Point a Squarespace domain at your church website

Do this

1. 1Publish your site with us first. The moment you delete Squarespace's records, the old Squarespace site on this domain goes dark.
2. 2account.squarespace.com/domains → your domain → DNS → DNS settings.
3. 3Read the Squarespace Defaults block. Write down every row in it that is not A or CNAME. Any MX row is your church email — stop and tell us.
4. 4Click the red trash can on Squarespace Defaults. Confirm. No such block? Skip this step.
5. 5Scroll to Custom Records. Click Add record. Enter your Squarespace password or 2FA code if asked. Continue.
6. 6Type A. Name @. IP Address from the domain screen. Leave TTL if it is there. Save.
7. 7Add record. Type CNAME. Name www. Data from the domain screen. Leave TTL if it is there. Save.
8. 8Back to the domain screen. It says Live on its own.

4 traps

• Delete Squarespace Defaults firstA preset block sits above Custom Records holding Squarespace's own A and www records. Your domain cannot point anywhere else while it is there. One red trash can takes the whole block — including the SPF, DKIM and DMARC TXT rows inside it. Squarespace cannot put those back one at a time. Read the block before you delete it.
• Never click Add PresetIt offers Squarespace defaults and puts the block straight back. Your two records stop working.
• The value box is not called ValueFor the A record it says IP Address. For the CNAME it says Data. The host box says Name both times. Apex is @, not blank.
• This panel may not be liveDNS → Domain Nameservers. They must name Squarespace. If they name another company, nothing you save here is read — use that company's guide. No Domain Nameservers section at all? You pointed the domain here from another registrar. This panel is still the right place.

Do not touch

MX · TXT · NS · SOA. MX is your church email — deleting one stops mail silently. Leave Domain Nameservers alone — changing it moves your email too. Delete only Squarespace Defaults, and only after you have written down every row in it that is not A or CNAME. Nothing else on the page.

Not working

• Nothing after 4 hoursSquarespace Defaults is still there. Delete it. Still nothing? Check DNS → Domain Nameservers names Squarespace.
• Squarespace Defaults came backThe domain is still attached to a Squarespace site. Website → Settings → Domains. Remove it there. Then delete the defaults again.
• Custom record not savedIt conflicts with a record already there. The defaults were not deleted. If the clash is www, edit that row instead of adding a second.
• Invalid IP address or Enter valid dataA period on the end of what you pasted. Delete the period.
• Church email now lands in spamYour SPF and DMARC rows went with the defaults. Get the values from your email provider. Add them under Custom Records.
• Email stoppedAn MX row went with the defaults. Tell us, do not keep changing.