Already have a domain you want to use? You can connect it to your Holidu booking website to drive more direct bookings under your own brand.

Before you start, make sure you have access to your domain provider's settings (e.g., AWS, Vercel, GoDaddy, etc.). A quick heads-up: if you already have a website live on that domain, it will be replaced by your direct booking website once this process is complete.

How to Connect Your Booking Website to Your Own Domain

Follow these six straightforward steps to connect your custom domain to your Holidu booking website and start accepting direct bookings under your own brand.

Step 1: Enable Your Booking Website and Start the Domain Connection

First, you'll need to enable your booking website in the Holidu app and initiate the domain connection process.

1. Click Enable website if it is not enabled yet.
2. Click Connect my domain.
3. Enter your existing domain name in the provided field.

Once you complete this step, a DNS tab will appear in your Holidu app dashboard. This tab displays the specific DNS values you'll need to add to your domain provider's settings. These values are unique to your domain and are essential for the connection process.

Tip: Don't worry if you're not familiar with DNS settings — we'll guide you through each step. Take a moment to review the DNS values Holidu has generated for you, as you'll need them in the next steps.

Step 2: Create a CNAME Record in Your Domain Settings

The CNAME record is the first DNS record you'll need to add to your domain provider. This record tells the internet where to find your Holidu booking website.

1. Log in to your domain provider's account (such as AWS, GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Vercel).
2. Navigate to the DNS or DNS records section.
3. Look for an option to create a new record or add a new DNS entry.
4. Select CNAME as the record type.
5. In the Holidu app, find the CNAME line and copy the NAME value (marked as 1). Paste this into the name field of your domain provider's form.
6. Copy the VALUE from the same CNAME line (marked as 2) and paste it into the value field.
7. Leave the TTL (Time To Live) and Routing policy fields at their default values unless your provider requires otherwise.
8. Save and create the record.

Important note: If there are already DNS records saved for the domain you want to use, delete those first. This will disconnect your existing website from the domain, but it's necessary to connect your new Holidu booking website. Once completed, your previous website will no longer be accessible via this domain.

Step 3: Add a CAA DNS Record in Your Domain Settings

The CAA (Certification Authority Authorization) record helps secure your domain by specifying which Certificate Authorities can issue SSL certificates for it.

1. Return to your domain provider's DNS records section.
2. Create another new DNS record.
3. Select CAA as the record type.
4. In the Holidu app, locate the CAA line and copy the NAME value (marked as 3). Paste this into the name field of your domain provider's form.
5. Copy the VALUE from the CAA line (marked as 4) and paste it into the value field.
6. Important: Some domain providers require a special format for the CAA value field. If your provider shows a format like 0 issue "domain.com", place the value from step 5 in quotation marks. Check your provider's documentation if you're unsure.
7. Keep the TTL and Routing policy at their default values.
8. Save and create the record.

Step 4: Verify Your DNS Records in the Holidu App

After you've added the CNAME and CAA records to your domain provider, Holidu automatically checks your DNS settings to verify they're correct.

1. Return to the Holidu app and navigate back to your domain connection settings.
2. Holidu will automatically verify your DNS records. This typically takes around 5 minutes, but can sometimes take up to 48 hours depending on your domain provider and DNS propagation times.
3. You'll see a confirmation message once your records are recognized and verified.
4. If verification is successful, you'll be guided to the final steps of the setup.

Tip: If your records aren't verified after 5 minutes, wait a bit longer and try refreshing the page. DNS changes can take time to propagate across the internet.

Step 5: Add an ALIAS DNS Record in Your Domain Settings

Once Holidu has verified your domain, you'll need to add one final DNS record — the ALIAS record — to complete the setup.

1. In the Holidu app, locate the ALIAS record values provided for you.
2. Return to your domain provider's DNS settings.
3. Create a new DNS record and select ALIAS as the record type (note: some providers call this an ANAME record).
4. Copy the NAME value from the Holidu app and paste it into the name field of your domain provider's form.
5. Copy the VALUE from the Holidu app and paste it into the value field.
6. Keep the TTL and other default settings as they are.
7. Save and create the record.

Verification checklist: Before moving forward, confirm that your domain provider now has all three of the following DNS records configured:

• CNAME record
• CAA record
• ALIAS record

All three records are essential for your direct booking website to connect properly to your domain.

Step 6: Final Verification and Go Live

The final step is to confirm that everything is working correctly and your domain is fully connected.

1. Return to the Holidu admin panel and navigate to your domain connection settings.
2. Wait for Holidu to complete the final verification of your domain. This may take a few minutes.
3. Once you see a confirmation message indicating your domain is verified, you're all set.
4. You can now access your direct booking website by visiting your own domain in any web browser.

Congratulations! Your Holidu booking website is now live on your custom domain. You can start promoting your direct booking link to guests and accepting reservations directly under your own brand.

Troubleshooting Tips

DNS records aren't being recognized after 5 minutes: DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate across the internet. If verification hasn't completed after several hours, double-check that you've entered all values correctly in your domain provider's settings and try refreshing the Holidu app.

You see an error message during verification: Review the values you entered in your domain provider's settings against the values shown in the Holidu app. Even small typos or extra spaces can cause verification to fail. Delete any incorrect records and create them again with the correct values.

Your domain provider uses different terminology: Different domain providers use slightly different names for DNS record types. ALIAS records might be called ANAME records. CNAME, CAA, and related terms should remain the same. Check your provider's help documentation if you're unsure where to find the DNS settings.

What Happens Next?

Once your domain is successfully connected, your Holidu booking website is live and ready to receive direct bookings. You can now:

• Share your direct booking link with guests on social media and other marketing channels
• Update your property listings to highlight your direct booking option
• Monitor bookings through your Holidu admin panel
• Customize your website to match your brand and property style

If you need additional help customizing your website or have questions about managing your direct bookings, please visit our help center or contact our customer support team.