Nepalese citizens and businesses have freedom to get a free website (webspace and domain name) for themselves. They can get free .np domain names from Mercantile Communications Pvt. Ltd. They can also create free blog website using Blogger.com and connect with free .np domain they have got.
One needs CNAME records and A records to link with the Blogger-hosted blog with the custom domain.
Mercantile Communications Pvt. Ltd. allow only to submit the NS records. In such situation, one may find it difficult to get their .np domain name directed to their own Blogger-hosted blog. In this article, we are going to guide our readers how to connect free .np domain and free blogger.com blog.
This process involves 5 stages-
1. Using GoDaddy or any domain registrar ready to edit your .np domain’s registries.
2. Editing NS Details at register.com.np
3. Editing Custom Domain at Blogger.com
4. Editing CNAME and A records using GoDaddy.
5. Confirm Custom Domain at Blogger.com
Stage 1: Using GoDaddy to Add DNS Hosting for .np domain
You can use GoDaddy or any other domain registrar to host the DNS of any remotely registered domain address. For this, you first need to add the domain to your GoDaddy account panel. GoDaddy will suggest you to direct your domain to their name servers.
Please note that GoDaddy will inform you the exact name servers only after you add the domain, not before.
Then you need to go to edit the name server details at the dashboard of original domain registrar. In case of .np domains, please follow these steps to allow GoDaddy to host DNS of your .np domain.
1. Create an account and login into GoDaddy.
You can easily create account at GoDaddy using your email address, Facebook ID or Google ID.
2. Go to My Products >> All Products and Services >> Domains.
3. Click on ‘Manage All‘
Alternatively, you can directly access GoDaddy’s Domain Control Centre.
4. Click DNS menu located on the top horizontal menu bar.
5. From the drop-down menu, click ‘Add DNS Hosting‘.
6. Type in your domain name (For example – yourname.com.np).
7. Click ‘Next‘.
8. GoDaddy will provide you the exact name servers (For example – ns01.domaincontrol.com and ns02.domaincontrol.com) that will be used to manage the registries of your .np domain. Note these in paper or your device. Now, you need to edit the NS details at register.com.np.
Stage 2: Editing Name Server (NS) Details at register.com.np
1. Go to register.com.np and login using your email address (provided to register.com.np during registration) and password of register.com.np (not that of your email address).
2. On the dashboard, click ‘Active Domain‘ tab.
3. Locate your .np domain name and click on ‘Edit DNS‘ button.
Your status will be changed to ‘Under DNS modification‘.
You need to get the approval of DNS modification before you confidently start to work with the 3rd and 4th stage of this process – editing custom domain at Blogger.com
Stage 3: Editing Custom Domain at Blogger.com
1. Login to Blogger.com and locate your blog.
2. Click on Settings.
3. Go to Publishing. Click ‘Custom Domain’.
4. Type in your custom domain (For example- www.yourname.com.np)
5. Blogger will provide you with 2 custom CNAME records to edit in DNS registry.
Examples of CNAME records provided by Blogger:
- name: www, destination: ghs.google.com
- name: [12-digit alphanumeric], destination: [somespecific-code.googlehosted.com]
NOTE: Sometimes, you may want to change the DNS Managers. Mostly, people go from GoDaddy or NameCheap to CloudFlare. In such situation, you might lose the CNAME records of your Blogger website. No worries, you can easily get those records here.
During stage 4 (Step 8), you need to update DNS records with these CNAME records. You can keep the Blogger window open and edit the CNAME records in GoDaddy simultaneously.
Stage 4: Editing CNAME and A Records Using GoDaddy
1. Login to GoDaddy.com.
2. Navigate My Products >> All Products and Services >> Domains.
3. Click on ‘Manage All‘.
4. Click DNS menu located on the top horizontal menu bar.
5. From the drop-down menu, click ‘Manage Zones‘.
6. Type in your domain name (For example – yourname.com.np).
7. Delete existing CNAME- and A records with values ‘@’ and ‘parked’ respectively.
8. Add the CNAME records as obtained from the stage 3.
9. You also need to add A-records. Please 4 A records of following values.
216.239.32.21
216.239.34.21
216.239.36.21
216.239.38.21
NOTE: Updating A-records is essential to redirect non-www version of your domain to www version.
Stage 5: Confirming Custom Domain at Blogger.com
1. In Blogger settings, make sure that your custom domain is added (publishing >> custom domain) without showing you message to update the CNAME records.
If the .np domain is pointed to GoDaddy and GoDaddy has updated the CNAME records, Blogger will save your custom domain.
Additionally, make sure that naked domain (For example- yourname.com.np) is redirected to www version (www.yourname.com.np) of your Blogger website. Also, it is advisable to redirect http to https version in the same Blogger settings page.
PS: Please allow some time for Mercantile Communications Pvt. Ltd., GoDaddy and Blogger itself to update the nameserver details of your free .np domain.