Connecting your booking website to your own domain is a straightforward process that gives your Direct Booking site a professional, branded appearance. This guide will walk you through all 6 essential steps to connect your Holidu website to your custom domain.

Before you begin, ensure you have access to your domain provider's settings (such as AWS, Vercel, GoDaddy, or similar platforms). Please note that once this process is complete, any existing website currently live on your domain will be replaced by your new Direct Booking website.

Step 1: Initiate the Domain Connection in Holidu

The first step is to start the domain connection process within your Holidu application:

1. Click on "Enable website" if it is not already enabled
2. Click on "Connect my domain"
3. Enter your existing domain name
4. A DNS tab will appear displaying specific DNS values generated by Holidu

These DNS values are crucial—you will need to copy them and add them to your domain provider's settings in the following steps. Don't worry if DNS settings seem unfamiliar; we will guide you through each step.

Step 2: Create a New CNAME Record in Your Domain Settings

Now it's time to access your domain provider and create your first DNS record:

1. Log in to your domain provider's account
2. Look for an option to create a new DNS record or new record
3. Select CNAME as the record type
4. In the Holidu application, copy the NAME value from the CNAME line and paste it into the name field of your new record
5. Copy the VALUE from the Holidu CNAME line and paste it into the value field of your record
6. Leave the TTL and Routing policy fields with their default values
7. Save the record

Important: If there are already existing records for your domain, delete them first. This disconnects your old website from the domain, making it inaccessible to customers. This step is necessary to connect your domain to your new Direct Booking website.

Step 3: Add a CAA DNS Record in Your Domain Settings

Next, you'll add a second DNS record to enhance security:

1. Create another new record in your domain settings
2. Select CAA as the record type
3. In the Holidu application, copy the NAME value from the CAA line and paste it into the name field
4. Copy the VALUE from the Holidu application and paste it into the value field
5. Note: Some domain providers require a special format for the value field, such as 0 issue "http://awstrust.com". In this case, add the value from Holidu in quotation marks
6. Keep the TTL and Routing policy fields at their default values
7. Save the record

Step 4: Verify Your DNS Records in Holidu

Once you've added the CNAME and CAA records to your domain settings, Holidu will automatically verify them:

1. Return to your Holidu application
2. Holidu will automatically check the DNS records you just added
3. This verification process typically takes around 5 minutes
4. When verification is complete, your domain will be recognized and you'll proceed to the final setup steps

If everything is correct, you'll see a confirmation that your domain has been verified.

Step 5: Add an ALIAS DNS Record in Your Domain Settings

After Holidu verifies your domain, there is one final DNS record to add:

1. Return to your domain provider's settings
2. Create a new DNS record with the type ALIAS
3. In the Holidu application, copy the Value provided for the ALIAS record
4. Paste this value into the Value field in your domain provider's settings
5. Save the record

At this point, your domain provider settings should now include all three required records:

• ALIAS
• CAA
• CNAME

All three records are essential for your Direct Booking website to connect properly to your custom domain.

Step 6: Final Verification and Completion

The final step is to confirm that everything is set up correctly:

1. Return to your Holidu admin panel
2. Wait for Holidu to automatically verify all your DNS records
3. This final verification may take a couple of minutes
4. Once verification is complete, you're done!

Congratulations! Your Direct Booking website is now live on your custom domain. You can now access your booking website using your own domain name, giving your business a professional, branded online presence.

Summary

Connecting your Holidu Direct Booking website to your custom domain involves six straightforward steps: initiating the connection in Holidu, adding a CNAME record, adding a CAA record, verifying the records, adding an ALIAS record, and completing final verification. By following this guide, you'll have your professional booking website running on your own domain in just a few minutes.

If you encounter any issues during this process, our support team is here to help. For additional assistance, please contact our customer support team through the Holidu Help Center.