Every site on the internet needs a domain, and all Supertape sites come with a default supertape.site domain to begin accessing it right away. You're welcome to use your default domain for as long as you'd like, but we recommend taking your brand up a notch by setting up a custom domain.
Default domains
Your site's default supertape.site domain was automatically generated when you signed up, based on your artist name. This domain can be redirected or deleted at any time.
Custom domains
Custom domains are an awesome way to make your site feel branded and official. These are domains you've purchased through a separate domain provider (ex: GoDaddy, Hover, Namecheap, etc.) and then point to your Supertape site from there. So if you don't already own a custom domain, you'll need to buy one first (we like Hover).
We support two kinds of custom domains:
- Apex domains like mybandname.com
- Subdomains like www.mybandname.com or site.mybandname.com
Our recommended setup for your site is this:
- Primary - www.mybandname.com (custom subdomain)
- Redirect - mybandname.com (custom apex domain)
- Redirect - mybandname.supertape.site (optional default domain)
Primary vs redirect domains
You can add as many custom domains to your site as you want, and up to 3 default domains, but you can only have one primary domain. Your primary domain is the one that will show in the browser when visiting your site. All other domains will redirect to your primary.
Adding a domain
- Visit the Settings > Domains section of the app and select the plus button.
- Enter the custom or default domain name you'd like to add and hit Next.
- For custom domains, follow the instructions to add the required DNS record on your domain provider.
- If needed, refresh your domain until it becomes active or provides further instructions.
- Once your domain's status is Active, you can make it your primary, or leave it as a redirect.
Adding DNS records on your domain provider
When it comes to managing custom domains, each domain provider has their own way of adding DNS records, and sometimes their own terminology, but the general idea is the same. If you're following our instructions for adding a custom domain, here's how we recommend tackling it with your domain provider:
- Find the Type of record our instructions tell you to add (ex: A, CNAME, TXT) and then do a Google/Bing/ChatGPT search for adding that type of record on your domain provider. For example, if you bought your domain on GoDaddy, and our instructions say to add an A record, search for "Add an A record on GoDaddy" and you'll find something like this article.
- If your domain is already in use with an old site, you may need to edit an existing record, or delete an existing record, if the Type, Name, and Value that we gave in our instructions are already in use on your domain provider. Again, a search like "Editing an A record on GoDaddy" should help if you can't figure it out on your own.
- Once you've added the record with your domain provider, hop back to Supertape, refresh your domain, and follow any further instructions. If you get stuck at all, reach out to your domain provider's support team, tell them the type of record you're trying to add, and they'll get you straightened out.
Refreshing a domain
Refreshing your domain will check its configuration on your domain provider and provide any errors or instructions needed to fix things up.
- Visit the Settings > Domains section of the app and select your domain.
- Select the three dots in the top right and then Refresh.
- The latest info and instructions will be displayed.
Changing primary domains
If you have multiple active domains, you can change which one shows in the browser for your site at any time. Inactive domains that still require setup can't be your primary domain.
- Visit the Settings > Domains section of the app and select the active domain you'd like to make primary.
- Select the three dots in the top right and then Make primary.
- Your domain is now your primary, and all others will now redirect to it.
Deleting a domain
If you have multiple domains, you can delete any of them except for your primary domain. If you're trying to delete your primary, you'll first need to change primary domains and then delete it.
- Visit the Settings > Domains section of the app and select the domain you'd like to delete.
- Select the three dots in the top right and then Delete.
- Your domain is now deleted and will no longer redirect to your primary.