How to Connect Your Booking Website to Your Own Domain

Already have a domain you want to use? You can connect it to your Holidu booking website to drive more direct bookings under your own brand. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire process in just 6 simple steps.

Before You Start

Make sure you have access to your domain provider's settings (such as AWS, Vercel, GoDaddy, or any other domain registrar). A quick heads-up: if you already have a website live on that domain, it will be replaced by your direct booking website once this process is complete.

Step-by-Step Guide to Connecting Your Domain

Step 1: Enable Your Booking Website and Start the Connection Process

The first step is to prepare your Holidu booking website for domain connection:

1. Click Enable website if it is not enabled yet
2. Click Connect my domain
3. Enter your existing domain name when prompted

Once you've entered your domain, a DNS tab will appear in your Holidu app. This is where you'll find the specific DNS values you need to copy and add to your domain provider's settings in the next steps.

Tip: Don't worry if you're not familiar with DNS settings — we'll guide you through each step. Think of DNS records as instructions that tell the internet where your domain should point to.

Step 2: Create a New CNAME Record in Your Domain Settings

A CNAME (Canonical Name) record tells your domain to point to Holidu's servers. Here's how to set it up:

1. Log in to your domain provider's account
2. Look for an option to create a new DNS record or CNAME record
3. A form will open where you'll enter the following information:
• For Type, select CNAME
• Copy the "NAME" value from the CNAME line in your Holidu app and paste it into the name field
• Copy the "VALUE" from the same CNAME line in your Holidu app and paste it into the value field
• The "TTL" (Time To Live) and "Routing policy" fields can usually keep their default values
4. Save and create the record

Important: If there are already records saved for the domain you want to use, delete those first. This disconnects your existing website from the domain so it won't be accessible to guests anymore. This step is necessary to connect your domain to your new direct booking website.

Step 3: Add a CAA DNS Record in Your Domain Settings

A CAA (Certification Authority Authorization) record secures your domain. Follow these steps:

1. Create another new DNS record in your domain provider's settings
2. For Type, select CAA
3. Copy the "NAME" value from the CAA line in your Holidu app and paste it into the name field
4. In the value field, paste the value from your Holidu app (marked as the CAA value)
5. Special note for some providers: Some domain providers require a special format for the value field, such as 0 issue "awstrust.com". In this case, add the value from Holidu within quotation marks
6. The "TTL" and "Routing policy" fields can keep their default values
7. Save and create the record

Step 4: Let Holidu Verify Your DNS Records

Now that you've added the CNAME and CAA records, Holidu will automatically check your DNS settings to confirm everything is correct.

1. Head back to the Holidu app after setting up your records
2. Wait for Holidu to verify your domain (this usually takes around 5 minutes, but can take up to 48 hours in some cases)
3. Once verified, you'll be guided to the final steps of the setup

Step 5: Add an ALIAS DNS Record in Your Domain Settings

Once Holidu has verified your domain, there's one more DNS record to add to complete the connection. This is the final DNS record needed:

1. In your Holidu app, you'll see the new DNS values needed for the ALIAS record
2. Log back into your domain provider's settings
3. Create a new DNS record
4. For Type, select ALIAS
5. Enter the NAME and VALUE values provided by Holidu in the corresponding fields
6. Save and create the record

Important Checklist: Before proceeding to Step 6, make sure your domain provider settings now include all three of the following records:

• CNAME record
• CAA record
• ALIAS record

All three records are required for your direct booking website to connect properly to your domain.

Step 6: Final Verification and Launch

You're almost there! The final step is to confirm everything is working:

1. Head back to the Holidu admin interface
2. Wait for the domain to be fully verified (you'll see a confirmation message)
3. Once verified, your direct booking website is now live on your own domain

Congratulations! You can now access your direct booking website by visiting your own domain. Your guests can make reservations directly under your brand, and you'll benefit from increased brand recognition and direct bookings.

Troubleshooting Tips

If your domain isn't connecting after following these steps:

• DNS changes take time: DNS records can take 24-48 hours to propagate globally, though most changes appear within 5 minutes
• Check record types: Ensure you've created CNAME, CAA, and ALIAS records (not A or MX records)
• Verify values: Double-check that you've copied the NAME and VALUE fields exactly as shown in your Holidu app, with no extra spaces
• Delete old records: Make sure any existing records for your domain have been removed before adding new ones

Need Additional Help?

If you encounter any issues while connecting your domain or have questions about DNS records, our customer support team is here to help. Don't hesitate to reach out through your Holidu account for personalized assistance.