A naked domain is a root domain that does not contain a subdomain and is also known as apex/base/bare/zone domain. In the DNS provider settings, naked domains are sometimes symbolized by an @ symbol.
For example, yourschool.com is a naked domain because it doesn't have any subdomain parts, whereas www.yourschool.com is not a naked domain because it contains the subdomain part www. In other words, the naked domain is the domain you originally purchased without the "www" or any other subdomains.
Your naked domain can be connected in two ways: with A records (to have an SSL certificate issued by LearnWorlds) or a forwarding feature from your naked domain to your subdomain (with this option the naked domain will not have an SSL certificate). We recommend using the A records option to have the SSL certificate.
A Record
1. Login to your domain provider and navigate to the DNS Settings.
2. Make sure to remove any forwarding feature you may have (if).
3. Add 3 new A records with the following values/IP addresses:
- 104.22.60.249
- 104.22.61.249
- 172.67.36.150
4. The final result needs to be three total A records with the mentioned values/IP addresses.
Notes:
- If a parked A record already exists, you can proceed in deleting it.
- Cloudflare has a different procedure and a CNAME record needs to be created instead. You can find more information here.
- Some DNS providers, such as Google Cloud Platform, allow multiple values/IP addresses per record. In this case, you should add one A record including all three IP addresses:
Check if the A records are correct
1. Go to Google Admin Toolbox.
2. Insert your naked domain free of https:// or / at the end (e.g. learnworlds.com or mylearnworlds.com).
3. If the A records are properly created, the school's IP will appear in Target.
If you face difficulties in adding the A record, you can contact us to further assist you.
Request the Domain's change in your School Settings
If the A records have been successfully created:
1. Navigate to Site Builder → Site Settings → Domain.
2. Type the subdomain you created.
3. Click on Change Domain.
4. A pop-up message will appear confirming that your domain will be ready within the next 5 minutes.
Forwarding feature
If you do not wish to add an A record, you can proceed with the forwarding feature:
1. Log in to your domain provider and navigate to the DNS Settings/DNS Management.
2. Click on Add in the Forwarding.
3. Type your LearnWorld domain (including www) at the forward to. Make sure to keep the https:// protocol.
4. Save the changes.
5. Request the domain change in your LearnWorlds school.
If you want to use your naked domain with an SSL certificate, you will need to add an A Record. This would help to avoid warnings for an insecure site when a user tries to load it because of the browser's security settings. This happens because the SSL certificate is issued for domains initially connected to your school. If your naked domain is not connected with an A record, a warning may appear before the forwarding.
Notes:
- The aforementioned steps are based on GoDaddy. The procedure in other providers may vary, however, these are the basic steps you need to take.
- If your A record currently points to another live website, modifying it will affect your live existing site and it will not be reachable anymore.
- You can have up to two secondary domains available.
- You can change the primary domain to a different custom domain, as long as the records remain correct.
- You cannot delete the default LearnWorlds URL.
- If you want to use your naked domain along with a subdomain, click here to check the steps.
- If you use CloudFlare as your domain hosting provider, click here.