DigitalOcean DNS setup
If your domain’s DNS is hosted at DigitalOcean, connecting it to Redirect Supply means replacing the records that point it to a Droplet or app with a few of your own. DigitalOcean doesn’t register domains itself, so your domain stays wherever you bought it. You only change records here. It takes about five minutes.
Before you start
You need two things ready before you open DigitalOcean.
Add the domain in Redirect Supply
Add your domain in Redirect Supply first. Its settings page shows the records you’ll need, including a TXT value that’s unique to your domain. Keep that page open in another tab. This guide covers a root domain like brand.com. If you’re connecting a subdomain like go.brand.com, the DNS setup guide explains the differences.
Check your nameservers
DigitalOcean’s records only count when your registrar points the domain to DigitalOcean’s nameservers: ns1.digitalocean.com, ns2.digitalocean.com and ns3.digitalocean.com. If it points somewhere else, add the records there instead. The Cloudflare DNS setup guide covers the most common case.
Open your domain in DigitalOcean
All the changes in this guide happen on one page.
Find the domain
Sign in to the DigitalOcean control panel. Select Networking in the main menu, then Domains, and select your domain. A form for creating records sits at the top, and your current records are listed below it.
Records you’ll see there
Every domain has NS records pointing to DigitalOcean. Leave those alone. If the domain served a Droplet, load balancer or app before, you’ll find an A record on @ and a record for www pointing there. Those use the names Redirect Supply needs. Not sure what else counts? The conflict table on your domain’s page in Redirect Supply lists every record that blocks the setup.
Clear the way
Before creating anything, remove what’s already pointing your domain elsewhere.
Delete old @ and www records
Open the More menu (…) next to each A record on @ and any record on www, and choose Delete. DigitalOcean asks you to type the domain name to confirm. Remove any AAAA record on @ too, or visitors on IPv6 will keep reaching the old server.
Detach the domain from apps
If the domain is attached to a DigitalOcean App Platform app, remove it from the app’s domain settings. Otherwise the app may try to manage the same records.
Leave NS and email records alone
NS records keep DigitalOcean answering for your domain, and MX and email TXT records keep your email working. None of them affect redirects, so leave them exactly as they are.
Create the Redirect Supply records
You’ll create four records with the form at the top. In Hostname, enter @ for the root domain or just the prefix. Keep the default TTL.
Name | Type | Value |
|---|---|---|
www | CNAME | proxy.redirect.supply |
@ | A | 188.114.96.9 |
@ | A | 188.114.97.9 |
_cf-custom-hostname | TXT | Value from your domain’s settings page |
Note: In “Will direct to”, type the IP address instead of choosing a Droplet.
Create two A records for the root domain
Choose A, enter @ as the hostname, and in Will direct to, enter the custom IP 188.114.96.9 instead of picking a Droplet. Select Create Record. Create a second A record for @ with 188.114.97.9.
Create the www CNAME
Choose CNAME, enter www as the hostname, and proxy.redirect.supply in Is an alias of. Select Create Record.
Create the TXT record
Choose TXT, enter _cf-custom-hostname as the hostname, and paste the value from your domain’s settings page in Redirect Supply into TXT Value. On some less common domain endings, Redirect Supply also asks for an _acme-challenge TXT record. Add it the same way if you see it.
Check the list
Each record is live as soon as it’s created. Look over the list to make sure all four are there and nothing is left on @ or www from the old setup.
Check the status in Redirect Supply
Once the records are created, you’re done in DigitalOcean.
Check the conflict table
You don’t have to wait to find out if something’s wrong. Your domain’s page in Redirect Supply shows a conflict table with the records currently on your domain. Anything that blocks the setup, like an old Droplet record or a leftover www record, is flagged there along with what to do about it. Fix those first, and the rest is just waiting.
How long it takes
New DigitalOcean records are usually picked up within an hour. How quickly the old ones disappear depends on their TTL.
When the domain goes Active
Redirect Supply checks your records automatically. When it finds them, the domain switches to Active and HTTPS is issued on its own, with no extra steps from you. See Domain statuses for what each status means along the way.
DigitalOcean-specific issues
Most problems with DigitalOcean come from old records or a nameserver mix-up.
The old Droplet or app still loads
An A record on @ or a www record still points to it, or the app still has the domain attached. Remove both and check again in a private window.
Records have no effect
Your registrar doesn’t point the domain to DigitalOcean’s nameservers. Add the records at the provider your nameservers point to, or switch them to DigitalOcean.
The A record form only shows Droplets
The Will direct to field also accepts a typed IP address. Enter 188.114.96.9 directly instead of choosing from the list.
The domain is stuck on Pending
Open the conflict table on your domain’s page in Redirect Supply. It shows which record is blocking the setup, usually an old Droplet record or an old www record. Remove what it flags and wait a few minutes. Record conflicts covers the common cases.