set Host to www, set Target to the host from your dashboard, and save (the green check).
  4. Add another record, choose TXT Record, set Host and Value to the DCV record from your dashboard, and save.
  5. For the apex, add a URL Redirect Record on host @ pointing to https://www.example.com (permanent).

Cloudflare

  1. Sign in and select your domain, then open the DNS tab.
  2. Select Add record, choose CNAME, set Name to www, set Target to the host from your dashboard, and save.
  3. Because Cloudflare supports CNAME flattening, you can also add a CNAME on Name @ pointing at the same host to cover the apex directly.
  4. Add a TXT record with the Name and Content from your dashboard's DCV record, and save.
  5. Important: while validating, set the CNAME records to DNS only (grey cloud, proxy off) so the records resolve directly. You can revisit proxy settings after the site is live.

Squarespace

  1. Sign in and open Domains, then select your domain.
  2. Open DNS (or "DNS Settings") and find the custom records section.
  3. Add record, type CNAME, Host www, Data set to the host from your dashboard, and save.
  4. Add another record, type TXT, with the Host and Data from your dashboard's DCV record, and save.
  5. To cover the apex, use Squarespace's domain forwarding to send example.com to https://www.example.com.

Google Domains (now Squarespace Domains)

Google Domains has moved to Squarespace. If you registered with Google Domains, your domain is now managed through Squarespace; the steps match the Squarespace section above. The classic Google Domains path is included here in case you still see that interface.

  1. In the classic interface, open your domain, then select DNS and find Manage custom records.
  2. Create a record: type CNAME, Host name www, Data set to the host from your dashboard, and save.
  3. Create another record: type TXT, with the Host name and Data from your dashboard's DCV record, and save.
  4. For the apex, use the domain's forwarding option to forward example.com to https://www.example.com.

After you add the records

DNS changes are not always instant. They usually take effect within minutes, but can take up to a day to spread everywhere, depending on your registrar and the record's time-to-live (TTL). Once your dashboard confirms the records, Saynovo issues your SSL certificate automatically and your site goes live over https. SSL then renews on its own - there is nothing for you to track.

If verification has not completed after a while, double-check that the record names and values match your dashboard exactly (a stray space or a missing www is the usual cause), and that any proxy or "cloud" toggle is off during validation.

Need a hand?

Not comfortable editing DNS, or just short on time? You have two ways to get help. Email [email protected] with your domain and where it is registered, and we will walk you through connecting it, step by step (a quick call if that is easier) - you should never feel stuck on a DNS record. Or, if you would rather someone manage your whole site for you, work with SyntroAI, our agency team.

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