A free blogspot.com address is a great way to start, but a custom domain such as yourname.com looks more professional, is easier for readers to remember, and gives you a web address you own no matter which platform you use later. The good news is that Blogger lets you connect your own domain for free, and the whole job takes about 15 minutes of work plus some waiting time.
In this guide, you will learn exactly how to connect a custom domain to Blogger, which DNS records to add, how to make the version without "www" work, and what to check afterwards so you do not lose traffic or AdSense earnings.
What You Need Before You Start
- A Blogger blog that you can sign in to as an administrator.
- A registered domain name from any registrar (for example Namecheap, GoDaddy, Hostinger, Whogohost or Cloudflare). Blogger does not charge you anything, but the domain itself is paid for at the registrar, usually yearly.
- Access to your domain's DNS settings. This is usually under a menu called "DNS", "Manage DNS", "Advanced DNS" or "Zone Editor" in your registrar account.
Tip: if you are still choosing a domain, pick something short, easy to spell and related to your niche. Avoid hyphens and numbers where you can.
Step 1: Add Your Domain in Blogger Settings
- Sign in to Blogger and select the blog you want to change.
- Click Settings in the left menu.
- Scroll to the Publishing section and click Custom domain.
- Type your domain with www, for example
www.yourdomain.com, and click Save.
Blogger expects a subdomain such as www, so do not type only yourdomain.com here. You will make the bare domain work in Step 4.
After you click Save, Blogger will most likely show an error message saying it could not verify your authority to the domain. Don't worry. That message is normal and it contains the two CNAME records you need for the next step. Copy them somewhere safe or keep the tab open.
Step 2: Add the Two CNAME Records at Your Registrar
Open your domain registrar in a new tab, go to the DNS settings for your domain and add two CNAME records:
CNAME record 1 (points your blog)
- Name / Host:
www - Value / Target / Points to:
ghs.google.com
CNAME record 2 (proves you own the domain)
- Name / Host: the unique code Blogger showed you (a random string of letters and numbers)
- Value / Target: the matching unique address Blogger showed you, which usually ends in
googlehosted.com
The second record is different for every blog, so always copy it from your own Blogger error message instead of from a tutorial. Leave TTL on the default or "Automatic".
Common mistake: some registrars automatically add your domain to the end of the Host field. If you type www.yourdomain.com there, it may become www.yourdomain.com.yourdomain.com. In most dashboards you only type www. Also delete any old record that already uses the name www, because two records with the same name will conflict.
Step 3: Save the Domain in Blogger Again
Go back to Blogger, open Settings > Custom domain again, enter www.yourdomain.com and click Save.
If the records have spread across the internet, Blogger will accept the domain. If you still see the error, wait a while and try again. DNS changes are often visible within an hour, but they can take up to 24 to 48 hours depending on your registrar. You can check progress with a free tool such as dnschecker.org by looking up the CNAME record for www.yourdomain.com.
Step 4: Make the Domain Work Without "www"
Many visitors will type yourdomain.com without www. To send them to your blog, add four A records for the root of your domain (the host is usually written as @):
@→216.239.32.21@→216.239.34.21@→216.239.36.21@→216.239.38.21
Then, back in Blogger under Settings > Publishing, turn on Redirect domain. This sends anyone who visits yourdomain.com to www.yourdomain.com, so all your traffic lands on one address.
Step 5: Turn On HTTPS
Secure HTTPS links matter for visitor trust, and browsers warn people about pages that are not secure. Blogger provides a free SSL certificate for custom domains, but it can take some time to be issued after the domain starts working.
- Go to Settings and find the HTTPS section.
- Turn on HTTPS availability if it is not on already.
- Turn on HTTPS redirect so every visitor is sent to the secure version.
If the HTTPS options are greyed out or show that the certificate is still being prepared, check back later. It usually sorts itself out once Google has confirmed the domain.
Step 6: Check Everything After the Switch
Once your blog loads on the new domain, run through this short checklist:
- Old links redirect: open one of your old
blogspot.compost links. Blogger should send it to the same post on your new domain automatically. - Search Console: add your new domain as a property in Google Search Console and submit your sitemap again. Our guide on how to set robots.txt and sitemap on BlogSpot shows the exact sitemap address to use.
- Indexing: watch the Pages report for a few weeks. If you see new errors, follow our steps for fixing indexing issues in Google Search Console.
- AdSense: if you show AdSense ads, add the new domain under Sites in your AdSense account and make sure
ads.txtloads on the new domain. See how to set up AdSense on Blogger for the ads.txt steps. - Hard-coded links: look through your theme, menus and Link List gadgets for any links that still include the old blogspot address and update them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a custom domain on Blogger free?
Connecting the domain is free. Blogger still hosts your blog for free. You only pay the registrar for the domain name itself.
Will I lose my Google rankings if I switch to a custom domain?
Blogger redirects your old blogspot.com links to the new domain, which helps search engines move your pages across. It is normal to see some movement in traffic for a few weeks while Google processes the change, so add the new domain to Search Console and keep publishing as usual.
Why does Blogger say "We have not been able to verify your authority to this domain"?
Usually the two CNAME records are missing, typed incorrectly, or have not spread yet. Double-check the Host fields (only www and the unique code, not the full domain) and wait a little longer before trying again.
Can I go back to my blogspot.com address later?
Yes. In Settings > Custom domain you can remove the domain and your blog will load on its blogspot.com address again. Avoid switching back and forth, though, because each change sends mixed signals to search engines.
Can I use a subdomain like blog.yourdomain.com?
Yes. Follow the same steps, but use blog as the Host of the first CNAME record and enter blog.yourdomain.com in Blogger. You do not need the A records in that case.
Conclusion
Connecting a custom domain to Blogger comes down to four things: add the domain in Blogger, create the two CNAME records, add the four A records for the bare domain, and switch on HTTPS. After that, update Search Console, AdSense and any old links, and your blog will be running on its own professional address while Blogger keeps hosting it for free.
Have you hit an error while connecting your domain? Leave a comment below with the message you see and we will help you sort it out.
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