Prepare the domain

A custom domain can and should be prepared several days before a planned launch date. To be available for your site launch, the domain must be added to the VIP Dashboard and ownership of the domain must be verified.

Add the domain to the VIP Dashboard

The custom domain for your upcoming site launch must be added to the Domains & TLS panel of the VIP Dashboard. Domains have specific environment associations, so make sure that you add the domain to the Domains & TLS panel for the production environment.

When you add the domain, add the www or the non-www variant that you want to be the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for the launched site.

For example, if you want your launched site to be reachable at example.com, and for requests to www.example.com to redirect to example.com, add example.com (the non-www variant) to the Domains & TLS panel.

Verify the domain

A domain that has been added to the VIP Dashboard must be verified before you can have access to DNS instructions or install a Let’s Encrypt certificate. Domain verification proves that you own the domain and that you have the necessary credentials to access the domain’s DNS settings.

Only a verified domain can be used for launching a site.

Instructions for verifying the domain can be accessed in the Domains & TLS panel of the environment’s VIP Dashboard.

Lower the domain’s Time To Live (TTL)

In preparation for the site launch, the domain’s TTL should be lowered to 300 (seconds, or 5 minutes) or less. Lowering the domain’s TTL ensures that a DNS change from the previous hosting provider’s address to WPVIP’s address is recognized as quickly as possible.

Updating the domain’s TTL should be completed at least 24 hours before the site launch is planned to occur. Check with the domain’s DNS provider for specific instructions on how to update a domain’s TTL on their system.

Install a TLS certificate

A site must have a TLS certificate installed in order to complete the launch process. TLS certificates can be procured and installed as a self-service feature of the VIP Dashboard.

Let’s Encrypt certificates are available by default for all domains and can only be installed after a domain’s DNS is pointed to WPVIP and fully propagated. You will be prompted to install a Let’s Encrypt certificate by the VIP Dashboard launch tools during the launch process.
Custom TLS certificates can be installed at any time prior to a launch, even before a domain’s DNS is pointed to WPVIP. Pre-installed custom TLS certificates will be available and working immediately when a site is launched.