Domain Setup FAQ
Everything about connecting your domain, in plain words. See the full setup guide →
Before you start
Do I actually need my own domain?
Your site is already live on a NearMax address, so nothing is waiting on this. But your own domain (yourbusiness.com) looks better on a van, a business card, and in Google — we recommend it, and the setup takes about ten minutes.
I don't have a domain. Where do I buy one, and what does it cost?
Any registrar works — GoDaddy, Namecheap, and Squarespace are the common ones. A domain usually costs $10–20 a year. Buy it, then come back to your dashboard: pick your registrar from the dropdown and we'll show you the exact clicks for that company.
I already have a domain with my old website on it. Can I use it?
Yes — that's the most common case. When you point it at NearMax, visitors to your domain start seeing your new site instead of the old one. Your old website's files still exist wherever they're hosted; they just stop being shown. Once you're happy, you can cancel the old hosting.
What are the two settings actually doing?
Setting 1 tells the internet to send visitors from your domain to your new website. Setting 2 proves to us that the domain is really yours. That's it — nothing else about your domain changes.
Doing the setup
Where do I add the settings?
Log in at the company where you bought the domain and find the DNS settings (sometimes called "DNS records" or "Manage DNS"). Your dashboard shows exact click-by-click steps for your company — pick it from the "Where did you buy your domain?" dropdown.
What's a CNAME? What's a TXT record?
Two kinds of DNS settings. A CNAME sends visitors somewhere (yours will point www at nearmax.com); a TXT record just holds a bit of text (yours proves you own the domain). You don't need to understand them — copy and paste exactly what your dashboard shows.
The Name box already adds my domain — do I type the full thing?
Most companies automatically add ".yourdomain.com" to whatever you type, so you only enter www (or _nearmax-verify). If yours asks for the full name instead, your dashboard shows the full version to use. If the form complains either way, try the other form.
Can someone else do this for me?
Absolutely. In your dashboard there's an "Email these settings to someone" link — it sends everything they need. Whoever set up your email or your old website can do this in a couple of minutes.
Waiting and checking
How long does it take to work?
Usually under an hour. Occasionally your internet provider holds on to the old information for longer — up to 48 hours in the worst case. You don't need to sit and watch: we check automatically, and email you the moment your domain is live and secured.
It says "Not seen yet" next to a setting. Did I do it wrong?
Probably not — new settings often take a little while to show up. Give it an hour, then hit "Check my DNS status" again. If it's still not seen after a few hours, re-open the setting at your domain company and compare it character-by-character with what your dashboard shows (the Copy buttons avoid typos).
It's been 48 hours and it still isn't working. Now what?
Double-check three things: the first setting's type is CNAME, its Name is exactly www, and its Value is nearmax.com. If you use Cloudflare, the cloud icon next to the record must be grey ("DNS only"), not orange. Still stuck? Reply to any email from us — we'll look at it with you.
Common worries
Will this break my email?
No. This is the most common worry, and the answer is a flat no. The two settings only affect where your website points. Your email — and anything else on the domain — keeps working exactly as it does today.
Do I need to change my nameservers?
No — and don't. Changing nameservers moves your whole domain's management somewhere else and can break email and other settings. We only ask you to add two records. If a guide or support agent suggests changing nameservers for this, they've misunderstood what we need.
What if I make a mistake?
Nothing breaks permanently. DNS settings can be edited or deleted any time, and adding a wrong record mostly just means the setup doesn't complete. Fix or remove it and carry on — and if you're unsure, email us before changing anything else.
Is this safe? You're not taking over my domain, are you?
The domain stays yours, registered in your name at your registrar, and you can point it anywhere at any time. The settings simply direct visitors to the website we host for you. If you ever leave NearMax, you keep the domain.
Less common questions
My domain company won't let me add a CNAME on the bare domain.
That's normal and doesn't affect you — our setup uses www, which every company supports. If you want visitors who type yourbusiness.com (without www) to land on your site too, use your company's "URL forwarding" or "redirect" feature to send it to https://www.yourbusiness.com.
Can I use a subdomain, like services.mydomain.com?
Yes. In the first setting, put "services" (or whichever subdomain you want) in the Name box instead of www — the Value still points to nearmax.com. Email us if you'd like a hand with a subdomain setup.
What's the difference between a CNAME and an A record?
An A record points at a fixed server address; a CNAME points at a name (nearmax.com). We use a CNAME so your site keeps working automatically even when our servers change — you never have to touch the setting again. Stick with the CNAME unless your domain company genuinely offers no CNAME option for www (almost all do).
Still stuck? Reply to any email from us and we’ll help you through it.