Connect Your Own Domain Name to Your Website, Step by Step

What it's for

Your Flopix website is live at an address like your-name.flopix.fr. If you own a domain name (for example mybusiness.com), the Domain name option connects it to your website, with and without www: mybusiness.com and www.mybusiness.com both open your site, over HTTPS. It is also required for the Professional email option.

Before you start

• Your website must be live (active subscription, free trial included).
• You need to own the domain, bought from a domain provider such as Hostinger, GoDaddy, Namecheap, OVH, IONOS or Gandi. Flopix does not sell domain names.
• Keep your provider login handy. Allow about fifteen minutes.

Step 1: enter your domain in Flopix

• Open your website, then the Advanced options tile.
• Under "Services and connections", expand the Domain name card, enable it and enter your domain (with or without www, it does not matter).
• Flopix connects both addresses (mybusiness.com and www.mybusiness.com) and shows your table of records, with a Copy button on each value.

Step 2: set up the DNS zone at your provider

Open your domain's DNS zone (see below where to find it at your provider), then:

• Delete the A and AAAA records already on @. These are your provider's defaults, often a parking page (for example 2.57.91.91 at Hostinger). If you leave them, your site will not always load.
• Add two A records on @, one for each address shown in the card's table (two addresses starting with 188.114...).
• Add, or keep, the www CNAME pointing to sites.flopix.fr. If a "www" record of another type already exists, delete it first.
• Add the TXT verification record: type TXT, name _cf-custom-hostname, value copied from the card. It proves the domain is yours; without it, verification stays pending. Some providers want the full name (_cf-custom-hostname.mybusiness.com).

Good to know: "@" means the domain itself. Depending on your provider, leave the Name field empty or type your domain instead. For the TTL, 3600 or the default value is fine. If your provider offers an ALIAS, ANAME or CNAME record on @, you can instead point @ to sites.flopix.fr, instead of the two A records.

Step 3: click Verify

Go back to the card and click Verify. Flopix checks each address and tells you what it sees: a green check when it is right, otherwise a precise message, for example "mybusiness.com still points to 2.57.91.91: that is your provider's old address, replace it" or "Cloudflare is waiting for the TXT verification record". As soon as everything is green, your site opens at your own address, over HTTPS: the security certificate is installed automatically.

Where to find the DNS zone

Hostinger

In hPanel: Domains, click your domain, then DNS / Nameservers. Records are under "Manage DNS records". Delete the A record on @ that points to the parking page.

OVHcloud

Control panel: Web Cloud, Domain names, your domain, DNS zone tab. Delete the A and AAAA records of the bare domain, then "Add an entry". If "www" is an A record, delete it before adding the CNAME.

IONOS

Control panel: Domains & SSL, the gear icon of your domain, then DNS. Delete the A and AAAA records on @. IONOS does not allow a CNAME on @: use the two A records.

GoDaddy

My account: Domain Portfolio, click your domain, DNS tab. Edit the "@" A record (value "Parked") and add the second A record. Turn off domain forwarding if it is on.

Gandi

Domain names, your domain, DNS records tab. Delete the default A and AAAA records on @. Gandi supports an ALIAS on @: you can point it to sites.flopix.fr instead of the two A records.

Other providers

Look for "DNS zone", "Manage DNS" or "DNS records" in your customer area. The Flopix card also shows who manages your DNS.

Still not working?

• Propagation is not finished. A DNS change can take up to 24 hours (rarely 48) to be seen everywhere. If the card already shows the right addresses, just wait and click Verify again.
• An old AAAA record is still on @. An IPv6 address left by your provider sends some visitors to the old page: delete it.
• The TXT verification record is missing, or its name is mistyped. Compare it with the card (short or full name depending on your provider).
• A redirect or proxy from your provider is on (parking, web redirect, domain forwarding): turn it off.
• The domain is not active yet at your provider: recent purchase, owner validation email not confirmed yet, or expired domain.
• You edited the wrong zone: if your DNS is managed elsewhere, make the changes there.
• A CAA record blocks the certificate: delete it or allow letsencrypt.org and pki.goog.

Still stuck? Write to us with your domain name: we will look into it with you.

Good to know

• Your site's main address is the one without www: a visit to www.mybusiness.com is automatically redirected to mybusiness.com.
• Your your-name.flopix.fr address stays active: old links and QR codes you already printed keep working.
• You can also connect a subdomain (shop.mybusiness.com): a single CNAME is then enough, the card shows it.
• To disconnect the domain, use the card's Remove button.

Frequently asked questions

Why not just a CNAME on the main domain?

Almost no provider allows a CNAME on @ (it is a DNS rule). Hence the two A records, or an ALIAS if your provider offers one.

Can Flopix buy the domain for me?

No, you buy it from a domain provider. You remain the owner.

Do I need to set up HTTPS?

No, it is set up automatically after verification.

Can I get an email address with my domain?

Yes, with the Professional email option, once your domain is connected: your emails then go out from your own mailbox. Do not touch your MX records: they handle your email.