Domains - How to Connect an Existing Domain (Automated Setup)

A domain is a unique web address like www.example.com, which helps people find your website or funnel online. It is essential for a professional online presence, making it easy for customers to find, remember, and trust your site. ClickFunnels lets you connect custom domains to personalize your website and funnels, ensuring they reflect your brand and build customer trust. In this article, you will learn how to connect an existing domain to your ClickFunnels account using the automated setup process.

Requirements

• An active ClickFunnels account

• An existing domain purchased from a supported third-party registrar

Warning:

• If you already have a website with your domain, connecting the root domain in ClickFunnels may cause it to stop working. Instead, try using a subdomain (such as, funnels.example.com) or connect another domain in ClickFunnels.

• We currently do not support Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs). Special characters are letters that are not in the English alphabet. Some examples of special characters are æ, ø, å, ö, ä, ü and é.

• Domain names with trademarked phrases cannot be added or used in ClickFunnels. Click here to view restricted phrase list.

Adding a Domain

Note: Claiming a Free Domain

ClickFunnels offers one free domain for each account/team. You can claim a free domain for one of your ClickFunnels workspace in the Domains menu. For more information on claiming a free domain, refer to the article How to Get a Free Domain in ClickFunnels.

Follow the steps below to add an external domain to your ClickFunnels workspace:

1. Log in to your ClickFunnels workspace.

2. From the left sidebar menu, click Workspace Settings and then select Domains.
   

3. Click Connect existing domain.

4. In the open prompt, enter your domain name with a subdomain such as ‘WWW’ and click Continue.

   Important:

   • ClickFunnels requires using ‘WWW’ in your domain, such as ‘www.example.com’. The automated setup process will configure your domain DNS to redirect ‘example.com’ to ‘www.example.com’.

   • To connect a subdomain, you don’t need ‘WWW’ — for example, ‘blog.example.com’.

5. Once the domain registrar information populates, click Add Domain.
   

Setting Up the Domain

After adding a domain, it will show the status ‘setup in progress.’ Now, you must link your domain registrar or DNS provider account (e.g., Godaddy, Cloudflare, NameCheap, Bluehost, etc.) with ClickFunnels to complete the automatic integration. Follow the steps below to connect the domain automatically:

1. Decide if you want to redirect your root domain (e.g., example.com) to your chosen subdomain (e.g., www.example.com). Doing so means visitors can also type in your root domain (e.g., example.com) to access your ClickFunnels site, Funnels, Courses, etc., without typing in the subdomain.

   Warning:

   If you are using your root domain (e.g., example.com) somewhere else, you must disable the redirect by toggling it off. Otherwise, your root domain will be affected. For more information, read about using a domain with multiple websites.

   • Redirect ON (default): Leave the toggle “ON” to redirect the root domain (e.g., example.com) to the chosen subdomain (e.g., www.example.com). This will remove the root domain from any other site so it can be used with ClickFunnels instead.

   • Redirect OFF: Turn the toggle “OFF” to leave the root domain (e.g., example.com) alone and not redirect it to the chosen subdomain (e.g., www.example.com). Turn the toggle OFF if you have already used your root domain with a different site.

2. After deciding whether to redirect your root domain, click the “Start domain setup” button.
   

3. A window will open, confirming that ClickFunnels will configure the domain. Click the “Continue” button to agree.
   

4. The system needs a moment to analyze the domain and determine the DNS location. Depending on your domain's DNS provider, you might be required to grant access to your DNS provider account or sign in to that account.

5. The system will add the necessary records to your domain DNS at this stage. If your domain DNS has any conflicting records, it will display existing records in the prompt and ask your permission to update them.

6. Click the Done button once the domain configuration has been confirmed.
   

7. In most cases, the records are verified promptly. However, depending on the DNS provider, they may take 24 to 48 hours to be verified. Please click the Validate Ownership button to confirm that all DNS records and Email DNS records display a green status.
   

   Note:

   If the records do not verify after clicking Check Connection, please allow 5 - 10 minutes before clicking Check Connection again to verify the records. Once verified, the records status will display with a green checkmark. Occasionally, the verification of DNS records may take 24-48 hours.

8. Once the domain DNS records have been verified, ClickFunnels will automatically initiate the process of adding the SSL certificate to the domain. The domain's status will change to “Securing.” At this stage, no further action is required on your part; please allow a few moments for the SSL propagation to complete.

   Note:

   Allow 5-10 mins for SSL propagation. Occasionally, the securing process may take up to 48 hours to finish.

9. Once the SSL is propagated with the domain, the domain status will change to “Connected.” You may now utilize this domain for the Site and Blog app or Funnels.
   

Congratulations! You now know how to connect an existing domain in ClickFunnels.

Setting Up the Forwarding Rule

In the automated process, upon completing the integration of your domain with ClickFunnels, the system can automatically add the forwarding rules to the DNS provider. However, depending on the location of the DNS provider, the system may not be able to add the forwarding rule automatically. In such instances, it may be necessary to manually create a forwarding rule within your domain's DNS provider. This action will ensure that visitors accessing the domain without the "www" prefix (e.g., https://yourdomain.com) are redirected to https://www.yourdomain.com.

Below is an example of a forwarding rule that can be added to GoDaddy:

Check out our detailed guide about adding forwarding rules in different domain DNS providers in the article, Domains - How to Add Forwarding Rules.

How to Connect the Domain to the Workspace Site

After successfully integrating your domain with your workspace, follow these steps to connect it to your site:

1. From the left side navigation, select Site & Blog and click on the Overview menu.

   

2. Click the Three Dot ⋮ Icon and then click Site Settings.

   

3. In the Domain field, choose the domain you wish to use for your site.

4. Click the Update site button to save your changes.

Important:

The domain connected to the Site & Blog app is used for Courses, Store, Blog, Customer Center, Landing Pages, and Community. These features must share the same domain connected to the Site & Blog settings.

How to Connect a Domain to a Funnel

1. Click on Funnels from the left navigation menu.

   

2. Identify a funnel you wish to associate with your domain and click the Gear ⚙️ icon to access the funnel’s settings.

3. In the Domain field, select the desired domain from the dropdown menu.

4. Enter the desired path in the Funnel Path URL field, such as /webinar, /blog, or /about. To set this funnel as the domain’s default page, enter a single / character.

   

   Learn more about setting a funnel as a domain default page in the article, Domains - How To Set a Funnel as the Domain Default Page.

5. Click Update Funnel to save changes.

Congratulations! Your domain is now connected to the funnel. When the domain is accessed, the first page of your funnel will be displayed.