How to Connect Your Booking Website to Your Own Domain

Already have a domain you want to use? You can connect it to your Holidu booking website to drive more direct bookings under your own brand. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire process in six straightforward steps.

Before You Start

Make sure you have the following before beginning:

• Access to your domain provider's settings (such as AWS, Vercel, GoDaddy, Namecheap, or similar)
• Your domain name ready to use
• Administrator access to your Holidu account

Important note: If you already have a website live on that domain, it will be replaced by your direct booking website once this process is complete. Please ensure you have backed up any content you wish to keep.

Step-by-Step Guide to Connecting Your Domain

Step 1: Start the Process in the Holidu App by Setting Up Your Booking Website

Begin by enabling your booking website and initiating the domain connection process in Holidu:

1. Log in to your Holidu account and navigate to your property settings
2. Click Enable website if it is not enabled yet
3. Click Connect my domain
4. Enter your existing domain name

After you enter your domain name, a DNS tab will appear in your Holidu app. This tab contains specific DNS values that Holidu has generated for your domain. These values are essential for the next steps, so keep this window open or note them down.

Tip: Don't worry if you're not familiar with DNS settings. We'll guide you through each part of the process. DNS (Domain Name System) is simply the system that points your domain name to your website's servers.

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

Now you'll add the first DNS record to your domain provider. This CNAME record tells your domain where to find your Holidu booking website.

1. Log in to your domain provider's control panel (AWS, GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.)
2. Look for an option to create a new DNS record or manage DNS settings
3. Select the option to create a new record — a form will open
4. For Type, select CNAME
5. In your Holidu app, find the CNAME line and copy the NAME value (marked as 1)
6. Paste this NAME value into the name field of the record you're creating in your domain provider
7. Copy the VALUE from the same CNAME line in Holidu (marked as 2)
8. Paste this VALUE into the value field of your domain provider's record
9. Leave the TTL and Routing policy fields at their default values
10. Save and create the record

Example (AWS):

Important: If there are already DNS records saved for the domain you want to use, delete those first. This will disconnect your existing website from the domain. While this means your current website won't be accessible to guests temporarily, it's necessary to allow Holidu to connect your domain to your new direct booking website.

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

The next step is to add a CAA record. This record helps with SSL certificate management for your domain's security.

1. Create another new DNS record in your domain provider
2. For Type, select CAA
3. In your Holidu app, find the CAA line and copy the NAME value (marked as 3)
4. Paste this into the name field of your domain provider's record
5. Copy the VALUE from the CAA line in Holidu (marked as 4)
6. Paste this value into the value field
7. Note for some providers: Some domain providers require a special format for the value field, such as 0 issue "letsencrypt.org". In this case, add the value from Holidu in quotation marks following this format
8. Leave the TTL and Routing policy at their default values
9. Save and create the record

Step 4: Head Back to the Holidu App to Check That the Records Are Recognized

Once you've added the CNAME and CAA records to your domain provider, Holidu will automatically begin checking your DNS settings.

1. Return to your Holidu app
2. Stay in the DNS verification section
3. Wait for Holidu to verify your records — this usually takes around 5 minutes, but can occasionally take up to 24 hours depending on your domain provider
4. You'll see a confirmation message when the records are recognized

If everything looks correct, your domain is verified and you're ready to proceed to the final step of the setup.

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

The final DNS record you need to add is the ALIAS record. This is the critical record that actually connects your domain to your Holidu booking website.

1. Once Holidu confirms domain verification, return to your domain provider's DNS settings
2. Create a new DNS record
3. Change the Type to ALIAS
4. In your Holidu app, copy the NAME value provided for the ALIAS record
5. Paste this into the name field of your domain provider's record
6. Copy the VALUE provided by Holidu for the ALIAS record
7. Paste this into the value field of your domain provider's record
8. Leave TTL and other fields at their defaults
9. Save and create the record

Verification checklist: Before moving forward, confirm that your domain provider now includes all three of these records:

• ALIAS record
• CAA record
• CNAME record

All three records are essential for your direct booking website to connect properly to your domain. Double-check that each record contains the exact values provided by Holidu.

Step 6: Final Verification

You're almost there! Now it's time for the final verification to ensure everything is working correctly.

1. Return to the Holidu admin interface
2. Navigate back to your domain connection section
3. Click the verify button to perform a final check
4. Wait for Holidu to confirm that all DNS records are properly configured
5. Once verified, you'll receive a confirmation message

Congratulations! Your domain is now connected to your Holidu booking website. You can now access your direct booking website by visiting your own domain in a web browser. Your guests can book directly from your branded domain, increasing trust and keeping more booking revenue under your control.

What Happens Next?

After successful domain connection:

• Your booking website will be live on your own domain
• All traffic to your domain will now direct to your Holidu booking website
• You can share your custom domain link with guests, on social media, and in marketing materials
• Your booking website will retain all the features and functionality of your Holidu property page

Troubleshooting Common Issues

DNS verification is taking longer than 5 minutes: DNS changes can take up to 24 hours to propagate across all servers. If verification hasn't completed after 24 hours, double-check that all three records (ALIAS, CAA, CNAME) are correctly entered in your domain provider's settings.

I see an error about existing records: If your domain already has DNS records, you must delete the old records before adding Holidu's records. This prevents conflicts that would prevent your domain from connecting properly.

The domain still shows my old website: After you've completed all steps and received verification, try clearing your browser cache or accessing the domain from a different browser. It may take a few minutes for changes to fully propagate.

Need additional help? Contact our support team through your Holidu dashboard, and they'll guide you through any specific issues with your domain provider.