Step-by-step instructions for connecting your IONOS (formerly 1&1) domain to WedSites.
​

If you registered your domain with IONOS (also known as 1&1 IONOS or 1&1), follow these steps to add the DNS records needed to connect it to your WedSites wedding website.
​

Make sure you've added your domain to WedSites first. Go to Settings > General and enter your custom domain, then save. Then come back here to set up your DNS records.
​

You'll need access to your IONOS account. Make sure you can log in and that you have permission to manage DNS for your domain.
​

You'll be adding these two records to your IONOS domain:
​

Important: Which records you need depends on your domain. If you're using an apex domain (like yourwedding.com), add both records so that yourwedding.com and www.yourwedding.com both work. If you're using a subdomain (like wedding.yourwedding.com), add the CNAME record only — the A record would point your whole domain at WedSites, which isn't what you want.
​

Go to ionos.com (or ionos.co.uk for UK) and log in to your account.
​

IONOS often sets up a default parking page or "under construction" page.
​

Look at your DNS records and check for any existing A records for your root domain (shown as blank host or @ symbol).
​

If you see existing A records for the root:
- You need to delete any A records that don't point to 37.16.10.26
- Having multiple A records causes your domain to only work sometimes
- Click Delete or the trash icon next to each conflicting record
​

Common conflicting records to look for:
- IONOS parking page A records
- Old hosting A records
- Multiple A records with different values
​

Using a subdomain like wedding.yourwedding.com? Skip this step. Your domain only needs the CNAME record in the next step.
​

Note: IONOS uses "Points to" instead of "Value" for the IP address field.
​

Using a custom subdomain? If you're using something like wedding.yourwedding.com instead of www, replace "www" with "wedding" in the Host Name field. This is the only record you need for a subdomain.
​

Important: Make sure there's no trailing dot after domains.wedsites.com unless IONOS requires it (most don't).
​

IONOS usually saves changes immediately when you add each record. Verify that both records appear in your DNS records list.
​

Wait for DNS propagation. IONOS DNS changes typically take effect within 30 minutes to 2 hours, but can take up to 24-48 hours in some cases.
​

SSL certificate is automatic. Once your domain connects, we'll automatically add an SSL certificate so your site works with https. This happens within a few hours of your domain connecting.
​

Test your domain. After waiting, try visiting your domain in a browser. You should see your wedding website!
​

Domain not working after a few hours?
- Double-check that you entered the DNS records exactly as shown above
- Make sure you deleted any conflicting A records
- Verify you disabled any parking page or placeholder website
- Check that you entered your domain in WedSites under Settings > General
​

Still seeing IONOS parking page or "under construction"?
- Go back to domain settings and disable the parking page feature
- Delete all old A records for the root domain
- Wait for DNS propagation and try clearing your browser cache
​

Getting "Host Name already exists" error?
- This means there's already a record with that Host Name
- Find and delete the existing record before adding the new one
- Or edit the existing record to change the Points to value
​

CNAME record conflicts?
- Make sure your CNAME is for "www" (subdomain) not blank (root)
- You can't have a CNAME and A record with the same Host Name
- Verify there are no other CNAME records for "www"
​

Need to verify DNS setup?
- Go to dnschecker.org
- Enter your domain and select "A" record type
- You should see 37.16.10.26 in the results
​

IONOS vs 1&1: IONOS was formerly known as 1&1 Internet. If you signed up before the rebrand, your account may still show as "1&1" but the interface is the same.
​

MyWebsite or Website Builder: If you're using IONOS's built-in website builder (MyWebsite), you'll need to disconnect it before adding custom DNS records. Go to your package details and disable or cancel the MyWebsite feature.
​

Nameserver mode: IONOS has different DNS modes. Make sure you're using "IONOS nameservers" (default) and not "External nameservers" for these instructions to work.
​

IPv6 (AAAA records): IONOS may prompt you to add IPv6 (AAAA) records. You can skip this — the A record is all you need for WedSites.
​

Mail service: If you use IONOS for email, your MX records are separate and won't be affected by adding A and CNAME records for your website.
​

If you're stuck or something isn't working, reach out to our support team and we'll help you get your domain connected!
​