Domains and DNS
Manage registrations and renewals, connect a CMS hostname, and preserve existing domain services.
A registered domain, its authoritative DNS provider, and the server running your CMS are separate pieces. You can host the CMS with BRAD while keeping domain registration or DNS elsewhere.
Find the domain record
Open Domains and select the domain. Review the recorded registrar status, expiry date, contact details, nameservers, renewal information, and the controls available for that domain.
If the domain was registered outside BRAD, manage its registration with that registrar. It need not appear in the portal for you to point its DNS at a BRAD installation.
Connect your installation
- Confirm the exact hostname and destination provided by your hosting service.
- Identify where the domain's authoritative DNS is managed.
- Add or update the relevant record there. A hostname may use an A record for an IPv4 address, an AAAA record for IPv6, or a CNAME for a hostname destination, according to the host's instructions.
- Check for stale records that send some visitors to the previous host.
- Verify that the hostname reaches the CMS and serves a valid HTTPS certificate.
Do not guess a server IP from an unrelated portal URL. Use the destination supplied for your specific service. If changing nameservers, copy the complete zone to the new DNS provider first.
Preserve MX and email authentication records, along with records used by other services. Replacing the domain's DNS zone to launch the CMS can disrupt existing email.
DNS caches expire according to record TTLs and resolver behavior. A successful local lookup does not guarantee every visitor sees the new destination immediately.
Register or transfer a domain
For a new registration, provide accurate registrant details and complete any required verification. For a transfer, obtain the authorization code and follow the current registrar's unlock and approval process. Transfer eligibility and timing depend on the registrar and registry.
The portal's available transfer and lock controls reflect what its registrar integration supports. If a transfer is pending, review the domain status and required approvals instead of treating the pending state as an application deployment failure.
Relevant notices are available in domain email verification and domain transfer confirmation.
Renew and confirm fulfillment
Review the expiry and renewal controls in the domain details. Where offered, request renewal for the chosen period and settle the generated invoice. Payment and registrar renewal are separate stages: confirm the new expiry date after payment.
If the portal reports that a paid renewal did not complete, contact support with the domain and invoice reference. Avoid raising another renewal invoice while the existing one is being reconciled.
Change the CMS hostname
Changing DNS alone does not update the CMS public URL or license binding. Coordinate the change with license reissue, update APP_URL, provision the new certificate, and verify mail links and WebSocket connections.
Use the migration checklist for a planned server or domain move.