How to Connect Your Booking Website to Your Own Domain

Already have a domain you would like to use? Great news, you can now connect it to your new Booking website! This guide will walk you through the process step-by-step, making it easy to get your own domain up and running with your Direct Booking website.

Before You Get Started

Before you begin, please note the following important points:

• Make sure you have access to your domain provider's settings (e.g. AWS, Vercel, GoDaddy, or similar)
• If you already have a website live on that domain, it will be replaced by your Direct Booking website once this process is complete
• The DNS verification process typically takes around 5 minutes
• You will need to add three DNS records in total: CNAME, CAA, and ALIAS

Step 1: Initiate the Domain Connection in Holidu

To begin connecting your domain to your Booking website, follow these steps:

1. Click on "Enable website" if it is not enabled yet
2. Click on "Connect my domain"
3. Enter your existing domain name
4. A DNS tab will appear with specific DNS values generated by Holidu

In this step, Holidu will generate specific DNS values that you will need to copy and add to your domain provider's settings. Keep this information handy for the next steps.

Step 2: Create a CNAME DNS Record

Now you'll need to log in to your domain provider and create your first DNS record. Here's how to set it up:

1. Log in with your domain provider
2. Look for an option to create a new record or DNS record
3. For the "Type" field, select CNAME
4. From the Holidu application, copy the "NAME" value from the CNAME line and paste it into the name field of the record
5. Copy the "VALUE" from the same CNAME line in Holidu and paste it into the value field of the record
6. The fields "TTL" and "Routing policy" can usually keep their prefilled values
7. Create the record

Important: If there are already records saved for the domain you want to use, please delete those first. This will disconnect your existing website from the domain, which is necessary so you can connect the domain to your new Direct Booking Website.

Step 3: Add a CAA DNS Record

Next, you'll create a second DNS record for Certificate Authority Authorization (CAA). This record helps secure your domain:

1. Create another record in your domain settings
2. For the "Type" field, select CAA
3. From the Holidu application, copy the "NAME" value from the CAA line and paste it into the name field of the record
4. Copy the value from the Holidu application and paste it into the value field
5. Note: Some providers may require a special format for the value field, such as 0 issue "http://awstrust.com". In this case, add the value from Holidu in quotation marks
6. The fields "TTL" and "Routing policy" can usually keep their prefilled values
7. Create the record

Step 4: Verify Your DNS Records

With the CNAME and CAA records you've added in place, Holidu will automatically check the DNS settings. This verification process usually takes around 5 minutes.

Simply head back to your Holidu application and wait. You should see the verification status update. If everything looks good, your domain will be verified, and you will be guided to the final step of the setup.

Step 5: Add an ALIAS DNS Record

After Holidu verifies your domain, there is just one more DNS record to add. Follow these steps:

1. In the Holidu application, look for the ALIAS DNS record values that will be provided after verification
2. Create a new record in your domain provider settings
3. Change the Type to ALIAS
4. Copy the Value provided by Holidu for the ALIAS record
5. Paste it into the Value field in your domain provider's settings

Before moving on, make sure your domain provider settings now include the following three records:

• ALIAS
• CAA
• CNAME

All three records are needed for your Direct Booking website to connect properly to your domain.

Step 6: Final Verification and Go Live

You're almost done! Now it's time for the final verification:

1. Head back to the Holidu admin UI
2. Wait until the domain is fully verified
3. Holidu will automatically check everything you have set up
4. This final verification may take a couple of minutes

Once the verification is complete, congratulations! You can now access your Direct Booking Website via your own domain. Your guests can visit your website using your custom domain name, and all bookings will flow directly to you.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you encounter any issues during the connection process, here are some helpful tips:

• Verification is taking longer than 5 minutes: DNS changes can sometimes take up to 24 hours to fully propagate across the internet. Try refreshing the page in Holidu after waiting a bit longer
• Records not recognized: Double-check that you copied the exact values from Holidu and entered them correctly in your domain provider settings
• Need help finding DNS settings: Most domain providers have documentation available. Search "[Your domain provider] how to add DNS records" in your preferred search engine
• Old website still showing: Make sure you deleted any existing DNS records for that domain before adding the new ones

Need Further Assistance?

If you run into any issues or have questions about connecting your domain, our customer support team is here to help. Reach out to us through the help center, and we'll guide you through any additional steps you may need.