FAQ Library
Domains & DNS
Buying, transferring and pointing domains with the right DNS records.
- Where should I buy my domain name?Any reputable registrar works — Cloudflare Registrar, Namecheap, Google Domains (now Squarespace), Loopia or your country's registry. Cloudflare is recommended for at-cost pricing and built-in DNS.
- How much does a domain cost per year?Most .com, .se and .es domains cost €10-15 per year. Premium TLDs like .ai or .io cost €40-80. Avoid 'introductory' pricing that triples at renewal.
- How do I pick a good domain name?Short, memorable, easy to spell, hard to mishear. Prefer brand names over keyword stuffing — short brand domains age much better.
- Which TLD should I use: .com, .ai or my country TLD?Use .com when you can get it, a country TLD (.se, .es) for a local business, and niche TLDs (.ai, .dev) only when they match your audience and you own the .com as backup.
- What is DNS in plain language?DNS is the phone book of the internet. It translates a name (example.com) to the server IP that should answer. Changes take seconds to hours to spread worldwide.
- Which DNS record types do I need to know?A and AAAA point to IPv4/IPv6 servers, CNAME points to another name, MX routes mail, TXT carries verification and SPF/DKIM, and NS lists the authoritative name servers.
- How do I point my domain at Blanca's Builder?Add the two records shown at /domain — one A or CNAME for the apex and one CNAME for www. The page verifies in real time and shows a green check when ready.
- How do I transfer a domain to another registrar?Unlock the domain, request the auth code (EPP), then start the transfer at the new registrar. It takes 5-7 days and your site keeps working throughout.
- Should I change my nameservers to Cloudflare?Yes if you want one place to manage DNS, caching and security. No if your current provider also handles email and you do not want to migrate those records.
- Why are DNS changes slow to take effect?Resolvers cache records for the TTL you set (often 1-24 hours). Lower the TTL to 5 minutes a day before you plan a change to make the cut-over fast.
- Should I use example.com or www.example.com?Either works. Pick one as canonical and redirect the other. www is friendlier for CNAME flattening on traditional DNS; apex is fine on modern providers like Cloudflare.
- Which tools can I use to debug DNS issues?dnschecker.org, mxtoolbox.com and the built-in /domain checker in Blanca's Builder show how your domain resolves around the world.
- What happens if my domain expires?Most registrars give a 30-day grace plus a 30-day redemption period at a higher fee. After that the domain returns to the public pool. Enable auto-renew.
- How do I protect my domain from being stolen?Enable registrar lock and two-factor authentication, keep WHOIS contact details current, and never share the auth code by email.
- Can I point multiple domains to the same project?Yes. Add each one in /domain. Pick one as canonical; the others 301 to it so SEO authority does not split.
- Can I use subdomains like blog.example.com?Yes. Add a CNAME for the subdomain in your DNS provider pointing to the value shown in /domain. Useful for staging, blogs or per-language sites.
- What is CNAME flattening and why does it matter?Apex domains cannot use traditional CNAME records. Cloudflare and a few others 'flatten' a CNAME into A records on the fly. It makes connecting an apex domain trivial.
- Will pointing my domain at Blanca's Builder break my email?No, as long as you only change the records listed at /domain. Your MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records are untouched.
- Should I enable WHOIS privacy?Yes. WHOIS privacy hides your personal address and phone from public lookups. Almost every registrar offers it free.
- My domain still does not work. What do I check?1) Records match exactly. 2) TTL has expired. 3) DNSSEC chain is intact. 4) No conflicting A record at the apex. 5) Browser cache cleared. The /domain checker walks through all five.