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SoftPage Control Panel > Making your site live
In this document we will show you various ways that you can make your website run from a live URL like www.mywebsite.com. Although you will already have a site name like "mywebsite.softpagecms.com", this section will show you that you can have a properly formatted web site address like any other.
The Website Name
Each site is made with some sort of site name like "mywebsite.softpagecms.com". This is the site name that you will see in the control panel, and it is also the development or temporary address while you prepare your web site. This address will work perfectly well for the duration of your web site, however it may not be the kind of address that will suite more professional web site owners or businesses.
Domain Name (Wiki)
"A domain name is an identification label that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control in the Internet, based on the Domain Name System (DNS)."
The domains that you may already know include "google.com" or "facebook.com" and so on. Typically, the domain forms part of the address that you type into a browser window address bar when you want to access a web site.
The common format is: www.softpage.co.za or http://www.softpage.co.za (they are the same thing)
this is made up of "www" then a full stop then the domain "softpage.co.za".
Registering a Domain
In order to register a domain you can use either your own domain registration company (if you want to do it your self) or you can select the "Buy Domains" option from the right hand navigation of the SoftPage control Panel. With SoftPage, you can use either method. If you make use of your own Domain Registrar - it may not be possible to manage your domain settings (DNS) via our control panel. (We don't recommend this)
(Please see the Adding a new Domain page for more on this)
Pointing a domain at SoftPage
The first step to getting your site live is to point your domain CNAME at SoftPage. This is only necessary of you intend to manage your own domain. If you use the provided control panel and domain management system within the SoftPage Control Panel you will find this process much easier. Please see below.
| Self Registered Domain (advanced users only) |
Domain Registered in SoftPage Control Panel |
- Complete your own domain registration (if needed)
- Log into your Domain management control panel
(This will differ for one system to another)
- Locate the domain that you wish to point at SoftPage and choose the edit option that will allow you to edit the "DNS" settings.
- In the DNS settings you will need to make the following modifications.
- Add a CNAME entry for "www" that points to your site name. eg:
www (points to) mysite.softpagecms.com
- Remove any conflicting records like existing A records for www
- save the changes, and leave all the other settings as is.
- Domain changes can take up to 24 hours to propagate through the Internet.
- The result will be that when you type:
www.mysite.com (example) the domain records will resolve to the CNAME entry of mysite.softpagecms.com. This will in turn resolve to the IP address as is needed for displaying the site. |
- After creating your own web site, click the Manage web sites link from the navigation on the right.
- Click the web site name in question to view the web site details.
- In the page, locate the Domains section. There may be no domains registered to this site, so it may display "No records found"
- Click the Add Domain button.
- At the Add domains screen, enter the domain name you wish to register or transfer.
- Select the type of registration.
- Option 1
Use this option if you would like only to list the domain in the control panel. (Its possible to use this option if you want to use only our name servers (ns1.softpagecms.com & ns2.softpagecms.com
- Option 2 (suggested)
Use this option of you want to buy a new domain.
- Options 3 (suggested)
Use this option if you would rather use us to assist you to transfer the domain over to our system.
- Click the Add Button.
- The system will apply all the correct settings.
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After you have applied either of the settings above you should see something like this when you enter your address into the browser window.
Please note that some domain changes can take up to 24 hours to reflect. Domain transfers can take up to 4 working days. These are not settings that we have control over. Please be patient.
Pointing your domain at your site
Now that the domain is correctly pointing at SoftPage, you may want to "pick up" the domain in SoftPage, so that you can now display your home page. This is the next step.
The wizard will start that will guide you through the next few steps.
Please note: The following options are explained better as:
SoftPage Theme
SoftPage has a selection of pre-made templates that can be selected from the Theme Library. Just enter the URL of the desired Theme into the field provided.
Custom Internal
This is the common choice if you have had a design company or SoftPage has developed a custom template for you to use on your site. This template must be listed as a template in the Library
Custom External
This is the common choice if you have had a design company or SoftPage has developed a custom template for you to use on your site. Template must be uploaded as a file to the files folder of your web site.
No Template (Only recommended for email only clients)
With this option pages like your home page and email newsletters etc will not have any template applied to the page. This means that each page must be made in full as a complete document.
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