Client Managed DNS
Last updated: June 18, 2024
Previous to Cloudflare Enterprise (March 2022) all clients’ DNS was managed by FareHarbor. Now clients have the ability to take back control of their DNS. This help page will walk you through how to do that. Whenever domain.com is mentioned, you will need to replace it with the actual domain name of your website.
Note: this process can also be followed for Wix sites in which the client maintains control over the DNS and we do not have the ability to change the nameservers.
If you are not familiar with DNS terms click here for a presentation containing descriptions, acronyms and common terms.
Google Search Console Setup
Search console is used to submit the new website sitemap to Google and request the new site be indexed. Before doing this the site will need to be verified at a domain level. Follow the steps below to obtain a TXT record that will be used later in the process when DNS records are updated.
Enter Search Console
- Sign in to the FareHarbor analytics account associated with the tracking ID on the site
- Navigate to Search Console
Add New Property
- Click on the dropdown below the menu in the left-hand corner and click “Add property” at the bottom
- Select “Domain” type and enter the domain (no https or www). Click continue.
- Search Console will prompt you to verify domain ownership via DNS record:
- Copy and save the TXT record provided to use later in the Cloudflare Setup Section
- Do not verify the domain ownership until the TXT record has been added to the client’s DNS.
Cloudflare and DNS
Visit Cloudflare Status
- Don’t take your site live if Cloudflare has issues that affect SSL or propagation
Add Site to Wordpress VIP via WordPress Admin
- In the backend of the WordPress Admin navigate to the Info tab
- Change the listed URL in
Site Address (URL)from https://domain.fareharbor.site/ to https://domain.com/ to match the domain name the client wants to go live on. This will add the domain to the VIP Dash.
If the domain has a www (check Pre-Sweep SEO doc) this needs to be included in this section (formatted as https://www.domain.com/)
- Select
Client controlled DNS - Click Save Changes – It is important that these values get saves in our database
Get VIP Verification code
- In the VIP Dashboard find the domain
- Click the three dots under “Actions” and select “Verify Domain”
- Copy the TXT record provided to add to the client’s DNS in the next step
DNS Update
DNS Records Setup (While logged in the clients domain registrar)
- Delete any records with domain.com as the name (not including MX or TXT records)
- Add an A record with the following information:
- Name: @
- Value: 192.0.66.239
- Add an A record with the following information:
- Name: www
- Value: 192.0.66.239
- Add a TXT record with the following information:
- Name: _wpvip.domain.com
- Value: copied from VIP Dashboard
- Add the TXT record that you obtained earlier from Search Console with the following information:
- Name: @
- Value: copied from Search Console
If the domain registrar or DNS management system allows CNAME flattening, the following records should be added instead of the A records above:
- Add a CNAME record with the following information:
- Name: @
- Value: fareharbor-sites.go-vip.net
- Add a CNAME record with the following information:
- Name: www
- Value: fareharbor-sites.go-vip.net
DNS Records Check
- Verify that all statuses show ‘Active’ on the Info tab
Close Field Update
Because the client will be controlling their own DNS a field in close will need to be updated for all internal team members to be able to refer to.
- In Close navigate to the clients lead
- Click the pencil icon on the FareHarbor Sites custom object
- In the “Add Custom Field to FareHarbor Site” select “FHS – DNS Managed”
- For the value select “Client”
- Click Save
Return to the WordPress step in the Go Live Checklist help doc