Domains

Learn how domains and DNS work, and what options you have for setting up and managing custom domains on Supertape.

Every site on the internet needs a domain, and all Supertape sites come with a default yourband.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.

Custom domains like www.yourband.com or www.yourband.band are an awesome way to make your site feel branded and official, make your URL more memorable, and also get a nice boost to your site's SEO. Once you add a custom domain, your default yourband.supertape.site domain will redirect to it.

Purchasing a new domain

Custom domains can be purchased and setup automatically for you inside of Supertape, thanks to our domain partner Ionos.

  1. Visit the Settings > Domains section of the app and select the plus button.
  2. Select Purchase new domain and follow the steps in the pop-up window. If you don't see this page, check that your browser's pop-up blocker didn't prevent it from opening.
  3. Once finished, you can make it your primary domain, or leave it as a redirect.
Good to know! If you ever have any issues or questions regarding your purchased domain, you can contact Ionos customer support 24/7.

Connecting an existing domain

If you've purchased a custom domain through a 3rd-party domain provider (GoDaddy, Squarespace, Hover, Namecheap, etc.), you can use it with Supertape.

  1. Visit the Settings > Domains section of the app and select the plus button.
  2. Select Connect existing domain and follow the steps in the pop-up window. If you don't see this page, check that your browser's pop-up blocker didn't prevent it from opening.
  3. Once finished, you can make it your primary domain, or leave it as a redirect.
Good to know! If you need to connect your domain manually, your domain provider will have instructions on their help site, just search for "Add a CNAME record". From there, add a CNAME record pointing www to cname.supertape.site. If all else fails, your provider's customer support team can always help.

Redirecting your root domain

As a standard best practice, Supertape connects to the www version of your domain. However, it's a good idea to redirect your root domain (the version with no www, sometimes called the apex or naked domain) to the www version, so fans visiting either one will find your site. Here are a couple ways:

  • Setup forwarding with your domain provider - Nearly all domain providers have a way to forward your root domain to the www domain. We're typically able to automate this when you setup your domain with Supertape, but not always. Search your providers help docs for "forward domain to www" or contact their customer support team if you need a hand.
  • Add an ALIAS, ANAME, or Flattened CNAME record on your domain provider - Not all providers support these types of records, but they tend to be more reliable than typical root forwarding, so it might be worth using a provider that does (Name.com, Namecheap, DNSimple, etc.). From there, add an ALIAS, ANAME, or Flattened CNAME record (they're different names for the same thing), and point it to cname.supertape.site. Contact us if you go this route so we can make sure it's working properly with your site.
Pro tip! When posting a link to your Supertape site on social media, forums, or anywhere else, always use the www version of your URL. This avoids needless redirects for your users, leading to faster load times, and it can help with SEO as well.

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.

  1. Visit the Settings > Domains section of the app and select your domain.
  2. Select the three dots in the top right and then Refresh.
  3. The latest info and instructions will be displayed.

Changing primary domains

You can add as many custom domains to your site as you'd like, but you can only have one primary domain. Your primary domain is the one that will show in the browser when visiting your site, and all other domains will redirect to your primary.

  1. Visit the Settings > Domains section of the app and select the active domain you'd like to make primary.
  2. Select the three dots in the top right and then Make primary.
  3. Your domain is now your primary, and all others will now redirect to it.
Good to know! When you add your first domain, it will automatically become your primary. Inactive domains that still require setup can't be your primary domain.

Deleting a domain

If you have multiple domains, you can delete any of them except for your primary domain.

  1. Visit the Settings > Domains section of the app and select the domain you'd like to delete.
  2. Select the three dots in the top right and then Delete.
  3. Your domain is now deleted and will no longer redirect to your primary.
Good to know! Your primary domain can only be deleted if it's your last domain.