When adding your custom domain in Thinkific, a subdomain like www is required. This article will cover how to access your site without the subdomain or by your naked domain.
What is a Subdomain?
A subdomain precedes your main domain name. For example in www.mysite.com, www is the subdomain. www, learn, or courses are popular subdomain choices and are required when setting up your custom domain for Thinkific.
How Do I Access My Site Without a Subdomain (ie. WWW)?
With a simple set up in your domain host, you can access your site without www or your chosen subdomain. For example, you can access your site at yoursite.com as well as www.yoursite.com. To do this:
- You need to first follow these steps to create a CNAME record using www.
- Then on your domain host, create a forwarding/redirecting rule from mysite.com to www.mysite.com. You can create a 301 redirect in your domain host that points mysite.com to www.mysite.com. This way, when a student just types mysite.com, they are automatically taken to www.mysite.com.
All domain hosts will be slightly different and if you have any questions about setting up a 301 redirect in your specific host, we recommend reaching out to your domain host directly for instructions!
Can I use an IP Address?
We are unable to provide an IP address. Since we use cloud-based servers, our IP addresses may change periodically, so this is why a 301 redirect is required rather than an A record, MX record, etc.
What if 301 redirects are not an option with my domain host?
In rare cases, we do see domain hosts that don't offer the option for 301 redirects. As we are unable to provide an IP address for an A or MX record, due to the nature of our cloud-based servers, we suggest reaching out to your domain host for their recommended next steps. These next steps may include transferring your domain to a domain host that supports 301 redirects.
More About Custom Domains
Custom Domain Frequently Asked Questions
I Can't Access My Thinkific Site after Adding My Custom Domain