CODEWITHSUNDEEP
dnssettingssquarespace
pjaj
pjaj

Reputation: 235

Setting up DNS record in Ionos hosted domain for SquareSpace

There seems to be a conflict between the DNS settings SquareSpace needs in order to set up a connection to the SquareSpace Analytics Search Console and what DNS settings Ionos will allow.
On Square Space the relevant setting are found at Home > Analytics > Connect followed by logging in with a gmail account and then clicking on Allow. At which we get the error message

Something went wrong
Sorry, something went wrong there. Please try again

I raised a query with SquareSpace and their response boils down to

There's one DNS record missing. You'd need to go into your domain's DNS settings in your domain provider's end and then add the following record:
Type: CNAME
Host: www
Points To: ext-cust.squarespace.com

Over to IONOS where the domain is registered and into the DNS settings which are currently

MX  @   mx00.1and1.co.uk        
MX  @   mx01.1and1.co.uk    
TXT @   "v=spf1 include:_spf.perfora.net include:_spf.kundenserver.de -all" -   
CNAME   _domainconnect  _domainconnect.1and1.com    Standard Record  
CNAME   autodiscover    adsredir.1and1.info Standard Record  
A   ftp 198.185.159.144

and attempt to add a new record as per SquareSpace's instructions above, only to get the error message

A CNAME record can only be set for a subdomain. To alias your main domain please use Redirect

But looking at redirect I'm worried that, if I set this up, all the email addresses that use the same domain and Ionos' mail servers will fail. I seem to remember trying this exercise about 2 years ago, but managed to kill everyone's email accounts (!) until I removed it again.

Has anyone had this problem and solved it? It seems specific to SquareSpace / Ionos as they both give a standard set of instructions which they expect to work.

Later

After working with Ionos' customer service desk, they managed to add the required Squarespace DNS entry and they now read

TYPE    HOST NAME   VALUE   SERVICE ACTIONS
CNAME   autodiscover.www    adsredir.1and1.info Standard Record 
CNAME   www ext-cust.squarespace.com    -   
CNAME   autodiscover    adsredir.1and1.info Standard Record 
CNAME   _domainconnect  _domainconnect.1and1.com    Standard Record 
TXT @   "v=spf1 include:_spf.perfora.net include:_spf.kundenserver.de -all" -   
MX  @   mx01.1and1.co.uk    -   
MX  @   mx00.1and1.co.uk    -   
A   @   198.185.159.144

But the problem persists, something is still wrong when I try to attach the Google search console (AKA Squarespace Analytics Search Console - Squarespace call it two different names in different parts of their site).

Upvotes: 0

Views: 983

Answers (1)

pjaj
pjaj

Reputation: 235

Having fixed the DNS entries to satisfy Squarespace, the "allow" error still persisted.
Squarespace customer service then suggested clearing the browser cache or using a different browser. Clearing the Chrome cache didn't work, but switching from Chrome to MS Edge did. Logging into our Squarespace account on Edge finally let the process run to completion.
I presume there must have been some information still cached in Chrome that Squarespace didn't like, I only cleared the temporary files, not the cookies or the history as I wanted to keep these for other sites.
The cause of the problem remains a mystery.

Upvotes: 0

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