DNS & Email Setup
How to add the DNS records we need at your domain registrar. With copy-paste examples and per-registrar tips.
What this guide covers
After you sign up, we may ask you to add a few small entries at your domain registrar. These entries are called DNS records. They tell the internet where your website lives and where your email goes. This page walks you through it in plain English, with examples you can copy.
On a buzfind.com address? If your site lives on a .buzfind.com subdomain, you do nothing. We set up those records on our side. If we host your site on your own domain (like a Site Builder site), you still need to add the site records below at your registrar.
Which records you need depends on what you bought. The table below shows the three options:
| What you bought | What you need to do |
|---|---|
Site on a buzfind.com subdomain (like yourname.buzfind.com) | Nothing. We handle it on our side. |
Site on your own domain (like yourname.com) | Add 1 to 2 records (see Site records). |
Email on your own domain (like an address ending in yourname.com) | Add 4 to 6 records (see Email records). |
If this looks scary, do not worry. Call a real person on our team at call us and we will walk you through it.
What is a registrar?
A registrar is the company you bought your domain name from. Common ones are GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, Google Domains (now Squarespace), and Porkbun. You log into your registrar to manage your domain. That is where you add the DNS records below.
Site records (your own domain, hosted with us)
If your website lives at your own domain (like yourname.com) and we are hosting it for you, add these two records. Your values are unique to your account. You can copy them from your website build's order page or from your dashboard's DNS records page. The example below shows what they look like.
Cloudflare-style table (the columns you fill in)
| Type | Name | Content (Target) | Proxy | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
CNAME | @ (or your bare domain) | <your-tunnel>.cfargotunnel.com | DNS only (grey cloud) | Auto |
CNAME | www | <your-tunnel>.cfargotunnel.com | DNS only (grey cloud) | Auto |
Important: the orange-cloud (Proxy on) setting in Cloudflare will break things for us. Keep it grey (DNS only). The actual <your-tunnel> value comes from us; your dashboard shows your exact one with a copy button.
Some registrars do not allow a CNAME on the bare domain (GoDaddy, Squarespace Domains). If yours doesn't, the easiest fix is to point your domain's nameservers to Cloudflare (Cloudflare's basic plan is free). Cloudflare then handles the bare domain for you, and we can walk you through it.
Email records (your own domain)
If you want email at your own domain (an address ending in yourname.com), add these records. They are the same whether you host your website with us or not, because email is set up separately. Your dashboard's DNS records page shows the exact values, including a long DKIM key that is unique to your domain.
Cloudflare-style table (the columns you fill in)
The example values below are for Mailgun (US region), the provider we use for sending and receiving mail. Your dashboard's DNS records page shows your exact values with copy buttons.
| Type | Name | Content / Target | Priority | Proxy | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MX | @ | mxa.mailgun.org | 10 | n/a | Auto |
MX | @ | mxb.mailgun.org | 10 | n/a | Auto |
TXT (SPF) | @ | v=spf1 include:mailgun.org ~all | - | DNS only | Auto |
TXT (DKIM) | krs._domainkey | Long string we send you (starts with k=rsa; p=...) | - | DNS only | Auto |
TXT (DMARC) | _dmarc | v=DMARC1; p=quarantine | - | DNS only | Auto |
CNAME | email | mailgun.org | - | DNS only (grey cloud) | Auto |
Cloudflare reminder: set every Proxy column to DNS only (grey cloud). Orange-cloud (Proxied) intercepts MX/TXT records and breaks mail delivery.
Optional: if you want a webmail page on your own brand (like mail.yourname.com), add one more CNAME record. The value is on your DNS records page. Your webmail page works once DNS spreads.
| Type | Name | Content / Target | Proxy | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
CNAME | mail | <your-tunnel>.cfargotunnel.com | Proxied (orange cloud) if your DNS is at Cloudflare | Auto |
How to add a record (step by step)
Most registrars use the same three-step pattern:
- Log into your registrar (the place you bought your domain).
- Find the DNS settings for your domain. It might be called "DNS", "Manage DNS", "Advanced DNS", or "Nameservers and DNS".
- Click Add Record. Pick the type (CNAME, MX, TXT, A) from a dropdown. Paste in the name and value from your DNS records page. Save.
Repeat for each row. After you save the last one, wait 15 to 60 minutes for the records to spread across the internet. Then we will turn on your service.
Per-registrar tips
Cloudflare
The easiest place to do this. Log into dashboard.cloudflare.com. Pick your domain, then click DNS on the left. Click Add record for each row.
One thing to watch: Cloudflare has an orange cloud icon next to each record. For our records, set this to grey cloud (DNS only), not orange. Orange routes traffic through their network on top of ours, which can break things.
Namecheap
Log into namecheap.com. Click Domain List, then Manage next to your domain, then the Advanced DNS tab.
For the record on your bare domain, pick ALIAS Record from the type dropdown. For MX records, scroll up to Mail Settings and choose Custom MX from that dropdown first.
GoDaddy
Log into godaddy.com. Click your name in the top right, then My Products. Find your domain, click DNS.
GoDaddy does not support a CNAME on the bare domain. See the note above about pointing your nameservers to Cloudflare, or call us and we will help.
Porkbun
Log into porkbun.com. Click Account, then Domain Management. Find your domain, click the Details link, then DNS Records.
Porkbun supports ALIAS records on the bare domain, and its menus are easy to follow.
Google Domains / Squarespace Domains
Google Domains was sold to Squarespace. Log into domains.squarespace.com. Pick your domain, click DNS.
It does not support a CNAME on the bare domain either. See the note above about pointing your nameservers to Cloudflare.
Any other registrar
Search for "your registrar name add CNAME record" or "add MX record". Most registrars have a help article with screenshots. The values you paste in are the same.
How long does it take to work?
Once you save the records, expect 15 to 60 minutes for the internet to catch up. In rare cases it can take up to 24 hours. We will tell you when we see your records, then we turn on your service.
If something does not work
Three common issues:
- The DKIM key got cut off. The DKIM record is a long string. Some registrars wrap it onto multiple lines and break it. Re-paste it as one unbroken line.
- The site shows a Cloudflare error. Wait a bit. DNS can take time to spread. Try a different browser or your phone (cellular, not WiFi) to bypass any cached lookups.
- You added the records but nothing happens. Send us a message through our support page with your domain name and we will check our side. Often it is a setting on our end that we still need to turn on.
What to do next
- If you have your records, log into your registrar and add them.
- Don't see any records yet? Site records show up after you order a website on your own domain. For email, add your domain on the DNS records page.
- Already a customer? Your records are also visible in your dashboard under DNS records, with copy buttons next to each value.
- New here? Read What is BuzFind for the big-picture intro, or jump straight to pricing.
- Stuck at any step? Call a real person on our team at call us or visit our support page.