In this article you will learn:
- What conditions you must meet before changing your domain
- How to change your WebSite domain
- Common problems
- Frequently Asked Questions
Conditions for renaming
Before renaming the WebSite service, make sure that:
- You have the new domain, if it is registered with WEDOS, in your customer account or you are an authorised user.
- A new domain or subdomain is not the name or alias of another VEDOS service. The exception is the name WebSite Free in combination with the Mailhosting service.
Change of domain
Note that changing the WebSite domain includes an automatic DNS change, which in the case of WebSite Profi and Premium also modifies the MX domain records for email routing. If you use your own email service provider, the domain will stop routing to them after the automatic DNS change!
WebSite can operate under any domain (domain.tld) or subdomain (sub.domain.tld). To change it, follow these steps:
- Log in to the customer administration ⧉.
- From the top menu, select Hosting Services WebSite.
- In the list of services, select the one you want to rename.
- In the Change Website Service Domain detail box, type a new service name. Next, check whether you want the change to be automatically entered into WEDOS DNS.
- Confirm the name with the Change Domain button.
After the change, wait 60-90 minutes for the DNS setup to complete and the Let's Encrypt HTTPS certificate to be issued.
Common problems
Common WebSite renaming errors include:
- Existing hosting service for the domain
- The domain is in another customer account
- The old website is displayed on the new domain
- Emails stopped coming to the new domain
Existing hosting service for the domain
Problem: Error: there is already a web hosting order for the same domain in the system.
Cause: with few exceptions, the system does not allow two or more services of the same name (domain). If you want to use a domain that you use for one service for another service, you must first remove it from the original service.
Solution: Also rename the original service or remove its alias. In case of problems, ask support via the ⧉ form to remove the service name or alias.
The domain is in another customer account
Problem: Error: domain is in another customer account.
Cause: for security reasons, the domain and the corresponding WebSite service must be on the same customer account during the renaming process, or the domain user must have permissions set.
Solution: Ask the customer who has the domain in the account to either set you up as an authorized user or move the domain to your account at least temporarily.
The old website is displayed on the new domain
Problem: After renaming a domain, the new address displays an error message or the old site.
Cause: after renaming, the system (usually) changes our DNS settings and activates the Let's Encrypt certificate. This can take up to 90 minutes.
If the domain does not use our DNS, the system cannot make the change and you must manually point the domain to WebSite with your DNS provider.
Browser cache may also be responsible for displaying the old site.
Solution: After renaming, wait 90 minutes. If the problem persists, check to see whose DNS your domain uses and if necessary, set up A and possibly MX records manually with your provider. Clear your browser cache ⧉.
Emails stopped coming to the new domain
Problem: After renaming WebSite, emails stopped going to the new domain.
Cause: Automatic DNS record modification overwrote MX records on our mailservers.
Solution: Correct the DNS MX records manually to the original provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I rename WebSite to if I don't want to use it anymore but it's blocking my service name?
We usually recommend to delete the subdomain, staryweb and so on, for example delete.domena.tld, where domain.tld is your domain name.