Custom domain guide
How to connect a IONOS domain to 99helpers
The exact records to add at IONOS, written the way its form asks for them, for both www and the bare domain.
Checked 16 October 2026
In short
The records you'll add
- Type
- CNAME
- Host name
- Points to
| Type | Host name | Points to |
|---|---|---|
| CNAME |
Plus a forward from the bare domain to www (step 5).
Step by step
Set it up
- 1
Add the domain in 99helpers first
In 99helpers, go to Hosting→your site→Add domain and enter your domain (for example www.example.com). Add each address you want separately: www and the bare domain are two domains.
If 99helpers also shows a TXT record to confirm you own the domain, add that too.
Custom domains come with the Starter and Pro plans (one per site on Starter, five on Pro).
- 2
Open the DNS records at IONOS
Sign in, then go to Menu→Domains & SSL→⋯ next to your domain→DNS
The domain has to use IONOS nameservers.
- 3
Clear what's in the way
The bare domain usually has an A record pointing at the IONOS parking page. Edit or delete it: only one A record can be active for the main domain.
- 4
Add the record for www
Click Add record and add:
- Type
- CNAME
- Host name
- Points to
Type Host name Points to CNAME - 5
Point the bare domain
IONOS has no ALIAS record type and 99helpers has no fixed address for a bare domain, so use www as the address and forward the bare domain to it.
Use IONOS's forwarding (often called URL redirect or Forwarding) to send example.com to https://www.example.com, and give 99helpers the www address.
- 6
Wait, then check
Changes at IONOS take effect within an hour, sometimes up to 24 hours. Once 99helpers sees the records, it issues the certificate for https by itself. Use the check below to see what the world sees.
Check your domain
Once the records are in, see whether the world can see them pointing at 99helpers.
Changes can take from a few minutes to a day to show up everywhere.
Good to know
Common snags
- The certificate is issued and renewed for you once the record is in place.
- The dialog checks your DNS and tells you exactly what's missing.
- Leave Host name empty for the bare domain.
- Before adding a CNAME for www, the www subdomain may need creating under Manage subdomains.
- Don't add http://, a trailing slash or a trailing dot to the value.
Still not working?
Questions
Before you start
Should I use www or the bare domain with 99helpers?
Add each address you want separately: www and the bare domain are two domains. www always works with a single CNAME; the bare domain depends on what IONOS offers, covered in step 5.
Why does my site show a certificate error?
The certificate is issued once 99helpers sees your records, which can take a while after DNS changes. If it stays, check for old records on the same name (parking pages, AAAA records) and, at Cloudflare, that the record is set to DNS only.
Will this affect my email?
No. Email uses MX records, which these steps don't touch. Only change the records for @ and www.
Or skip the setup
Drop it in. It's online in seconds.
A file, a folder or a whole site: 99helpers puts it online at its own address, with no git, no build settings and no DNS to start with. Add your own domain whenever you're ready.