Mapping a domain versus redirecting

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  366daysofgrace · Member · Jan 27, 2016 at 2:18 am

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  I have a question that is probably so basic you all will laugh (and feel free). I’ve built a site on WordPress.com for a small nonprofit. The organization already had a domain through GoDaddy.

  I set up the GoDaddy account so that it redirects to the WordPress site. I’ve triple-checked those settings and am certain they’re all correct, but some people have still been reporting trouble with the redirect. (I assume because of varying network security settings that I have no control over…?) Also, a couple members of the organization think it’s confusing to see ‘WordPress’ in the address bar. (I have it set to mask on GoDaddy, but apparently it doesn’t always work.)

  So, my question: I *think* what I should suggest is that they pay the extra $13 a year to WordPress to use their existing domain as the actual address. (‘Already own a domain? Map this domain to use it as your site’s address.’) But I just want to double check — is this just another redirect that could fail? Or is it actually changing the address of my website to my existing domain?

  Thanks for any help you can offer. Obviously, this is not my life’s work and I’m a newb — I’m just trying to help out this group!

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  staff-ozmodiar · Staff · Jan 27, 2016 at 6:17 pm

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  So, my question: I *think* what I should suggest is that they pay the extra $13 a year to WordPress to use their existing domain as the actual address.

  Yes, this is what you want to do. Redirects, as you have discovered, don’t really work all that well.

  Domain Mapping will have none of the issues you are experiencing now.