How To Setup/Host Custom Domain On Blogger

This is a guest post by Chris.

Blogger has already introduced custom domain name. If you purchase a domain name through Blogger, there’s no issue in setting it up because Blogger automatically configures CNAME. However if you purchased the domain name separately, you have to manually configure it. This post I’m going to show you how to host your own domain name on Blogger.

Mainly you have to follow 4 major steps, they are:

1. Adding custom domain on Blogger
2. Getting your domain ownership verification token
3. Change DNS (Domain Name System) settings
4. Verifying Domain name ownership on Blogger

If you don’t have a Blogger account first you have to create it, if you have a Google account you already have a Blogger account, so just log-in to Blogger.

Step 1: Adding custom domain on Blogger

1. Go to http://www.blogger.com/.
2. Now if you already have a blog, select which blog should use the new custom domain name.
3. Go to your selected blog's “Settings > Basic”.
4. Under the “Publishing”, click “Add custom domain”.
5. Now in the “Advanced settings” type your new domain name URL.
6. Click “Save” button. Then Blogger should display this error:

   “We have not been able to verify your authority to this domain. Error 12. Please follow the settings instructions.”

7. Click “settings instructions”. If you click this link before that error (above), you can’t configure CNAME correctly.

Step 2: Getting your domain ownership verification token

1. Now you will be redirected to the “How do I use a custom domain name for my blog?” page.
2. On this page, tick the “On a top-level domain (www.example.com).” option.
3. Once you’ve chosen an option, setup instructions appear. At the beginning of the instructions you should see something similar to the screenshot below. Pay attention to the two codes highlighted in the screenshot. Those are your domain ownership token. In my example the codes are “J6VKJNRFUXD3" and “gv-JWLTPCFOOA27RPMP3PPRPPW4KZUGVEMMZK365WBH4UHOPYEFUBMA.domainverify.googlehosted.com.”. Your token will be different. 

Step 3: Change DNS settings

1. Go to your domain name registrar’s “DNS console” panel and log-in.
2. Navigate to the “Host Records” click edit.
3. Add a CNAME (Canonical Name) record.
   • For Host Name/Name/Label or Host” field, enter “www” without quotes and
   • For Address/Destination/Target or Points To field, enter “ghs.google.com” without the quotes.
4. Now add another CNAME record. This is for domain ownership verification. 
   • In the Host Name field, paste the first code you get in step 2.3, ex: "J6VKJNRFUXD3".
   • In the Destination field, paste the second code, ex: “gv-JWLTPCFOOA27RPMP3PPRPPW4KZUGVEMMZK365WBH4UHOPYEFUBMA.domainverify.googlehosted.com.”.
   (Use your own codes generated in step 2.3, don’t use the two codes above).
5. Now we should add A (Address) records. If you already have A records, modify them. If not, click “Add” button.
6. You have to add 4 separate A records, pointing to the following Google IP addresses:
   • 216.239.32.21
   • 216.239.34.21
   • 216.239.36.21
   • 216.239.38.21
7. Enter each IP into an “Address” field. In the corresponding “Host Name” field, enter your domain’s naked URL (without “www”, e.g example.com).
8. Finally click “Save” button and wait for a few minutes to update all your domain settings.

Step 4: Update your Blogger settings

1. Now go back to “Settings > Basic > Publishing” on Blogger and again enter your custom domain name with “www”.
2. Tick “redirect” option.
3. Finally click “Save” button. If it again displays “Unable to verify authority…” error, wait for a few hours to update your DNS settings and again add your domain name. This time no need to follow Host Records modifications, just add domain name to Blogger publishing section.
4. That’s it, now your blog has a custom domain name.

About the author
Chris, who is a part time blogger and owner and editor of the “android gadgematic” blog. I like to write android rooting guides, free apps and various droid guides.