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DNS configuration guide

Intermediate
Tutorial

Overview​

This guide explains how to configure the DNS records of your domain for three popular registrars: Namecheap, GoDaddy, and Amazon Route 53.

Namecheap​

In the following, the steps to configure the apex of a domain and a subdomain on Namecheap to be used as a custom domain are listed. To illustrate the required configuration, the domain ic-domain.live and the subdomain example.ic-domain.live are used by configuring it to point to the canister with the ID y5jqt-wqaaa-aaaam-abcoq-cai.

  • Step 1: After purchasing your domain on Namecheap, open the management panel of your domain in the Namecheap dashboard.​

  • Step 2: Open the Advanced DNS tab.​

Apex​

To configure the apex of the domain (e.g., ic-domain.live), add the following records by clicking on Add new record:

  • Create an ALIAS record for which you set the host field to @ and the target field to ic-domain.live.icp1.io;

  • Create a CNAME record for which you set the host field to _acme-challenge and the target field to _acme-challenge.ic-domain.live.icp2.io;

  • Create a TXT record for which you set the host field to _canister-id and the value field to the canister ID y5jqt-wqaaa-aaaam-abcoq-cai.

    The resulting configuration should look similar to the following screenshot:

    DNS Configuration for `ic-domain.live` on Namecheap

Subdomain​

To configure a subdomain (e.g., example.ic-domain.live), add the following records by clicking on Add new record:

  • Create a CNAME record for which you set the host field to example and the target field to example.ic-domain.live.icp1.io;

  • Create a CNAME record for which you set the host field to _acme-challenge.example and the target field to _acme-challenge.example.ic-domain.live.icp2.io;

  • Create a TXT record for which you set the host field to _canister-id.example and the value field to the canister ID y5jqt-wqaaa-aaaam-abcoq-cai.

    The resulting configuration should look similar to the following screenshot:

    DNS Configuration for `example.ic-domain.live` on Namecheap

Now, you are all set to register your custom domain with the boundary nodes and you can continue with step 2 of the general custom domains instructions.

GoDaddy​

In the following, it is explained how you can configure your domain on GoDaddy to be used to point to a canister hosted on the Internet Computer. As an illustration, this guide shows how to configure the domain ic-domain.online and the subdomain example.ic-domain.online to point to the canister with the ID y5jqt-wqaaa-aaaam-abcoq-cai.

  • Step 1: After purchasing your domain on GoDaddy, open your account and navigate to My Products.​

  • Step 2: Click on the DNS button next to the domain:​

    Domain Management Overview

Apex​

Unfortunately, GoDaddy does not support configuring a CNAME record (or one of its alternatives, ALIAS or ANAME) for the apex of the domain, you need to make use of a workaround.

There are mainly two approaches:

Directly configuring the IP addresses is simpler compared to relying on another DNS provider, but is less resilient and performant. Therefore, it is advised you to use a different DNS provider (e.g., Cloudflare or Route 53).

It is explained in this approach using Cloudflare as DNS provider. It works similar with any other DNS provider that supports CNAME, ALIAS, or ANAME records for the apex of a domain.

  • Step 1: Create a free account with Cloudflare, click on Add site in the top bar of the dashboard.​

  • Step 2: Enter your domain (e.g., ic-domain.online) and click Add site.​

  • Step 3: Choose the free plan and continue.​

  • Step 4: In the next step, Cloudflare lists two nameservers that you should configure GoDaddy to use.​

    Take note of the two nameservers (e.g., brianna.ns.cloudflare.com and kaiser.ns.cloudflare.com) provided by Cloudflare.

  • Step 5: In the DNS Management panel of GoDaddy, remove all DNS entries on GoDaddy.​

    Go back to your DNS settings on Godaddy and make sure to remove all the DNS entries that GoDaddy created.

  • Step 6: Click on the Change button in the Nameservers section.​

  • Step 7: In the dialog that opened, click on Enter my own nameservers (advanced) and fill in the nameservers from Cloudflare in the provided fields. To finish, click on Save.​

    GoDaddy's dialog to configure the nameservers

  • Step 8: Confirm in the dialog that you indeed intend to change the nameservers.​

    The resulting configuration should look similar to the following screenshot:

    Alternative nameserver configuration on GoDaddy

  • Step 9: Back in the Cloudflare management portal, click on Done, check nameservers.​

    This step can take several hours and you will be notified by email once it succeeded.

  • Step 10: On Cloudflare, add the following records to configure your domain:​

    • Create a CNAME record for which you set the name field to @ and the target field to ic-domain.online.icp1.io;
    • Create a CNAME record for which you set the host field to _acme-challenge and the target field to _acme-challenge.ic-domain.online.icp2.io;
    • Create a TXT record for which you set the name field to _canister-id and the content field to the canister ID y5jqt-wqaaa-aaaam-abcoq-cai.

    The resulting configuration should look similar to the following screenshot:

    DNS Configuration for `ic-domain.online` on Cloudflare

Directly configure the IP addresses (not recommended -- at your own risk)​

By directly configuring the IP addresses of the boundary nodes, you always need to make sure to keep your DNS records up-to-date. If a boundary node is retired or changes its IP addresses, you need to remove or update your DNS records. Otherwise, you risk that your dapp becomes inaccessible.

  • Step 1: First, you need to look up the IP addresses of the boundary nodes (icp1.io).​

    To this end, use an online DNS lookup service (e.g., nslookup.io) and take a note of the IPv4- and IPv6-addresses, the A and AAAA records, respectively.

    Resulting `A` and `AAAA` records from querying `icp1.io` on nslookup.io

  • Step 2: In the DNS Management pane in your GoDaddy account, add the following DNS records:​

    • Create an A record for each IPv4-address by setting the name field to "@" and the value field to the IPv4-address (e.g., 193.118.63.173);
    • Create an AAAA record for each IPv6-address by setting the name field to "@" and the value field to the IPv6-address (e.g., 2a0b:21c0:b002:2:5000:59ff:fead:c233);
    • Create a CNAME record for which you set the name field to _acme-challenge and the value field to _acme-challenge.ic-domain.online.icp2.io;
    • Create a TXT record for which you set the name field to _canister-id and the value field to the canister ID y5jqt-wqaaa-aaaam-abcoq-cai.

    The resulting configuration should look similar to the following screenshot:

    DNS Configuration for `ic-domain.online` on GoDaddy

Subdomain​

To configure a subdomain (e.g., example.ic-domain.live), add the following records by clicking on Add new record:

  • Create a CNAME record for which you set the host field to example and the target field to example.ic-domain.online.icp1.io;

  • Create a CNAME record for which you set the host field to _acme-challenge.example and the target field to _acme-challenge.example.ic-domain.online.icp2.io;

  • Create a TXT record for which you set the host field to _canister-id.example and the value field to the canister ID y5jqt-wqaaa-aaaam-abcoq-cai.

    The resulting configuration should look similar to the following screenshot:

    DNS Configuration for `example.ic-domain.online` on GoDaddy

Now, you are all set to register your custom domain with the boundary nodes and you can continue with step 2 of the general custom domains instructions.

Amazon Route 53​

In the following, it is explained how you can configure your domain on Amazon Route 53 to point to a canister hosted on the Internet Computer. As an illustration, this guide showcases how to configure the domain ic-domain.net and the subdomain example.ic-domain.net to point to the canister with the ID y5jqt-wqaaa-aaaam-abcoq-cai.

Apex​

Unfortunately, Amazon Route 53 does not support to configure a CNAME record (or one of its alternatives, ALIAS or ANAME) for the apex of the domain. You need to make use of a workaround. For instructions take a look at the steps outlined for GoDaddy under "Rely on an alternative DNS provider".

Subdomain​

  • Step 1: After purchasing your domain on Route 53, navigate to Hosted zones and click on your domain.​

  • Step 2: Click on the domain to open the DNS settings.​

  • Step 3: Configure your DNS records.​

    To configure a subdomain (e.g., example.ic-domain.net), add the following records by clicking on Add new record:

    • Create a CNAME record for which you set the host field to example and the target field to example.ic-domain.net.icp1.io;

    • Create a CNAME record for which you set the host field to _acme-challenge.example and the target field to _acme-challenge.example.ic-domain.net.icp2.io;

    • Create a TXT record for which you set the host field to _canister-id.example and the value field to the canister ID y5jqt-wqaaa-aaaam-abcoq-cai. The resulting configuration should look similar to the following screenshot:

      DNS Configuration for `example.ic-domain.net` on Amazon Route 53

Now, you are all set to register your custom domain with the boundary nodes and you can continue with step 2 of the general custom domains instructions.