Custom Domain Configuration for Kantan CMS

Overview

By default, Kantan CMS hosts your website at a subdomain with the format <project_id>.kantan-cms.website. While this is convenient for testing and development, most production websites require a custom domain. Kantan CMS makes it easy to connect your own domain name to your hosted website.

With custom domain configuration, you can:

• Use your branded domain name (e.g., www.yourbusiness.com)
• Maintain a professional web presence
• Build brand recognition with a memorable domain
• Improve SEO performance

Prerequisites

Before setting up a custom domain with Kantan CMS, you need:

1. A registered domain name (purchased from a domain registrar like Namecheap, GoDaddy, Google Domains, etc.)
2. Access to your domain's DNS settings through your registrar
3. A published website on Kantan CMS hosting

Setting Up Your Custom Domain

Step 1: Configure Custom Domain in Kantan CMS

1. Log in to your Kantan CMS account
2. Navigate to your project
3. Go to Settings > Hosting
4. In the Custom Domain section, enter the domain you want to use
   • You can use a root domain (e.g., yourdomain.com) or a subdomain (e.g., www.yourdomain.com or blog.yourdomain.com)
5. Click "Save" to register your domain with Kantan CMS

After saving, Kantan CMS will generate the necessary DNS records you'll need to configure at your domain registrar:

• A CNAME record for directing your domain to Kantan CMS servers
• A TXT record for domain ownership verification

Step 2: Configure DNS Records at Your Domain Registrar

Log in to your domain registrar's website and access the DNS management section. You'll need to add two types of records:

1. CNAME Record

The CNAME record directs traffic from your domain to Kantan CMS hosting:

• Type: CNAME
• Host/Name: Your subdomain (e.g., www or blog) or @ for root domain
• Value/Target: The provided Kantan CMS hostname (displayed in your Kantan CMS settings)
• TTL: 3600 (or as recommended by your registrar)

Note for Root Domains: Some DNS providers don't support CNAME records for root domains (@). In this case, you may need to use your registrar's URL forwarding feature to redirect the root domain to www, or use their specific solution for root domain CNAME functionality (sometimes called ANAME, ALIAS, or CNAME flattening).

2. TXT Record for Verification

The TXT record verifies that you own the domain:

• Type: TXT
• Host/Name: The specific host name provided by Kantan CMS (usually includes your domain)
• Value/Content: The verification string provided by Kantan CMS
• TTL: 3600 (or as recommended by your registrar)

Step 3: Verify DNS Configuration

After configuring your DNS records:

1. Return to Kantan CMS Settings > Hosting
2. Click the "Refresh" button in the Custom Domain section
3. Kantan CMS will check if the DNS records are properly configured

Note: DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to propagate across the internet. If verification fails initially, wait a few hours and try again.

Step 4: SSL Certificate Provisioning

Once your domain is verified, Kantan CMS automatically provisions an SSL certificate for your domain to ensure secure HTTPS connections. This process typically takes a few minutes but can sometimes take up to an hour.

The status of your SSL certificate will be displayed in the Custom Domain section:

• Pending: Certificate is being provisioned
• Active: Certificate is active and your site is secure

Managing Multiple Domains

You can connect multiple domains or subdomains to a single Kantan CMS project:

1. Follow the same process for each domain or subdomain
2. Configure the appropriate DNS records for each
3. Verify each domain separately

This is useful for:

• Supporting multiple language versions (e.g., en.yourdomain.com, fr.yourdomain.com)
• Maintaining legacy domains while transitioning to a new one
• Creating specialized subdomains for different sections of your site

Troubleshooting

Domain Verification Issues

If domain verification fails:

1. Double-check DNS records:

   • Ensure the CNAME and TXT records match exactly what Kantan CMS provided
   • Verify you've added them to the correct domain
   • Check for typos or extra spaces

2. Allow for propagation time:

   • DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to fully propagate
   • Try the verification again after waiting

3. Check for DNS conflicts:

   • Ensure there are no conflicting records for the same hostname
   • Some services require specific DNS configurations that might conflict

SSL Certificate Issues

If your SSL certificate isn't provisioning correctly:

1. Verify that your domain is properly resolving to Kantan CMS servers
2. Check that there are no CAA records restricting certificate issuance
3. Ensure your domain is publicly accessible

Website Not Loading on Custom Domain

If your website doesn't load after successful verification:

1. Clear your browser cache or try in an incognito/private window
2. Check if the domain resolves correctly using online DNS lookup tools
3. Verify that your website is properly published on Kantan CMS hosting
4. Ensure there are no firewall or security settings blocking access

For persistent issues, contact Kantan CMS support with details about your domain configuration and the specific problems you're experiencing.