Connect a DreamHost domain name

If you own a domain name with DreamHost, you can use it with your WordPress.com site. This guide will show you how to connect a DreamHost domain name to your WordPress site on WordPress.com.

Connecting a domain name from DreamHost is free with any paid WordPress.com plan. Connecting a DreamHost domain name to your WordPress.com site means:

• Your domain name will show the site you created on WordPress.com, without the WordPress name in the address.
• You will continue to renew the domain name with your registrar (DreamHost) unless you decide to also transfer the domain name to WordPress.com.

To add the Dreamhost domain name to your website, take the following steps:

1. Starting from your WordPress.com dashboard, navigate to Upgrades → Domains (or Hosting → Domains if using WP-Admin).
2. Click the “Add a domain” button and select “Use a domain I own” from the drop-down menu:

3. Type the domain name you own and click the “Next” button.
4. On the next screen, you will find two options: transfer or connect. Click the “Select” button next to “Connect your domain”. It may take a few moments to be redirected to the next screen.

5. Click the “Start setup” button on the connect screen.

If you have connected multiple domain names to your WordPress.com site, you may be prompted to verify that you own the domain name before starting the setup process.

The setup process will walk you through updating your domain name’s name servers to point to WordPress.com.

Updating your name servers means your DNS records will be managed in your WordPress.com account. If you have an existing email service from your domain provider or another company, you will want to set up additional DNS records on WordPress.com to continue using that email service.

You have two options for updating your name servers to point to your WordPress.com site: update them yourself or contact your domain registrar’s support. We’ll explain each method below.

The manual setup process will walk you through updating your domain’s name servers to point to WordPress.com.

Updating your name servers means your DNS records will be managed in your WordPress.com account. If you have an existing email service from DreamHost or another company, you will want to set up additional DNS records on WordPress.com to continue using that email service.

You can update the name servers through two different pages on the DreamHost panel.

• Manage Websites
• Manage Registrations

1. Navigate to the Manage Websites page
2. Open the DNS Settings page

3. Within the DNS Settings screen:
   • If in Grid view, click the ‘vertical 3 dots’ button under your domain name. From the popout menu, click the DNS Settings link.
   • If in List view, click the ‘vertical 3 dots’ button to the right of your domain name. From the popout menu, click the DNS Settings link.

4. Scroll down to the “Nameservers” section.
5. Click the Change button.

6. Enter WordPress.com name servers after clicking the “I’ll use my own nameservers” option.
7. Click the Save button when finished.

You can also edit the name servers on the Manage Registrations page. If your domain name is listed on this page, it is registered with DreamHost, and the name servers can be edited.

1. Navigate to the Manage Registrations page.
2. Under the “Modify Whois” column, check the Whois box next to your domain. 
3. Click the “Modify whois” button.
4. Click the “Nameservers” tab.
5. Select an option:
   • Use DreamHost’s nameservers: This sets the name servers to DreamHost.
   • Use another host’s nameservers: This allows you to change your name servers to WordPress.com. In the fields provided, enter the WordPress.com name servers.

If you are unable to update your domain’s name servers, you can contact DreamHost support here to make the DNS changes or help you make them. Here is a sample message you can send to them:

I would like to use my DreamHost domain name with a WordPress.com site. In order to do this, I need to point my domain’s name servers to the following:

ns1.wordpress.com
ns2.wordpress.com
ns3.wordpress.com

After changing the name servers, give it time for the change to take effect. After changing the name servers, the domain name might not load right away. It is usually up and running within a few hours, but it can take up to 72 hours for the DNS to fully update across global servers and internet service providers.

To confirm the domain name is connected to your site, try visiting the domain name in a new tab in your browser. If it loads your WordPress.com website, then it’s working! You can also visit Upgrades → Domains (or Hosting → Domains if using WP-Admin) and look under the Status column to the right of your domain name. It should say “Active“, like this:

If it still says “Verifying“, try waiting a few hours before taking the next step. Once you see the status change to Active, then your domain name is connected. If the domain name is still not loading the correct site, you may need to clear your browser’s cache to see the changes.

The final step is to go to Upgrades → Domains (or Hosting → Domains if using WP-Admin) in your WordPress.com account and select your newly-connected domain name as the primary address of the site. See Set a Primary Address for more.