Domains - How to Connect an Existing Domain (Manual Setup)

A domain is a unique web address, like www.example.com, that helps people find your website or funnel online. It is essential for a professional online presence, making it easy for customers to find, remember, and trust your site.

Image showing domain preview

ClickFunnels allows you to connect custom domains to personalize your website and funnels, ensuring they reflect your brand and build customer trust.

This article will cover how to connect an existing domain to your ClickFunnels account using the manual setup process. If your domain registrar is not supported by our automated setup process or cannot be added automatically for any other reason, you should follow these steps.

WARNING

  • If you already have a website with your domain, connecting the root domain in ClickFunnels may cause it to stop working. Instead, try using a subdomain (like ‘funnels.example.com’) or connect another domain in ClickFunnels.

  • We currently do not support Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs). Special characters are letters that are not in the English alphabet. Some examples of special characters are æ, ø, å, ö, ä, ü and é.

  • Domain names with trademarked phrases cannot be added or used in ClickFunnels. Click here to view restricted phrase list.

IMPORTANT

  • ClickFunnels requires using ‘WWW’ in your domain, such as ‘www.example.com’. The automated setup process will configure your domain DNS to redirect ‘example.com’ to ‘www.example.com’.

  • To connect a subdomain, you don’t need ‘WWW’ — for example, ‘blog.example.com’.


Requirements

  • A ClickFunnels account

  • An existing domain


Adding a Domain

  1. Navigate to Workspace Settings in the left-side navigation.

  2. Select Domains.

  3. Click Connect existing domain.

  4. In the open prompt, enter your domain name with a subdomain such as ‘WWW’ and click Continue.

    Image showing domain preview

  5. Once the domain registrar information populates, click Add Domain.


Set Up a Domain

After adding a domain, it will show a status of setup in progress. To complete the integration, you need to connect your domain to your domain registrar or DNS provider. You can do this manually by copying the DNS records from ClickFunnels and pasting them into your DNS provider’s DNS editor. Follow the steps below to manually add the DNS records:

  1. Go to the “DNS” section and select Show DNS table.

    Image showing DNS Table option

  2. You will be provided with some DNS records that need to be added to your domain DNS editor.

    Image showing DNS records

  3. Within the DNS editor, create a TXT record. Insert @ in the Name field, and for Value field copy and paste the TXT record value from the ClickFunnels DNS table into the Value field. If you need to set a TTL, you can leave the default value that is already selected by the DNS provider.

    Important

    • SPF records must be fewer than 255 characters. If your record exceeds this limit, it may not propagate correctly, leading to verification issues or unwanted spaces. Use a tool like charactercounttool.com to check the length and split the record if necessary.

    • Most DNS providers only allow one SPF record per hostname. If you have to split your SPF record, add it in the same field as their original SPF record. If you’re unsure how to do this, contact your domain hosting provider for assistance.

    NOTE

    We are using GoDaddy as a domain DNS provider for this example.

    Image showing a TXT record

  4. Next, create a CNAME record. Enter WWW in the Name field, and paste the CNAME record value from ClickFunnels into the Value field.

    Image showing a CNAME record

  5. Similarly, add the remaining Email DNS records in the DNS. To verify the domain and send marketing emails from ClickFnnels, you must verify email DNS records. Verifying email DNS records will allow you to create custom email addresses associated with your domain such as info@yourdomain.com.

    Image showing email DNS records

    WARNING

    When copying and pasting records, please ensure there are no extra spaces included with the names and values.

  6. After adding these records, return to ClickFunnels and click Validate Ownership.

    Image showing validated ownership option

  7. In the domain’s “DNS” section, select Show DNS table and then click Check connection. This step ensures that ClickFunnels can establish a connection with the DNS provider. Upon successful connection, a green notification will confirm the success.

    Image showing check connection

  8. DNS records may take up to 48 hours to propagate and validate.

  9. Once the ownership of the domain is verified, the domain status will change to Securing. (SSL can take up to 48 hours to complete)

  10. Finally, the domain will now show as Connected to confirm a successful connection.

    A screenshot showing a domain successfully connected

    IMPORTANT

    On some occasions, the domain status will show as “Securing…”. Please allow up to 48 hours for the securing process to finish.
    A screenshot showing a domain still securing

  11. Congratulations! You have successfully connected an existing domain in ClickFunnels.


How to Connect the Domain to the Workspace Site

After successfully integrating your domain with your workspace, follow these steps to connect it to your site:

  1. From the left side navigation, select Site and click on the Overview menu.

    Navigation to site overview menu

  2. Click the Three Dot ⋮ Icon and then click Site Settings.

    Site settings

  3. In the Domain field, choose the domain you wish to use for your site.

    Navigation to site overview menu

  4. Click the Update site button to save your changes.

Important:

The domain connected to the Site app is used for Courses, Store, Blog, Customer Center, Landing Pages, and Community. These features must share the same domain connected to the site settings.


How to Connect a Domain to a Funnel

  1. Click on Funnels from the left navigation menu.

    Funnels Navigation

  2. Identify a funnel you wish to associate with your domain and click the Settings ⚙ icon to access the funnel’s settings.

    Image showing funnel settings icon

  3. In the Domain field, select the desired domain from the dropdown menu.

  4. Enter the desired path in the Funnel Path URL field, such as /webinar, /blog, or /about. To set this funnel as the domain’s default page, enter a single / character.

    Image showing funnel Path

    Learn more in the Domains - How To Set a Funnel as the Domain Default Page article.

  5. Alternatively, you can access these settings directly within your funnel. Open the funnel, click the Settings button in the top-right corner, and then follow steps 3 and 4.

    Funnel Path URL Root.png

  6. Click Update Funnel to save changes.

Congratulations! Your domain is now connected to the funnel. When the domain is accessed, the first page of your funnel will be displayed.


Frequently Asked Questions (Domain FAQs)


FAQ

I already have a website. Can I connect the same domain with ClickFunnels?

No, a domain or subdomain can only be used with one platform at a time. For example, if your domain is connected to Shopify, it cannot be used with ClickFunnels or vice versa.

Can I purchase a domain from ClickFunnels?

Yes, you can purchase a domain through ClickFunnels via IONOS. ClickFunnels has a partnership with IONOS that allows you to initiate the purchase process directly within ClickFunnels. Once the purchase is completed, ClickFunnels will automatically set up and secure the domain for you. To learn more about purchasing a domain in ClickFunnels, click here.

Do I have to purchase SSL?

No, ClickFunnels will generate and verify SSL during the domain setup process. You do not need to purchase SSL separately.

How many funnels can I connect with one Domain?

There is no limit to the number of funnels you can connect to a single domain.

Can I create custom emails associated with the domain in ClickFunnels?

Yes, during the domain setup process, ClickFunnels will prompt you to add email DNS records, allowing you to create custom emails within your workspace. Learn more here.

Can I assign different domains to individual courses in my ClickFunnels workspace?

No, all courses in your ClickFunnels workspace use the domain connected to the Site app. It is not possible to assign different domains to individual courses.