WordPress.com CNAME and A record setup

These are the steps DoDomain's hosted connect flow shows a customer whose domain is managed at WordPress.com, in WordPress.com's own vocabulary. A product using DoDomain never writes them: the connect flow detects the provider, shows these steps beside the exact records to create, and verifies each record against the zone's authoritative nameservers. They are published here for your own support articles, and for anyone who wants to see the steps before they start.

Related definitions: CNAME record, A record, apex domain.

Where the records liveCopy Anchor Link

WordPress.com's DNS page for a domain is https://wordpress.com/domains/manage/<your-domain>/dns/<your-domain>. Replace <your-domain> with the domain you are editing. (The hosted connect flow opens it for you with the right domain filled in.)

How to add a CNAME or A record in WordPress.comCopy Anchor Link

1. WordPress.com → Upgrades → Domains → your domain → DNS records → Manage.
2. Click Add a record and pick the type.
3. Enter Name and Value as below, then save.
4. Come back here and click Verify.

What to put in the WordPress.com host fieldCopy Anchor Link

Enter the subdomain only in Name; leave it blank for the root domain. For a record on the domain itself, leave the host field blank.

Whatever the panel calls the field (Name, Host, Hostname), DoDomain's connect flow shows the value to paste into it already in this provider's format, and shows the fully-qualified name it will verify next to it.

Worth knowingCopy Anchor Link

• DNS is editable at WordPress.com only while the domain uses WordPress.com name servers.

Is there a one-click option at WordPress.com?Copy Anchor Link

Where a DNS provider supports Domain Connect, DoDomain can apply the records after one approval screen instead of a copy and paste. Whether WordPress.com does, which of DoDomain's templates it serves and the date of the measured state are measured every night and published at Does WordPress.com support Domain Connect?. Where a template is not one-click there, the steps above apply.

Common questionsCopy Anchor Link

Where do I add DNS records at WordPress.com?Copy Anchor Link

WordPress.com's DNS page for a domain is https://wordpress.com/domains/manage/<your-domain>/dns/<your-domain>. Replace <your-domain> with the domain you are editing. (The hosted connect flow opens it for you with the right domain filled in.)

What goes in the host field at WordPress.com?Copy Anchor Link

Enter the subdomain only in Name; leave it blank for the root domain. For a record on the domain itself, leave the host field blank.

How do I check that a record at WordPress.com is live?Copy Anchor Link

Look the name up with the free DNS lookup, which shows the authoritative answer next to what public resolvers return. DoDomain verifies against the authoritative nameservers, so a record can be correct there while resolvers still serve the old answer until its TTL expires.

Check the record is liveCopy Anchor Link

A saved record is not yet a live record. DoDomain verifies against the zone's authoritative nameservers, which answer as soon as the provider publishes the change; public resolvers can lag behind for as long as the old answer's TTL. The free DNS lookup shows both answers side by side for any name, and the provider detector tells you which provider serves a domain and whether a one-click path exists for it.

If you are the product asking for this recordCopy Anchor Link

You do not have to send customers here. Mint a connect session and the hosted flow shows these steps to your WordPress.com customers on its own, then verifies and keeps monitoring the records. See the connect flow and the framework guides for Next.js, Rails, Laravel and Django. A customer who wants their bare domain rather than a subdomain is the apex question, which no provider panel solves on its own.

Steps verified against WordPress.com's documentation or a live route check at authoring time (July 2026); panel labels do change; the hosted flow is updated when they do.