Connect your own domain

Want your site at yourbusiness.co.uk instead of your ownsite.co.uk address? Here's how — it only takes a few minutes.

1 Buy a domain (if you haven't already)

If you don't have a domain yet, grab one from a registrar. We recommend:

names.co.uk — UK-based, simple, typically £5–10/year
Namecheap — great value, easy to use, from £4/year

Pick something short and memorable — ideally your business name. A .co.uk or .com is usually best.

2 Update your DNS settings

Log into whatever site you bought the domain from and find the DNS settings (sometimes called "DNS records" or "Advanced DNS"). You need to add or change two A records:

TypeName / HostValue / Points to
A@217.154.62.42
Awww217.154.62.42
Our server IP address
217.154.62.42

If there are existing A records for @ or www, change them to our IP address. If there aren't any, add new ones.

Namecheap

  1. Log in → Domain List → click "Manage" next to your domain
  2. Click the "Advanced DNS" tab
  3. Under "Host Records", add or edit two A records:
    Host: @ → Value: 217.154.62.42
    Host: www → Value: 217.154.62.42
  4. Delete any other A or CNAME records for @ or www (parking pages etc.)
  5. Save all changes

names.co.uk

  1. Log in → My Account → click your domain name
  2. Scroll down to "Advanced DNS" or "DNS Records"
  3. Add two A records:
    Hostname: @ → IP: 217.154.62.42
    Hostname: www → IP: 217.154.62.42
  4. Remove any existing A records or parking redirects
  5. Save

GoDaddy

  1. Log in → My Products → DNS next to your domain
  2. Under "Records", edit or add A records:
    Name: @ → Value: 217.154.62.42
    Name: www → Value: 217.154.62.42
  3. Save

Tip: Set the TTL (time to live) to the lowest option available — usually 1 minute or 5 minutes. This makes changes take effect faster.

3 Let us know

Once you've updated your DNS, just reply to any email from us (or email lee@leejamesapps.co.uk) and tell us the domain name. We'll connect it to your site and set up the security certificate — usually within a few hours.

Your free yourname.ownsite.co.uk address keeps working too — so you're never without a web address while we sort it out.

4 Wait for it to propagate

DNS changes usually take effect within a few minutes, but can occasionally take up to 48 hours. During this time your domain might not work yet — that's normal. Your ownsite.co.uk address still works in the meantime.

Common questions

Do I need to buy hosting?
No — hosting is included with your ownsite.co.uk plan. The domain is just the address; we handle everything else.

Can I keep my email the same?
Yes. DNS changes for A records don't affect your email. If you have email set up on the domain (e.g. via Google Workspace or Zoho), it will keep working as normal.

What if I mess it up?
Don't worry — you can't break anything permanently. If something goes wrong, just email us and we'll talk you through it. Your ownsite.co.uk address always works as a fallback.

Does it cost extra?
Connecting your custom domain is free. You only pay for the domain itself (from the registrar).

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