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7-chapter guide

Custom Domain

Show your portfolio on your own web address, like yourname.com, instead of only your kalhope.com address. It takes a few minutes of your time, then a wait while the internet catches up. Here is every step, and what to do if one does not work.

Chapter 1

What a custom domain is

A custom domain is a web address you own, such as yourname.com. Once it is connected, visitors who type it see your portfolio (the Classic or Spatial one you choose in Dashboard → Portfolio → Public Page). Your free username.kalhope.com subdomain keeps working too: it is on every plan and needs no setup, and you can copy it from Dashboard → Portfolio → Publish.

It is included in the Enterprise and Lifetime plans, not in Starter or Professional. You can connect one domain to your account. You need to own the domain already: KalHope does not sell domains, so buy one from a domain registrar first.

The whole job in four steps

Connect the domain, add two DNS records at your registrar, check and activate, then wait for the HTTPS certificate. The DNS records and the certificate are the slow parts and can take from a few minutes to a day.

Chapter 2

Connect your domain

  1. Sign in and open Dashboard → Settings → Custom domain.
  2. Type your domain, for example yourname.com. You can paste a full address such as https://yourname.com/ and KalHope keeps only the domain.
  3. Press Connect.

The page then shows your DNS records. If it says your plan does not include a custom domain, open Billing to see the plans.

Some names are not accepted

An address that ends in kalhope.com is already yours, so it cannot be used. A domain that another account has already connected is refused. Use only letters, numbers and hyphens, with no port number.

Chapter 3

Add the DNS records

DNS records are the settings that tell the internet where your domain lives. You add them where you bought the domain (your registrar or DNS provider), in its DNS settings. The page shows each record with its Type, Name / Host and Value, and a copy button beside each.

  • CNAME record: points your domain at KalHope.
  • TXT record: proves the domain is yours. Its value is made for your account and your domain only.
  • If the page also shows an A record, use it instead of the CNAME when your registrar does not allow a CNAME on a bare domain.

Two common snags

Many registrars want only the part before your domain. For the host _kalhope-verify.yourname.com, type _kalhope-verify. If the name field already ends with your domain, adding it twice (yourname.com.yourname.com) will not work.

Some registrars refuse a CNAME on a bare domain like yourname.com. Use their ALIAS or ANAME record instead, or connect a name such as www.yourname.com.

Chapter 4

Check and activate

  1. Wait a few minutes after saving the records, then press Check DNS.
  2. Each record shows Found or Not found yet. DNS changes spread slowly, so “not found yet” usually just means wait and check again.
  3. When the TXT record is found, Activate domain turns on. Press it. KalHope then adds your domain to its server.

Activate stays off until the TXT record is found, because that record is how KalHope knows the domain is yours.

Chapter 5

The HTTPS certificate

A certificate is what puts the padlock and https:// on your address. KalHope's hosting issues it for you automatically once your domain points to KalHope. You do not buy or install anything.

This can take up to a day. Press Check DNS again from time to time. When it works, the page says Live with HTTPS and shows a link to your domain.

A warning before the certificate is ready

Until the certificate is issued, a browser may warn that the connection is not private when it opens your domain. That is expected. Wait and try again later rather than sharing the link yet.

Chapter 6

Change or disconnect

To use a different domain, press Disconnect on the Custom domain page, then connect the new one and repeat the steps above. Disconnecting stops KalHope answering for the domain. Your kalhope.com address is not affected.

Your domain works while your plan includes a custom domain. If your plan ends and drops to Starter, the domain stops working until you renew. Deleting your account also removes it.

After disconnecting, you can delete the two DNS records at your registrar. They are harmless, but there is no reason to keep them.

Chapter 7

If something is wrong

  • “Not found yet” for a long time. Check the Name / Host and Value letter by letter, and that the record type is right. Remove any doubled domain name from the host. Changes at some registrars take a few hours.
  • “We could not find the TXT record yet” when you press Activate. Add the TXT record, wait, press Check DNS, and try again.
  • “That domain is already connected to another account.” Each domain can belong to one account, and saving a domain does not prove it is yours. If it is yours, add the TXT record the page shows under the message, wait a few minutes, and press Connect again. Once KalHope finds that record, the domain moves to your account.
  • “Custom domains are fully booked right now.” KalHope has a limit on how many domains it can serve at once. Contact support to join the waiting list.
  • A security warning on your domain. The certificate is not ready yet. Wait up to a day.
  • “Your plan does not include a custom domain.” Upgrade in Billing.

Still stuck? Contact support and tell us the domain and the message you see. Never send us your registrar password.

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