Tabern

Custom domain

Put your site on a domain you own, like joesbar.com. A three-step setup in Website Settings walks you through the DNS records, checks them for you, and turns on HTTPS.

Video walkthrough coming soonThe written steps below cover everything in the meantime.

Every Tabern site starts on its Tabern address, yoursubdomain.tabern.app. With the paid plan you can connect a domain you already own. Once it's live, your Tabern address keeps working and forwards guests to your domain.

Who can use it

Custom domains come with the paid plan. On a free website, the Custom domain row in Website Settings shows a lock and a See paid plan button. To upgrade, see Billing & subscription.

Before you start

  • Own the domain. If you don't have one yet, buy it from any domain company (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Squarespace, and others), then come back.
  • Have that company's login handy. You'll add one or two records in its DNS settings.
  • Settle your subdomain first. The main DNS record points at your Tabern subdomain, so pick the one you'll keep in Subdomain Settings before you connect. See Sharing & SEO.

Connect your domain

  1. Open Settings → Website Settings and expand Subdomain Settings.

  2. Under Custom domain, click Connect a domain.

  3. Step 1, Domain: type your domain (for example joesbar.com) and click Continue.

  4. Step 2, DNS records: add the records shown at your domain company, then click I've added them.

  5. Step 3, Verify: Tabern looks up your records and shows what it found. Click Done. You can close the window while it keeps checking.

Your progress is saved, so closing the window doesn't lose anything. Click Continue setup to pick up where you left off.

What to type

  • joesbar.com or www.joesbar.com: your site runs on www.joesbar.com, and joesbar.com forwards to it.
  • A subdomain like menu.joesbar.com is used exactly as typed, with no forwarding.
  • Domains with a two-part ending (like .co.uk): type the www version, for example www.joesbar.co.uk, to get the bare-domain forward.
  • Addresses ending in tabern.app aren't accepted, because your subdomain already covers them.
  • A domain that's already connected to another Tabern site can't be connected again.

The DNS records

Sign in where you bought the domain and open its DNS settings (sometimes called "DNS records", "Advanced DNS", or "Manage zone"). The wizard shows the exact values, each with a copy button.

  • CNAME record. Host / Name: www (or the part before your domain, such as menu for menu.joesbar.com). Value / Points to: your Tabern address, yoursubdomain.tabern.app. This record proves the domain is yours, so it must point at your own subdomain exactly.
  • A record, only when you typed a bare domain like joesbar.com. Host / Name: @. Value / IP address: the address shown in the wizard. This lets joesbar.com (without www) forward to your site.
  • TTL: Automatic, or the lowest option.

Verification and status

When you click I've added them, Tabern checks right away and marks each record Found or Not yet, with what it found instead. DNS changes usually show up within an hour, sometimes longer. Next to your domain in Website Settings, a badge shows where setup is:

  • Waiting for DNS: the right records haven't shown up yet. Tabern re-checks on its own about every five minutes. Check again in the wizard checks immediately.
  • Securing: records found. Tabern is setting up HTTPS for your domain, which usually takes a few minutes.
  • Live: your domain is serving your site securely. The domain name becomes a link you can open.
  • Needs attention: setup stopped, either because the records weren't found within 7 days or because the security certificate couldn't be issued. Click Continue setup to see which record is wrong, fix it, then click Check again to restart.

While setup is pending, the badge updates on its own, so you can leave the page open. Once the domain is live, View DNS records shows the records again.

What changes when it's live

  • Your public pages move to your domain. Anyone who visits your Tabern address is forwarded there, so existing links and QR codes keep working.
  • Search engines see your domain. Your page addresses and sitemap use it.
  • Some pages stay on your Tabern address. Sign-in, your dashboard, account pages, kiosks, and your rewards page always run there. Opening them on your domain sends the visitor to the Tabern address.
  • If your paid plan ends, visitors see your Tabern address again within a minute or so. Your domain setup is kept, and the domain comes back automatically when you upgrade again.

Change or remove the domain

  • Switch to a different domain: open the wizard (Continue setup, or View DNS records then Back) and enter the new domain in step 1. This replaces the old domain and restarts setup.
  • Remove it: click Remove next to the domain, then Yes, remove. Your site goes back to its Tabern address right away. You can then delete the records you added at your domain company.