Moxy Web Studio / Client help / Connect your domain

Moxy Web Studio · Client guide

Connect your domain at Amazon Route 53

Route 53 is Amazon Web Services' DNS. Small businesses almost never set it up themselves: an agency or a freelancer did. The quickest route is to forward our note to them. If you do have the login, the steps are below.

Watch it first

41 seconds, with narration. The steps below say the same thing in writing.

Your changes

For yourdomain.com, at Route 53:

TypeNameValueWhat it does
A@2.25.245.213your domain points at your new site
CNAMEwwwyourdomain.compoints www at your domain
AAAA@, wwwdeleteold IPv6 records point at your old host

Email records (MX, TXT) stay exactly as they are. We never need your password.

  • Take a screenshot of your records before you change anything. If something goes wrong, you can put them back.
  • Your new site is already live on its temporary address, so there is no rush and no downtime.
STEP 1

Find who has the login

  1. Search your email and card statements for Amazon Web Services or AWS: whoever pays the bill owns the account.
  2. Send them our ready-made note. It has the exact changes.
STEP 2

Edit the record for your domain

  1. In the AWS console open Route 53 → Hosted zones and select your domain.
  2. Select the row with Record name yourdomain.com and Type A, then Edit record.
  3. If Alias is on, switch it off. Set Value to 2.25.245.213 (one line only), TTL 300, Routing policy Simple routing. Select Save changes.

Leave Record name blank (don't type @). If the Alias switch won't turn off, delete the record and create a plain A record.

Route 53 Edit record: Alias off, Value 2.25.245.213, Save changesconsole.aws.amazon.com/route53 · Edit recordEdit recordRecord name .larkspurvane.comleave blankRecord typeA – IPv4 addressAliasOff1Value2.25.245.213one line onlyTTL (seconds)300Routing policySimple routingSave changes2
Edit record: Alias off (1), Value 2.25.245.213, Save changes (2). Enlarge
STEP 3

www and IPv6

  1. Delete any AAAA records for your domain and www (tick them, Delete record, confirm). Alias AAAA records count too.
  2. Delete the old www A record if there is one, then Create record: Record name www, type CNAME, Value yourdomain.com, then Create records.

Never delete the NS or SOA records.

Route 53 hosted zone: plain A record for the domain, CNAME for www, delete the AAAA aliasconsole.aws.amazon.com/route53 · Hosted zoneslarkspurvane.comRecords (9)Delete recordImport zone fileCreate recordRECORD NAMETYPEROUTINGALIASVALUE / ROUTE TRAFFIC TOlarkspurvane.comASimpleNo2.25.245.2131larkspurvane.comAAAASimpleYesd111.cloudfront.net.3larkspurvane.comNSSimpleNons-123.awsdns-15.com.KEEPwww.larkspurvane.comCNAMESimpleNolarkspurvane.com2
Plain A for the domain (1), CNAME for www (2), AAAA alias deleted (3). Enlarge

After you save

  • Route 53 updates within about a minute; visitors see it once the old record's TTL runs out.
  • We check every hour and email you the moment your site is live on your domain. The secure certificate (the padlock) is set up automatically.
  • Want to look yourself? Use the domain checker.
  • If something is in the way (an old record, a setting), we email you once with the exact fix.

Stuck?