Connecting a custom domain to Blogger looks simple until DNS,
www, HTTPS and redirects all start talking to each other.I have dealt with enough domain configuration to know that the dangerous approach is changing several records at once without writing down what the final URL is supposed to be.
The goal is not merely to make the domain open.
The goal is to make one clear version of the site work consistently.
For example:
https://www.example.com/
Then the other common versions should lead to that preferred version in a predictable way.
This guide follows Blogger's current official custom-domain setup.
Before changing anything: decide your preferred domain
Blogger custom domains use a subdomain such as:
www.example.com
or:
blog.example.com
Blogger's settings documentation says custom-domain blogs must use a top-level domain plus a subdomain; the naked root can be redirected to that custom domain.
For most normal blog setups, www.example.com is straightforward.
Write down the final URL before editing DNS:
https://www.example.com
That decision prevents accidental mixtures of:
http://example.com
https://example.com
http://www.example.com
https://www.example.com
Step 1: Back up your current DNS records
Before deleting or replacing anything, take screenshots or export your DNS zone if your provider supports it.
Pay attention to:
- A records;
- CNAME records;
- TXT verification records;
- MX records if your domain has email;
- CAA records.
Do not delete email-related records simply because they are not part of Blogger.
The goal is to change only what the website connection requires.
Step 2: Add the custom domain in Blogger first
In Blogger:
- Open your blog.
- Go to Settings.
- Find Publishing.
- Select Custom domain.
- Enter your chosen address, such as
www.example.com. - Save.
For a new setup, Blogger may show two CNAME records.
The first is the general Blogger CNAME.
For a www setup, it is typically:
Name/Host: www
Destination: ghs.google.com
Blogger also provides a second security CNAME specific to your domain/account.
It looks like a short unique host pointing to a longer googlehosted.com value.
Do not copy somebody else's security CNAME from a tutorial.
Use the exact values Blogger gives you.
Step 3: Create the two CNAME records at your DNS provider
Open the DNS management page at the company controlling your domain's nameservers.
Add the Blogger CNAME:
Type: CNAME
Host: www
Target: ghs.google.com
Then add your unique security CNAME exactly as Blogger provided it.
DNS dashboards use different names such as:
- Host;
- Name;
- Label;
- Points to;
- Target;
- Destination.
The concept is the same.
If your provider automatically appends the domain name, entering www is usually enough for the host.
Step 4: Configure the naked/root domain redirect
If you want:
example.com
to redirect to:
www.example.com
Blogger's current official instructions use four A records for the root domain:
216.239.32.21
216.239.34.21
216.239.36.21
216.239.38.21
At many DNS providers the host is @ or left blank.
Blogger says existing A records for the naked domain should be removed when they conflict with this setup.
Be careful here.
If your root domain currently points to another service intentionally, changing these records changes that behavior.
Step 5: Wait for DNS to propagate
DNS changes are not always visible immediately.
Blogger says activation may require waiting, and custom-domain changes can take time to propagate.
Instead of repeatedly changing records because the domain does not work after five minutes, verify that the records are correct and give DNS time.
Constantly changing the configuration makes diagnosis harder.
Step 6: Save the custom domain again in Blogger
After the DNS records are active, return to:
Blogger → Settings → Publishing → Custom domain
Enter the same www address and save.
If Blogger accepts it, the blog is connected to the custom domain.
Step 7: Turn on the root-domain redirect
Under Publishing, Blogger provides a Redirect domain option.
For a standard example.com → www.example.com setup, enable it after the root A records are configured.
Now a person who types the naked domain should be redirected toward the Blogger custom domain.
That redirect is normal.
It does not mean your site has an SEO problem simply because one URL redirects to the preferred one.
Step 8: Enable HTTPS
For a custom domain, review Blogger's HTTPS settings.
You want the secure version to be the normal destination.
Once HTTPS is available, turn on HTTPS redirect so users do not remain on an insecure HTTP version.
Then test:
http://example.com
https://example.com
http://www.example.com
https://www.example.com
They should converge on the intended secure URL.
The exact redirect chain may be handled by Blogger, but the visitor should end at the correct canonical site rather than seeing different copies of the same content.
Important if you use CAA records
Blogger's current help page includes an important warning: if your domain uses CAA records, letsencrypt.org must be permitted or Blogger may be unable to create or renew the SSL certificate.
Do not add CAA records just because you read that sentence.
This matters only if your DNS already uses CAA restrictions.
Step 9: Do not change Blogger post permalinks casually
Connecting a custom domain changes the hostname used for the blog.
That is different from changing every post path.
If an old article has a path such as:
/2026/07/my-old-post.html
I do not change that permalink simply because the content was improved.
Keeping stable paths reduces unnecessary URL changes.
If a URL truly must move, use Blogger's redirect features appropriately instead of leaving the old address broken.
Step 10: Update internal references you control
After the custom domain is stable, check:
- navigation links;
- footer links;
- canonical tags;
- sitemap;
- social profiles;
- Search Console property;
- analytics;
- old hard-coded Blogspot URLs in the theme.
Blogger can handle platform redirects, but I would rather my own internal links point directly to the preferred destination.
That avoids unnecessary redirect hops.
Step 11: Check the sitemap
Blogger generates site feeds/sitemaps rather than requiring you to hand-write an XML file.
For Google, the important principle is that a sitemap should contain the canonical URLs you actually want discovered.
Open your sitemap directly in a browser and confirm that it loads.
Then use Google Search Console's Sitemaps report for your verified property.
A sitemap submission is a discovery hint, not a guarantee that every URL will be indexed.
Step 12: Inspect important URLs in Search Console
Use URL Inspection on:
- the homepage;
- a recent article;
- an older article;
- an important static page.
Check what Google sees as the canonical URL.
If you recently changed the domain or configuration, search systems need time to recrawl and reprocess signals.
Do not expect every report to change immediately after DNS becomes active.
Common mistakes I avoid
Using the wrong CNAME target
Follow the current values Blogger gives you. The main www target in Blogger's current help is ghs.google.com, plus the unique security CNAME.
Deleting MX records
Website DNS and email DNS can coexist. Do not destroy domain email while trying to fix the blog.
Creating multiple competing website records
If www points to Blogger but another conflicting record also exists for www, the result can be unpredictable.
Turning off redirects because Search Console says “Page with redirect”
A redirect from an alternate URL to the preferred URL can be completely intentional.
The question is whether the redirect goes to the correct destination.
Changing post URLs during the domain move
Do one kind of change at a time when possible.
Moving the domain and rewriting every permalink simultaneously creates more things for users and search engines to rediscover.
The final test
I consider the domain setup healthy when:
- the intended
https://www...version opens; - the naked domain reaches it;
- HTTP reaches HTTPS;
- there is no redirect loop;
- post URLs still work;
- HTTPS certificate is valid;
- sitemap opens;
- internal links use the preferred host.
A custom domain should make the site easier to identify, not introduce five competing versions of it.
The boring part—deciding one preferred URL and making every configuration agree with it—is what keeps the setup clean.
Technical references
- Blogger custom-domain help: https://support.google.com/blogger/answer/1233387
- Blogger settings help: https://support.google.com/blogger/answer/9691230
- Google sitemap guidance: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/sitemaps/build-sitemap