A custom domain replaces an address such as yourblog.blogspot.com with a branded address such as www.example.com. Blogger continues to host the site, while the domain’s DNS records tell browsers where to find it.
The setup is straightforward when you treat it as a controlled DNS change: save the current configuration, obtain the two CNAME records from Blogger, publish them at the authoritative DNS provider, verify them, configure the root-domain redirect, and wait for HTTPS to become available. This guide walks through the process without risking unrelated email or verification records.
How the Blogger custom-domain connection works
Three systems are involved:
- Blogger stores the blog and accepts the custom hostname.
- Your domain registrar manages ownership and renewal of the domain.
- Your authoritative DNS provider publishes the CNAME, A, MX, TXT, and other records used by the domain.
The registrar and DNS provider may be the same company, but not always. If the registrar points the domain’s nameservers to Cloudflare or another DNS service, edit records at that service—not in an inactive DNS panel at the registrar.
This guide uses example.com as a placeholder. Replace it with your own domain. Blogger normally expects a subdomain such as www.example.com; it does not host a blog directly on the naked root address in the same way. The root can redirect to the www hostname after you add the official A records.
Before changing DNS
Prepare a rollback record before touching the domain:
- Back up the Blogger content and theme.
- Take screenshots or export a list of every existing DNS record.
- Confirm where the domain’s authoritative nameservers are hosted.
- Check the domain renewal date and make sure it is not about to expire.
- Choose the permanent hostname, usually
www.example.com. - Record any email service using the domain.
Do not replace nameservers just because a tutorial shows a different provider. Changing nameservers can remove the active DNS zone and interrupt the website, email, domain verification, and other services. For a normal Blogger connection, you only need to edit specific records in the existing authoritative zone.
Step 1: Ask Blogger for the two CNAME records
- Sign in to Blogger and select the correct blog.
- Open Settings.
- Scroll to Publishing.
- Click Custom domain.
- Enter the full hostname, for example
www.example.com. - Click Save.
Blogger initially shows an error containing two required CNAME records. That error is expected when DNS has not been configured.
- Blog CNAME: the host is normally
wwwand the destination isghs.google.com. - Security CNAME: Blogger displays a unique name and destination associated with your blog and Google Account.
Copy both values into a private note or take a screenshot. Never copy another website’s Security CNAME from a video, forum, or tutorial. The unique pair shown in your own Blogger settings is the one that proves authority for your blog.
Step 2: Add the CNAME records at the DNS provider
Open the active DNS manager and create the records Blogger supplied. The example below shows the structure, not real Security CNAME values.
| Type | Name or host | Target or destination | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNAME | www |
ghs.google.com |
Routes the blog hostname to Google |
| CNAME | unique-name |
unique-target.googlehosted.com |
Verifies authority for this Blogger setup |
DNS panels handle hostnames differently. Some expect only www; others accept www.example.com. Many automatically append the root domain. Check the preview so you do not accidentally create www.example.com.example.com.
A CNAME cannot coexist with another record at the same host. If www already has an A, AAAA, or CNAME record, save its existing value and remove only that conflicting www record before adding the Blogger CNAME. Do not delete unrelated MX, TXT, DKIM, DMARC, verification, or service records.
If the DNS provider offers a web proxy, use normal DNS resolution while Blogger verifies the connection. A proxy can hide the real CNAME response and complicate certificate or redirect troubleshooting. Add optional proxy services only after the direct Blogger setup works and only if the provider officially supports the configuration.
Step 3: Wait for DNS and verify the published values
Blogger advises waiting at least one hour after activating the DNS settings. Some providers update sooner, while cached results can take longer. Do not repeatedly delete and recreate correct records; every change can restart the effective waiting period.
On Windows, you can inspect the public CNAME response in PowerShell:
Resolve-DnsName -Type CNAME www.example.comThe result should lead to ghs.google.com. Run the same check for the complete Security CNAME hostname shown by Blogger. You can also use the DNS provider’s official diagnostic tool. Check public results rather than relying only on what its dashboard displays.
If no answer appears, confirm the authoritative nameservers and verify that you edited the correct DNS zone. If an old target appears, wait for its previous TTL to expire.
Step 4: Save the custom domain in Blogger
Return to Blogger > Settings > Publishing > Custom domain, enter www.example.com again, and save it. When both CNAME records are visible and correct, Blogger should accept the hostname.
The old Blogspot address should redirect to the custom domain after the connection settles. Blogger’s documentation notes that this redirect can take up to 24 hours. Keep the original Blogspot address recorded because it remains useful for diagnosing whether Blogger itself is online.
Step 5: Redirect the root domain to www
Without a root redirect, www.example.com may work while example.com does not. Blogger’s official naked-domain configuration uses four A records at the root:
| Type | Host | Google address |
|---|---|---|
| A | @ | 216.239.32.21 |
| A | @ | 216.239.34.21 |
| A | @ | 216.239.36.21 |
| A | @ | 216.239.38.21 |
The root may be displayed as @, blank, or the domain name depending on the DNS provider. If other A records already exist at the root, save them and confirm they are no longer needed before removing them. Do not remove the root MX or TXT records used for email.
After the A records propagate, open Blogger settings and enable Redirect domain from example.com to www.example.com. Avoid stacking a registrar forwarding rule, proxy redirect, theme script, and Blogger redirect at the same time; overlapping rules commonly create loops.
Step 6: Enable HTTPS and HTTPS redirect
In Blogger settings, find the HTTPS section. Turn on HTTPS availability and wait while Blogger provisions the certificate. When the secure version works, enable HTTPS redirect so HTTP visitors are sent to HTTPS.
If your DNS zone uses CAA records to restrict which certificate authorities may issue certificates, Blogger’s official help says the domain must permit letsencrypt.org. Otherwise Blogger may be unable to create or renew the SSL certificate. Do not add or remove CAA records without first recording the existing certificate policy.
Certificate issuance is not always instant. Keep the direct DNS records stable and allow time before troubleshooting. When HTTPS becomes active, open the site in a private browser window and check for certificate warnings.
Step 7: Check for mixed content
A page can use HTTPS while still loading an old image, script, iframe, font, or stylesheet through http://. Browsers may block that resource or show a security warning. Check the theme, widgets, ads, analytics, embedded media, and older posts for hard-coded HTTP addresses.
Replace a resource with its HTTPS version only when the same trusted provider officially supports HTTPS. Do not simply remove the protocol from an unknown third-party script. If a widget no longer provides a secure version, remove or replace the widget.
Step 8: Test a complete URL matrix
Do not stop after the homepage opens. Test the following in a private window and, if possible, on mobile data as well as Wi-Fi:
http://example.comhttps://example.comhttp://www.example.comhttps://www.example.com- The old
blogspot.comhomepage - Several older post URLs
- A static page, label page, image, and sitemap
All public variations should finish at one intended HTTPS hostname without a loop. Also verify the navigation menu, search box, contact form, canonical tag, mobile layout, analytics, and any advertising code. Once the domain is stable, use our guide to improve Blogger mobile speed without disrupting the DNS configuration.
Step 9: Add the custom domain to Search Console
Create a Search Console property for the new custom domain. A Domain property covers protocols and subdomains and normally uses DNS verification; a URL-prefix property covers only the exact protocol and prefix entered. Google may automatically verify a Google-hosted Blogger property when you use the same Google Account.
Submit the Blogger sitemap and monitor indexing, redirects, canonical selection, page experience, and manual actions. Adding a property does not force indexing; it provides reporting and diagnostic tools. Follow our step-by-step guide to submit a Blogger website to Google Search.
Update external profiles, social links, email signatures, and important backlinks where practical. Do not delete the Blogger blog or create duplicate copies of the same posts on another blog.
Step 10: Confirm trust and policy pages
A custom domain improves branding, but it does not replace useful site information. Confirm that About, Contact, Privacy Policy, Disclaimer, and navigation links work on the new hostname. If the blog collects analytics, shows ads, accepts contact messages, or uses third-party embeds, describe those practices accurately. Our guide to creating a Privacy Policy for Blogger explains what information to gather before drafting it.
Troubleshooting common Blogger domain problems
Blogger cannot verify your authority
Compare both CNAME names and destinations exactly. Check for duplicated domain text, quotation marks, spaces, an incorrect DNS zone, a proxy hiding the record, or a conflicting record at the same host. Verify the public DNS result, then wait before saving again.
The www address works but the root domain does not
Confirm all four official A records are present at the root and enable Blogger’s Redirect domain option. Remove only conflicting root A records after recording them. Check for an old registrar-forwarding rule or proxy redirect.
HTTPS availability remains pending
Keep the CNAME and A records stable. Verify that a DNS proxy is not interfering and, if CAA records exist, ensure they permit letsencrypt.org. Certificate provisioning and DNS caching can take time.
The browser reports too many redirects
Use one redirect owner during initial setup. Disable extra registrar forwarding, proxy page rules, or theme-based JavaScript redirects, then retest Blogger’s own root and HTTPS redirects.
Email stopped after the DNS change
Check whether MX, SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records were deleted or overwritten. A Blogger website connection does not require removing mail records. Restore the saved values from the email provider’s official setup instructions.
A safe completion checklist
- The
wwwCNAME resolves toghs.google.com. - The unique Security CNAME matches the values shown by Blogger.
- All four root A records use Google’s documented addresses.
- Blogger accepts and displays the intended custom domain.
- The root, HTTP, and Blogspot versions redirect to the chosen HTTPS hostname.
- The certificate is valid and important pages have no mixed-content errors.
- Email and unrelated DNS-based services still work.
- The new property and sitemap are available in Search Console.
- Navigation, policy pages, analytics, and mobile layout have been tested.
- The DNS snapshot and Blogger backup are stored safely.
A custom Blogger domain becomes reliable when the DNS zone is simple, documented, and tested. Preserve unrelated records, use only the CNAME and A values supplied by Blogger, allow time for DNS and certificates, and add optional proxy or optimisation services only after the direct configuration works.