Upgraded to New Blogger with Custom Domain

February 9, 2007 by TFB

This blog, The Finance Buff, is hosted by Google's Blogger service. It used to have the address http://financebuff.blogspot.com. Since Blogger came out of Beta, it offered a feature that allows me to map a custom domain name while keeping the blog hosted by Blogger for free. I really like it because it gives me the best of all worlds: I get my own domain name, all links to the old address still work, and I don't have to pay for hosting.

Fixing the template after upgrading to the "New Blogger" took some work, but it was manageable. One key benefit is the addition of labels, or categories, which group related posts together. Having a separate RSS feed for comments is also nice. I can keep up with the comments now without having those e-mailed to me all the time.

For custom domain, I registered domain name thefinancebuff.com at 1&1 for $5.99. The price is right at 1&1, cheaper than GoDaddy, and it also includes private registration. I then followed the instructions from Blogger for 1and1 but it didn't work. After some tinkering, I got thefinancebuff.com working but www.thefinancebuff.com didn't work. Searching Google showed other people also had the same problem. They either got the URL without "www" working but it didn't work with "www" (example 1: martinezumc.org) or the other way around, URL with "www" worked but URL without "www" didn't (example 2: www.mytechnews.net [fixed now]). Later, blogger Blog Bloke got it working both ways for a domain registered at GoDaddy, but my domain was registered at 1and1 and the DNS controls are different there.

Google search continued. Finally, with great help from ScrappyUntechie, I was able to make it work both ways for my 1and1-registered domain. I'm writing these down here in case someone is looking for the setup to do the same.

1. Log in to 1&1 control panel at admin.1and1.com. Add a new "www" subdomain for mydomain.com (Domains -> New -> Create Subdomain -> enter www). Do nothing else to this subdomain.

2. Add a CNAME to the top level domain mydomain.com for ghs.google.com (Domains -> DNS -> Edit DNS Settings -> CNAME radio button). Wait until mydomain.com displays "site not found." That means the CNAME is working.

3. In Blogger (Settings -> Publishing), switch to Custom Domain and enter http://mydomain.com. Wait a little while. mydomain.com should display the blog now. The old myblog.blogspot.com address now forwards to mydomain.com.

4. Back to 1&1, select mydomain.com, click on Edit Destination, switch from Home Directory to Forward Your Domain, and enter http://mydomain.com. Although this seems redundant, it's the crucial step to make www.mydomain.com working.

5. Verify that mydomain.com is still working. www.mydomain.com should also pull up the blog now.

Now that I think about it, the first step is perhaps not necessary, but because it's in the Blogger instructions, that was the first thing I did. I didn't bother to delete it and see what happens.

You can get to this blog now at both thefinancebuff.com and www.thefinancebuff.com. The old address financebuff.blogspot.com also works. I'm so happy to make it work in the end but I really wish Blogger's instructions were better.

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Comments

20 Comments on Upgraded to New Blogger with Custom Domain

  1. Blog Bloke on February 9, 2007 | permalink
    2.  

    Sounds similar to my settings. Glad it's working for you.

    Cheers!

    …BB

  2. trevor on February 11, 2007 | permalink
    3.  

    Hi,
    I am the owner of My: Tech News Blog, and after following your instructions I am still having some problems. I could definitely use your help as what you described seems to work for you but not me. I took some screen shots of my 1&1 settings, maybe I could email them to you and you can let me know what is different compared to yours. You would be doing me a HUGE favor. I couldn't find your email address but if you would be willing to help me, please email me at tjhiller@gmail"dot"com

  3. TFB on February 11, 2007 | permalink
    4.  

    Hi Trevor,

    I just checked your site. Both mytechnews.net and http://www.mytechnews.net worked just fine. Looks like you got it! If you'd like to add some notes to what I wrote and make it clearer to the next person who stumbles upon this, please feel free to post another comment. Thanks.

  4. ISPF on February 15, 2007 | permalink
    5.  

    Hey, Thanks for posting this. I finally got my blog to work with the custom domain name both with/without www by using your suggestions. Thanks!

  5. C F S on March 3, 2007 | permalink
    6.  

    TBF thanks for the information on custom domain, currently trying to configure my blogger, followed all the instructions to the letter but the blog is not coming up – the web page with my domain name comes up but not the blog [I just signed up for the domain name today and I wonder if this is the problem ... will wait 24 hours and then try again].

    cfs

  6. C F S on March 4, 2007 | permalink
    7.  

    TFB

    I was finally able to make it work. Here is a link to my blog [work in progress, expect a lot of changes].

  7. C F S on March 4, 2007 | permalink
    8.  

    Okay, where did the link go? Anyway, the blog is located at:

    http://www.mcpofig.com

  8. Da Blogger on April 24, 2007 | permalink
    9.  

    Hey, I can't seem to get it to work for me. I tried using just a domain, but I could not get it figured out. I did it just as you said. But I really want to use a subdomain for my blogger site. So I guess since you can't specifically help me, are there any tips you have given out to people who have had trouble with this issue?

  9. Armando on May 11, 2007 | permalink
    10.  

    It works for me, thank you very much

  10. Cuckoo Boom on May 14, 2007 | permalink
    11.  

    Hi there. I just found your page by going a google search for 1and1 and Blogger. I am having the same problems everyone on here appears to have had. I folloed Bloggers instructions and they didn't work, and I followed your instructions and they didn't work either unfortunately. I don't know what is wrong, so I don't know how to fix it and make my site run like normal. You onle apply the CNAME to the first (mydomain.com, not http://www.mydomain.com) dowmain correct? I went back and changed it from the way Blogger said to do it (to change the CNAME in the http://www.mydomain.com, instead of the one without the www) but things still look the same. Any advice?

  11. TFB on May 15, 2007 | permalink
    12.  

    For those of you who posted comments about these instructions not working, please allow some time after you make the changes. If you followed the instructions and your site didn't work, just wait. DNS updates take some time to sink in. These instructions worked for many people. I just checked cuckoo boom's site and it worked for both with and without www.

  12. Angie on June 5, 2007 | permalink
    13.  

    thanks so much for this info. it really helped me a lot i almost gave up before i stumbled upon your blog. i am also giving this to a friend to help her as we both got our domains at 1and1.

    here's mine: http://thedailymatters.com/

  13. JENNY on June 5, 2007 | permalink
    14.  

    OMG thank you for this tutorial, my mind is in a spin since last week bec. it's not working. My friend Angie gave this link to me and voila my domain works with or w/o www now. Gosh wish blogger had a better tutorial.. you should suggest this tut to blogger. i will be pasting this tutorial to my blogs and hoping someone will be helped too (of course i will give due credit). Thanks again.

    mine is: http://jennys-corner.com

  14. Eddy on October 11, 2007 | permalink
    15.  

    Thanks for the great post.. But I discover something easier. When I use domain from namecheap.com.
    What I do is, I just change both of the www and @ dns into ghs.google.com. with CNAME(alias) type, then at the subdomain part, i redirect the url blog.ensmarketing.com. At the blogger setting page, I simply tick the box that redirect the ensmarketing.com to http://www.ensmarketing.com. DONE!
    Now you can check out my blog at:
    http://www.ensmarketing.com
    http://ensmarketing.com
    http://blog.ensmarketing.com

  15. Ken Hanscom on February 5, 2008 | permalink
    16.  

    Interestingly, some folks have had problems getting both http://www.yourdomain.com and yourdomain.com working using blogger. However, it is possible using a 301 redirect for your custom domain. In case anyone is interested, I posted a how-to here:

    http://www.somelifeblog.com/2008/02/blogger-custom-domains-using-301.html

  16. Chris on March 27, 2008 | permalink
    17.  

    This post was a life saver! Thanks!
    Chris

  17. Alex on September 13, 2008 | permalink
    18.  

    The Step # 4 is essential step , though it looks confusing do as exactly as what was said
    Here is my blog that works

    http://schomesinfo.com/

  18. fti on November 30, 2008 | permalink
    19.  

    well it works beautifully. The blogger is able to sniff your custom domain and it targets it with your blogspot address.
    This works very well, and it succeds
    http://www.flightstoindia.in

  19. Eric Botson on April 9, 2009 | permalink
    20.  

    I'm not sure if Blogger changed its settings but the step 3 of your tutorial doesn't work.

    When I enter http://mydomain.com for custom domain, I get the error:

    "Blogs may not be hosted at naked domains.
    Blog host names must have a subdomain. For example, try: http://www.mydomain.com"

    There is a help page for naked domains too:
    http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=139485

    Did you have the same problem when you tried to use a custom domain?

  20. TFB on April 9, 2009 | permalink
    21.  

    Eric – This post was written in Feb. 2007. Judging from comments, it worked until Spet. or Nov. 2008. It's possible Blogger changed its settings since then. This blog is not hosted by Blogger any more.

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