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Greg LovelidgeGreg Lovelidge 

Custom domain/CNAME record issue

I've been working with network solutions on how to point a custom domain to a force.com site.  From what I understand, a cname record will only point the www version of the domain to the force.com site.  The non www version will go nowhere.  According to Network Solutions.

 

Does anyone out there have experience with this and know a way around it?  Is that true?  Certainly there are companies whose domains are registered with Network Solutions and are effectively using sites.  I really appreciate any guidance.  Thanks! 

Best Answer chosen by Admin (Salesforce Developers) 
WesNolte__cWesNolte__c

Hey

 

Your domain registrar should offer "Domain Forwarding" and this is the simplest option. You'll know you're looking at the correct feature if they talk about forwarding with/without masking.

 

Wes

All Answers

Ryan-GuestRyan-Guest

What you want is a 301 redirect from domain.com to www.domain.com.

 

I've never setup a 301 redirect on Network Solutions. I remember in the past (about four years ago) they did not support 301 redirects without purchasing an additional package. From searching around on their website I found this link which gives an overview of a redirect: http://marketing.networksolutions.com/301-redirect.php and this link to a forum post which has instructions to set one up http://forums.networksolutions.com/search-engine-optimization-f22-how-to-do-a-301-redirect-t4937.html If the forum post doesn't work I would ask there. 

 

If you want to see what it will look like once you've done this, have a look at my domain: http://www.awfulcode.com and http://awfulcode.com

 

 

Greg LovelidgeGreg Lovelidge

Thanks for your help, but I don't think I can create 301 redirects.  Those are accomplished with .htaccess which I believe I'd have to have a linux hosting package to do.

 

I created a cname record and it does in fact only point the www version of the custom domain.  The non www version did not work.

 

Could I point an a record to the force.com sites ip address?  Is that at all possible?

 

I went through the force.com sites gallery one by one and typed in the non www version of the site.  Every single one was forwarded to the www version.  How are all the sites doing this?  Why is it so hard to find this information?

bblaybblay

I had this same problem too. I don't believe it is at all possible to point to the force.com sites IP address because I think I read that it might change every now and then so it's not made available. 

 

To work around the problem you're having I created mydomain.com page (hosted on GoDaddy) as an HTML page that's exactly the same as my www.mydomain.com which I have linked with Salesforce sites and any link on the mydomain.com page I have direct to http://www.mydomain.com/whateverPage

 

So it is sort of a pain if you have a home page that changes frequently since you have to update it in two spots, but for me it works since my homepage is pretty static and unchanging. Most users to my site are only going to go to the homepage to navigate now mydomain.com/whateverPage but I could set up HTML pages for all of them if I needed I guess, but again a pain if your content changes so it depends on what your site is I guess.

WesNolte__cWesNolte__c

Hey

 

Your domain registrar should offer "Domain Forwarding" and this is the simplest option. You'll know you're looking at the correct feature if they talk about forwarding with/without masking.

 

Wes

This was selected as the best answer
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