Domain mapping – where to host?
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I’m working on a website for a non-profit group… They’d like to use WordPress for quick and easy updates, but they already have their domain registered… Does it matter to domain mapping where the domain is hosted? What are the charges to host it with WordPress?
The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)
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Hi there,
As long as the registrar where the domain is registered allows you to change the name servers or set custom A records for the domain, it can be mapped here.
To add domain mapping to a site you will need to purchase one of our upgrade plans. The cheapest option is the Personal plan for $36, and besides the domain also includes the No Ads upgrade which will prevent advertising from showing on your site and access to live chat and email support.
You can add the plan under My Site ->Plans, and then connect the domain at My Site ->Domains.
Use a Domain You Already Own (Domain Mapping)
Does it matter to domain mapping where the domain is hosted?
Just to ensure we’re on the same page, if you map the domain here, it means the site is hosted here. Hosting refers to whose servers your site lives on. The host is not the same as the registrar where your domain was bought and is renewed annually.
If you wish to use the domain with a site hosted on WordPress.com, then you need to start with a free WordPress.com URL, and add the plan and domain to that as described above.
If, instead, you want to use the open-source version of WordPress, you’ll need to use a hosting provider like Pressable or Bluehost (among many others) and map your domain there instead. More information on the difference here:
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OK, I don’t think we’re on the same page… I want to host the original domain on WP, not just the .wordpress.com site. I understand that the WP site will be hosted on WP servers…
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Right. You don’t host a domain, you host a site. So, if you want your site to be hosted on WordPress.com, you need to have a free WordPress.com address, like for your site, http://anastasi55.wordpress.com/
You then connect your domain to that site. This connection is called mapping. You will need to purchase a plan for your WordPress.com site, and then add the domain mapping upgrade as explained in the instructions I linked to above. Once you’ve added the domain mapping, your site will appear at that domain. The free WordPress.com address will still exist, but it won’t be visible to people who view your site.
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OK, I’ve been through all the details that you mentioned in the second paragraph, but you’re still not answering my question. Where do I host the site that is denoted by the main domain before it’s mapped to the .wordpress.com site? Is it hosted on wordpress automatically when it’s mapped? Do I have to have a separate host?
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Do you mean there is currently a site at the domain that you want to use?
If you point the domain to us, it won’t affect the current site in terms of where it’s hosted – the site’s files will still be on the servers of the current host, but without a domain pointing to it there will be no way to access the site. Once you cancel hosting with the current host they will delete those files so the current site will cease to exist completely.
If you want to move an existing site over to WordPress.com you need to export the content from there, and import it here before pointing the domain to us:
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OK. I’ll be more specific… The group is called The Creative Women’s Collective. The current site is http://creativewomencollective.net/ It’s just an opening screen right now. It will need a new host as well as being mapped to a potential creativewomen.wordpress site. Can I host on WordPress, or do I have to find another?
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If you map the domain to creativewomen.wordpress.com, we become your host. So you will create your site’s content here, the site will live on our servers, and the opening screen you have set up with hostmonster will no longer be needed. Your content will live on the site, creativewomen.wordpress.com, but you will access it via the domain, creativewomencollective.net
You will need to keep the domain registered with hostmonster, but you won’t need hosting with them any more. If you don’t want or cannot keep the domain registered at hostmonster, then you need to transfer the domain to a different domain registrar, not host.
I cannot recommend a specific domain registrar, but you can find a list of ones people most often use to map domains to us here:
https://en.support.wordpress.com/map-existing-domain/#instructions-for-common-domain-providers
It’s not possible to transfer a domain to WordPress.com, so we cannot become your domain registrar, but we can be the host for your site.
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THAT’s exactly what I needed to know! Here I am, trying to come up with design ideas, and all these technical issues pop up …
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We try to keep the technical issues to the minimum on WordPress.com, but domains come with a whole bunch of issues of their own :)
If you have any more questions, I’m happy to help.
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