Use a custom domain or subdomain

By default, every site created on Bettermode receives a random subdomain under bettermode.io or bettermode.de. You can continue using this subdomain free of charge. However, if you already own a domain and want to fully bring your site under your own brand, you can do so by following the steps laid out in this tutorial.

We recommend transferring to your own domain, before publishing and sending any real traffic to your site. We don’t offer any address-parking policies. Once you move your site away from the Bettermode subdomain, it becomes available for other Bettermode customers to use.

Before you begin,

Make sure you have access to the domain DNS settings. This is usually your domain registrar or a CDN provider.
Check to see if your site’s plan supports a custom domain. (See available plans)

Root Domain Considerations

If you decide to use a root domain (a.k.a apex domain) for your site (e.g. example.com), instead of a subdomain (e.g. site.example.com), you should know that many DNS providers have restrictions on adding CNAME records to root domains. However, some providers offer workarounds for this issue. For example:

Cloudflare via CNAME Flattening
easyDNS, DNS Made Easy, and Name.com with ANAME records
DNSimple and Cloudns with ALIAS records

So, if your current DNS provider does not offer a solution for this matter and you are unable to switch to a different provider, consider using the www subdomain for your site.

1. Initiate the transfer by visiting Administration > Settings > Domain

In the domain settings, you’ll find an input field where you can provide the desired domain or sub-domain that you'd like your site to be transferred to. Press Check transferability after you’ve entered the new address. If the domain is valid, and it isn't taken by any other site on Bettermode, you’ll receive a different prompt, and you'll be presented with the option to start the migration process.

The domain settings form where you can enter the new address for your Bettermode site.

You can begin the transfer after the initial check has passed.

Press the Start migration to... in order to receive the DNS instructions.

The DNS records provided by Bettermode, that needs to be added to the target domain.

2. Update the DNS settings of your domain

Add DNS records to your domain per the instructions provided in the previous step:

CNAME record is used to route the traffic from your domain to Bettermode platform
TXT record helps us validating the domain ownership.

❗Important Note: if you are managing your domain with a CDN (Cloudflare for example), make sure the proxy is disabled for the CNAME record and it is operating in DNS Only mode.

This image showcases an example of DNS settings in Cloudflare panel. Note the proxy status of both records showing "DNS Only".

3. Wait for the DNS changes to take effect

Once, you’ve verified the DNS setting and ensured that they match the instructions provided by Bettermode, go back to the domains settings page, and press Revalidate DNS Settings button.

If all settings are set correctly, and after DNS changes have fully propagated, you’ll see the OK status (green checkmark) on all the records and will be able to make the switch to the new domain.

The DNS settings have fully propagated an stabilized, all record showing OK status.

Beware that DNS settings take time to fully propagate. During this time, you may get flip-flopping results between Missing and Ok as we query different DNS servers to validate the settings.

4. Finalize the transfer

Press the Switch to... button to finalize the transfer. You’ll be redirected to the new address automatically. Keep in mind that after the transfer, your site will no longer be accessible using the previous domain.

You can remove the TXT record after the migration is done, but the CNAME record must remain intact.