Domain FAQs

Getting a domain

→What is a domain, and do I need one?

⇒A domain is the web address people type to reach your website, such as www.yourbusiness.com. Every B12 website comes with a free address ending in .b12sites.com, so you can publish without a domain. A custom domain looks more professional and is easier for customers to remember.

→Can I use a custom domain on the Free plan?

⇒No. Free websites stay on their .b12sites.com address and can't be connected to a custom domain. They also display B12 ads. To use your own domain, upgrade to the Website plan or above.

→I keep seeing "free domain" and "custom domains need a paid plan". Which is it?

⇒These describe different things. A paid plan is what allows any custom domain to be connected to your website. The free domain is a first-year registration credit included with paid plans, which covers the cost of buying a new domain through B12's partner, IONOS. 

→What are my options for getting a domain?

⇒There are three. You can register a new domain through B12, which includes your first year at no cost on paid plans. You can connect a domain you already own. Or you can buy a domain from any other registrar, such as GoDaddy, Cloudflare, or Network Solutions, and then connect it. See Domains and your B12 website for a full comparison.

→Do I have to transfer my domain to B12?

⇒No, B12 doesn't register domains. We use a registrar partner, IONOS, for new domain purchases. If you already own a domain, you should keep your current registrar and simply point the domain at your B12 website. No need to start a domain transfer instead of connecting through DNS.

→What does the free domain actually cover?

⇒It covers the first year of registration for a new domain bought through B12's partner, IONOS. This is subject to availability and pricing exclusions. You get one free domain, even though the checkout will let you add more than one to your cart. A credit card is required at checkout so the domain can renew in year two. IONOS, B12's registrar partner, may also place a temporary authorization or verification charge on your card at the time of purchase.

→How soon will I have my free domain?

⇒This might depend. Registration is completed by IONOS. Sometimes it's instant. Sometimes it can take a couple of days, and IONOS may ask you for additional information first. Watch your email, including the spam folder, for anything IONOS sends you.

→What happens when the free year is up?

⇒Your registrar charges you to renew, using the card you provided at checkout. The domain will renew at the regular pricing you agree to during the checkout with IONOS. This renewal is separate from your B12 subscription and isn't billed by B12. See Do I need to renew my domain?

→Some registrars are trying to sell me SSL certificates and hosting. Do I need those?

⇒No. B12 hosts your website and issues its SSL certificate automatically once your domain is connected, at no extra cost. If a registrar is pushing add-ons and you're not sure, email hello@b12.io before you buy.

Connecting a domain you own

→How do I connect a domain I already own?

⇒Open Domains in the left menu and select Connect domain I already own. Enter your domain, then select Sync domain and Continue. B12 detects your domain provider and asks you to log in, then updates your DNS records for you. Full steps are in Publishing your website on a custom domain.

→Can B12 just connect the domain for me?

⇒No. The final step has to be approved inside your own domain provider account, because that account proves you own the domain. B12 can't sign in on your behalf, and neither can any other website platform. What B12 does do is fill in every DNS value automatically once you're logged in, so you don't have to type any records yourself. If you get stuck at that step, contact support and we'll walk you through it screen by screen.

→What does "Make this my primary domain" do?

⇒It tells search engines which address is the official one for your website. B12 does this by adding a canonical tag to every page pointing at your primary domain. If you only have one domain, check this box.

→I have two domains connected. Which one will my website use?

⇒Both. Each connected domain serves your website at its own address, and the primary domain is the one search engines treat as official. Additional domains don't automatically redirect to the primary. If you want one address to forward to the other, set up a redirect (sometimes called domain forwarding) at your domain registrar, because B12 doesn't do it. If you simply have a domain you no longer want, remove it and mark the correct one as primary.

→Can I connect a subdomain, like shop.mybusiness.com?

⇒Yes. Any subdomain works, not just www. Enter the subdomain you want, removing the www that's added for you, and connect it as usual. A subdomain needs only a CNAME record, so it's a simpler setup than a root domain. The SSL certificate can take a little longer to appear on a subdomain than the connection does.

→My domain provider isn't in the list, or the automatic connection failed.

⇒You can add the DNS records yourself instead. Follow Manually connecting your domain to B12, which lists the exact values to enter. Every registrar lays out its DNS screen differently, so match the record types rather than the layout.

→How long does connecting a domain take?

⇒It may take a few hours for your domain to show as Connected, and up to 24 to 48 hours for your website to appear on the domain. This wait is normal and isn't a sign that something went wrong.

My domain isn't connecting

→I connected my domain but it still shows as not connected.

⇒Wait out the propagation window first. If it's been more than 48 hours, check what the internet currently sees for your domain at whatsmydns.net (opens in a new tab). If the records there don't match what B12 set, the change didn't save at your registrar and you should run the connection again.

→My CNAME record looks right, but the domain still won't connect.

⇒Compare the target address character by character against the .b12sites.com address shown in B12. A single wrong or missing letter is one of the most common causes, and it's easy to miss because the address is long and looks correct at a glance. Copy and paste it rather than typing it.

→My domain was connected before and now it shows as disconnected. I didn't change anything.

⇒Re-run the sync. Open Domains, select the domain, and choose Sync domain to re-apply B12's DNS values. If the sync completes but the domain drops again, the cause is almost always on the registrar's side: an unanswered verification email, an expired registration, or a hold on the account. Sign in to your registrar and clear anything pending there first.

→I get "This domain has already been claimed and is not available."

⇒The domain is still attached to another B12 website, often an older account or a site you no longer use. If you still have access to that account, you can remove the domain. If you no longer have access, contact B12 Support with the domain name, the website you want to connect it to, and the email address on the older account, and the team will verify and help remove it for you.

→My domain has expired. What happens now?

⇒Renew it with your registrar as soon as possible. Once the renewal goes through, allow another 24 to 48 hours for the domain to start working again. Nothing on your B12 website is lost while a domain is expired, only the address stops working. Contact your registrar right away to confirm renewal options.

→I have more than one A record for my domain. Is that a problem?

⇒Yes. Your root domain (shown as @ in most DNS screens) should have exactly one A record. Extra A records left over from a previous host send visitors to the wrong place at random. Delete the ones that don't match the value B12 provides.

→I use Cloudflare and my domain won't connect.

⇒Turn off Cloudflare's proxy for your B12 records. In your Cloudflare DNS settings, each record has a cloud icon. An orange cloud means the traffic is proxied through Cloudflare, which prevents B12 from serving your website and issuing its SSL certificate. Click the icon so it turns gray, which sets the record to DNS only.

→My registrar won't let me edit the records, or the domain still won't resolve.

⇒Some registrars lock DNS records, and some domains have extra security settings that block changes from taking effect. Two to check: whether your registrar has the records locked, and whether DNSSEC is switched on. DNSSEC is a security feature that signs your DNS, and if it's enabled without a matching key at your nameserver, the domain stops resolving entirely. Your registrar's support team can turn it off.

→My domain shows as connected, but visitors see an error (404).

⇒Your website needs to be published. Connecting a domain points the address at B12, but it doesn't push your website live. Select Publish in the top right of the B12 Editor, then check the domain again.

Wrong domain or a security warning

→I published my website, but it loads on a different domain than the one I want.

⇒Confirm the domain you want is marked as your primary domain and that you don't have any unwanted or unused domains listed, then publish again. A partial or stale publish can leave an older domain resolving even after a new one is connected. Republishing pushes the website to the correct address.

→My website works at www.mybusiness.com but not at mybusiness.com.

⇒Your A record likely needs to be corrected. These are two different addresses, and both need to point at B12. The www version uses a CNAME record and the version without www (called the root or apex) uses an A record. If only one is set up, the other won't work. B12 doesn't automatically forward one to the other, so if you want visitors who leave off the www to land on your website, both records have to be in place.

→My website shows a "not secure" warning or an SSL error.

⇒This means the security certificate for your domain isn't being served yet. B12 issues an SSL certificate automatically once your domain points correctly at B12, so there are three usual causes. The domain may still be propagating, in which case waiting out 48 hours resolves it. A proxy may be sitting in front of it, so if you use Cloudflare, set your records to DNS only (the gray cloud). Or only part of your domain points at B12: if the root address still points somewhere else and only www is connected, B12 can't issue a certificate for the address it doesn't control, and that version shows the warning. If none of these apply, re-run Sync domain, and contact support if the warning persists.

→Do I need to buy an SSL certificate for my B12 website?

⇒No. SSL is included and issued automatically for every connected domain. If your registrar offers to sell you one, you can decline it.

→Google is showing my b12sites.com address instead of my domain.

⇒Your default .b12sites.com address stays active after you connect a custom domain and can't be removed, so search engines sometimes index it instead. Making your custom domain the primary domain adds a canonical tag that tells search engines which address to prefer. If the subdomain is already indexed, it can take Google some time to catch up. Use Google Search Console to help index the correct site.

Domains bought through B12

→Who manages a domain I bought through B12?

⇒IONOS, B12's registrar partner. B12 handles the purchase and connects the domain for you, but the registration itself lives in an IONOS account created with the email address you used at checkout. Renewals, contact details, verification, and any DNS changes beyond what B12 sets are all handled there.

→I finished the purchase at IONOS but B12 doesn't show the domain.

⇒If you closed the IONOS window before it sent you back to B12, B12 never received confirmation that the purchase went through. The domain is still yours. Connect it the same way you'd connect any domain you already own, using Connect domain I already own.

→I bought a domain through B12 but I can't find it, or I don't have an IONOS account.

⇒An IONOS account was created during checkout, even if you don't remember setting a password. Go to the IONOS sign-in page, choose the password reset option, and enter the email address you used when you bought the domain. If you still can't get in, or the domain doesn't appear in your account, contact IONOS support directly with your order details, since the registration is held by IONOS and only IONOS can release or correct it. Let B12 support know as well, so the team can help you connect the domain once you have access.

→My address keeps getting rejected when I try to buy a domain.

⇒Domain registration runs address validation, and it's stricter than most checkout forms. Spell words out in full rather than abbreviating (use Street instead of St), remove punctuation and accented or special characters, and use plain letters and numbers only. Registration also isn't available in every country. If the address still won't validate, contact IONOS support to find out why, or buy the domain from another registrar and connect it to B12 manually.

→There's a charge from IONOS I didn't expect.

⇒IONOS may place a temporary authorization or verification charge when a domain is registered, even when the first year is free. These normally drop off on their own. Renewal charges after your first year are also billed by IONOS, not B12. For questions about a specific charge, contact IONOS directly, since B12 doesn't process domain payments.

→Someone from IONOS called me about my website. Is that B12?

⇒No. IONOS sometimes contacts customers directly to sell its own website services. Those offers aren't from B12 and aren't needed for your B12 website. You can decline them.

Email on your domain

→Can I get an email address at my domain through B12?

⇒B12 offers email forwarding and email sending, not mailboxes. Forwarding sends messages arriving at an address on your domain to an inbox you already use. Sending lets you send email from your domain through B12. Neither one gives you an inbox to log in to. Both require a plan that includes Client engagement. See Can I have an email address for my website?

→I don't see the email options when I connect my domain.

⇒Email sending and forwarding for a custom domain are available on plans that include Client engagement. On the Website plan the options don't apply, which is also why the MX and TXT records for email don't appear. 

→I set up email on my domain and now my email has stopped working entirely.

⇒Two things commonly cause this, depending on what you're seeing. The first is that turning on email forwarding adds MX records that redirect your incoming mail to B12, which takes it away from whatever service was receiving it before. In this case, you'll be able to send emails, but not receive them. The second issue is a duplicate or incorrect SPF record. If your domain was already sending email through another service, such as a fundraising platform, a CRM, or Google Workspace, an SPF record already existed, and adding B12's as a second record might break delivery for all of them. Open your DNS settings, delete the extra record, and merge the values into a single record that starts with v=spf1. In this case, you will likely be able to receive emails, but you may have trouble sending emails or getting successful inbox delivery. Sometimes both issues may be happening at once.

→Can I keep using Google Workspace, Outlook, or my registrar's email?

⇒Yes, but not at the same time as B12 email forwarding. A domain can only receive email at one place, so if another provider handles your inbox, leave Enable email forwarding for this domain unchecked. Email sending is different and can stay on, because sending doesn't change where your mail arrives.

→I turned on email forwarding and now my domain shows as not connected.

⇒Turning on forwarding adds MX records to your domain, and if those records aren't in place at your registrar, B12 reports the domain as not connected even though your website is live. Either add the MX records B12 shows you, or reconnect the domain with email forwarding switched off if you don't need it.

→What DNS records does B12 email need?

⇒Two MX records pointing to mxa.mailgun.org and mxb.mailgun.org, both at priority 10, an SPF record containing include:mailgun.org, and a DKIM record that authenticates your messages. The exact values for your domain are shown in B12 when you enable email. Follow How to configure a domain for email forwarding and copy them from there rather than from memory.

→I can't edit or delete B12's email records at my registrar.

⇒If your domain is registered with IONOS, B12's mail records are grouped there under a third-party service setting, which locks them from ordinary editing. To change or remove them, switch that setting off in IONOS, or reconnect the domain in B12 without email forwarding so the records aren't added in the first place.

→My forwarding worked before and has stopped.

⇒Check that your MX records are still in place and that nothing added a second SPF record. Changing email providers, adding a marketing tool, or letting a registrar "optimize" your DNS can all overwrite these. Compare what's live against the values B12 shows for your domain and restore anything missing.

→Can I send marketing emails from my own domain?

⇒Yes, with B12 Email Marketing you can send from a custom subdomain and address, once the domain is set up for sending and its SPF and DKIM records are verified. Until then, campaigns are limited to a small number of contacts. See Use a custom subdomain and email address to send messages with Email marketing.

Changing or moving your domain

→Can I see who changed my domain settings, and when?

⇒B12 doesn't keep a change history for domain settings, so there's no record of which team member connected, removed, or switched a domain. Versions of your website track content changes only. If you need a record of DNS changes, your registrar may keep one in its own account activity log.

→Will I be charged for changing my domain or switching back?

⇒No. B12 doesn't charge for connecting, disconnecting, or switching between domains, and you can change as often as you need. Costs come from your registrar, for registering or renewing a domain.

→I want to move my domain to a different B12 website.

⇒A domain can only be connected to one website at a time, so it has to be removed from the first website before it can be added to the second. If the original website has been cancelled or you can't remove the domain yourself, contact support and the team will detach it for you.

→Can I change my nameservers or manage my own DNS through B12?

⇒No. B12 doesn't host DNS for your domain. B12 supplies the records needed to point your domain at your website, and everything else, including nameservers, additional records, and records for other services, is managed at your registrar or DNS provider.

→What happens to my domain if I cancel or downgrade?

⇒You keep the domain, because it's registered in your name at your registrar, not owned by B12. Custom domains aren't available on the Free plan, so a website that downgrades goes back to its .b12sites.com address. You can point the domain at another host whenever you like by changing its records at your registrar.

→I want to move my domain to another registrar.

⇒Domains bought through B12 are registered with IONOS, so a transfer is arranged between IONOS and your new registrar. Contact support and the team will start the process with you, since a transfer needs details from the receiving registrar.

→I still can't get my domain working.

⇒Contact B12 support through live chat in the B12 Editor or email hello@b12.io. Include your domain name, where it's registered, and what you've already tried, so the team can check your account's actual domain status instead of starting from scratch.