How do I set up a custom domain with GoDaddy?

First of all, before you try to set up a custom domain with GoDaddy, make sure that you understand the details of setting up a CNAME DNS record by reading this FAQ first:
 
   What is the recommended way to set up a custom domain?

You should also watch our Setup Video even though it shows the setup process using the NameCheap registrar. The video explains many important details that are common to setting up a custom domain no matter what registrar or control panel you are using:
 
How To Set Up A Custom Domain Using a CNAME DNS Record


Setting up your custom domain with GoDaddy …

These instructions show you how to set up your domain with GoDaddy provided that you haven’t changed your domain’s nameservers to point at a website hosted by a different company.

For example, it’s pretty common to buy a domain from GoDaddy then set up the website it points to at HostGator, 1&1, or some other major hosting company. If that’s what you’ve done, then you’ll need to use the control panel provided by the other company, and in most cases that control panel will either be called “cPanel” or “Plesk”. Look for our set up guides for those in the FAQ above.

If you’ve just bought your domain from GoDaddy specifically to use for tracking, this set up guide is for you!


Setting up your custom domain with GoDaddy …

Step 1: Create a CNAME record in the DNS Management editor

From the GoDaddy Domain Manager, click on your domain, go to the “Additional Settings” section, then click on the “Manage DNS” link:





This should show you all of your existing DNS records and give you the option to add new DNS records by clicking on the word “ADD” in the lower right corner.

For example, if you want your custom tracking domain to be “www.yourdomain.com” , you’d click on the ADD link. Enter www in the “Host” section, set the TTL value to ½ hour, and set the “Points to” field to one of ClickMagick’s domains. Use www.clkmg.com for tracking links and split tests or www.clkmr.com for rotators.

Your entry should look like this:





Click the “Save” button and you should see this entry in your list of DNS records:



GoDaddy won’t let you create two CNAME entries with the same Host value. If you get an error, delete the original “www” CNAME entry and try again.

If you don’t want to use “www.yourdomain.com” for your tracking domain because it already points to another website, you’ll want to set the Domain Name to something other than “www”. 

The word “track” is a good choice, giving you track.yourdomain.com as your tracking domain:




Step 2: Add your custom domain to ClickMagick

Once you complete Step 1 above, the only other thing you need to do is add your custom domain to your ClickMagick account using the Domain Manager.

Be sure to add your custom domain exactly as you’ve set it up in Step 1 above e.g. either www.yourdomain.com or track.yourdomain.com in the examples above.

ClickMagick’s Domain Manager will thoroughly test your domain when you try to add it. If the Domain Manager accepts the domain, then you’ve set it up correctly and it’s working perfectly! Otherwise, read and follow any error messages you get. 


Step 3: Create your custom domain without “www.”  (optional)

If you’re using your custom domain only for tracking purposes, you’ll probably want to also set up the non-”www.” version of your domain (i.e., “yourdomain.com”). This would typically be the case if you’ve just bought your domain specifically for tracking purposes.

For example, if you just set up a CNAME record with a hostname of “www” as in Step 1 above, your tracking links will look like this:

http://www.yourdomain.com/linkID

However, if you leave off the “www.” like this…

http://yourdomain.com/linkID

… the tracking domain will NOT work.

You have to set the non-”www.” version up as well, and because the non-”www.” domain does not have a Host, you cannot use a CNAME record to properly set it up. Instead, you need to use an “A” record.

Caution: you cannot make this change if you have any existing content at “yourdomain.com”. The second you add the “A” record, your domain will point to ClickMagick and not to your original website. This will break your existing website if you have one, and that includes a WordPress blog.

If you’re unsure whether you have existing content, just enter your domain without the “www.” and see what pulls up. If it’s a website you want to keep, then you can’t add the “A” record or you will lose that website…

To get started, first delete any “A” record that already has “@” as the Host setting, if there is one. 

Next, click the “ADD” button and create a new “A” record. Set the Host to “@”, and the “Points to” setting must be one of our IP addresses. Use IP 50.97.212.250 for tracking domains or IP 50.97.212.251 for rotator domains. Set the TTL to “1/2 Hour”.

Here’s what this looks like in GoDaddy:




Click “Save” and your “A” record is all set up! Your final complete setup—without duplicates—should look like this:



You will see other entries in your DNS records, but as long as you have only one entry for “www” and only one “A” record with “@” as the Name, then you’ve set it up correctly.


Step 4: Add your custom domain (without “www.”) to ClickMagick

Finally, you have to also add the non-www version of your domain to your Domain Manager
and you’ll be all set.