Using a custom domain with Ghost(Pro) not only makes your site memorable, but also establishes your publication as a professional brand.

You can connect any domain or subdomain you've purchased from Google Domains to your Ghost(Pro) publication by adding a CNAME record to your domain's DNS settings. SSL certificates are automatically provisioned  (and renewed each year) for you.

If you own a domain through Google Domains, the following steps explain how you can map your custom domain to your Ghost(Pro) publication.

Access Domain DNS Settings

The first step in setting up your custom domain is to sign into your Google Domains account and head over to your domain's DNS settings.

Configure your DNS for the domain you'd like to map to your Ghost(Pro) publication:

Configure DNS

Under name servers, ensure Google Domains name servers are selected.

Create a CNAME record

The next step is to create a CNAME record in your domain's DNS settings.

Google does not support root domain configurations and using an A record to achieve a root domain is also not supported.

In the "Custom resource records" section of your DNS settings, type www in the Name field:

Add Subdomain

In the "Type" field, select CNAME from the list of options:

Google Recored Type

In the "Data" field, enter your Ghost domain, e.g. subdomain.ghost.io and then add your new CNAME record.

Domain Activation

The final step to complete your custom domain setup is to go back to Ghost.org and activate your custom domain.

  • Log into your Ghost.org account at my.ghost.org/signin and setup a custom domain in the "Domain Settings" section.

  • Enter the domain into the custom domain field on my.ghost.org, making sure to include www when entering the domain. For example, www.yourdomain.com:

Activate Custom Domain

  • Activate your custom domain - this can take anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours due to the length of time your DNS takes to propagate.

  • Once activated, you can view your publication by going to the custom domain directly from the browser.

Summary

Nice work! 🎊 You've successfully configured your domain on Google Domains to map to your Ghost(Pro) site. Now your readers will have an easy-to-remember way to access your publication.

If you're having trouble getting your custom domain to activate, drop [email protected] a message for help.