Connect a custom domain

Use your own web address — like book.salonsmith.com or salonsmith.com — for your OpenChair storefront. Works with apex domains and subdomains, takes about 5 minutes once your DNS record is saved, and stays free forever after the initial setup.

You'll need: a domain you already own, and access to your domain provider's DNS settings (usually called "DNS records", "Manage DNS", or "Zone editor"). Don't have a domain yet? Buy one at Cloudflare, Porkbun, or Namecheap — typically $10–20/year.

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TL;DR

1. Open Storefront → Domain in OpenChair.
2. Type your domain (e.g. book.salonsmith.com) and click Connect.
3. Copy the DNS record we show you and paste it into your domain provider's DNS settings.
4. Click Verify now — usually takes a couple of minutes after DNS saves.
5. Your storefront now lives at your custom domain.

Subdomain or apex?

	Apex (salonsmith.com)	Subdomain (book.salonsmith.com)
Looks like	A real website	A booking page on your site
DNS record	A record	CNAME record
Works with	Every registrar	Every registrar
Recommended for	Owners who don't have a separate website	Owners who already have a website at the apex

If you don't have a website at all, apex is usually the right choice — your storefront becomes your entire web presence at a clean, brandable URL.

If you already have a website at salonsmith.com (e.g. a Wix or Squarespace site), use a subdomain like book.salonsmith.com so your existing site stays put.

Step-by-step

1. Buy a domain (if you don't have one)

We don't sell domains. Any registrar works. Two we recommend:

• Cloudflare — cheapest renewals, no markup, no upsells. Bring your existing domain or buy a new one.
• Porkbun — friendly UI, free WHOIS privacy, good for first-timers.

2. Connect the domain in OpenChair

1. In OpenChair, click Storefront in the sidebar, then the Domain tab.
2. Type your domain into the box. Use the bare hostname — no https://, no trailing slash. Examples:
   • salonsmith.com (apex)
   • book.salonsmith.com (subdomain)
3. Click Connect domain. We register it on our hosting and show you the DNS record you need to add.

3. Add the DNS record at your domain provider

Open your domain provider's DNS settings (sometimes called "DNS records", "Manage DNS", or "Zone editor"). Add a new record using the values we show you.

For an apex domain (salonsmith.com):

Type	Name	Value
A	@	(the IP we give you)

For a subdomain (book.salonsmith.com):

Type	Name	Value
CNAME	book	(the address we give you)

Each registrar's interface looks slightly different. The fields are always Type, Name, Value. Use exactly the values shown in OpenChair — copy and paste rather than typing.

4. Wait for DNS to propagate, then verify

DNS changes typically take 1–5 minutes to take effect. Click Verify now in OpenChair. If it's still pending, give it another couple of minutes.

Once verified, the status changes to Active and you can click Visit site to see your storefront on your custom domain.

Common providers — where to add the record

• Cloudflare — DNS → Add record → Set Proxy status to "DNS only" (grey cloud, not orange).
• Porkbun — Domain Management → DNS Records → Add A or CNAME.
• Namecheap — Advanced DNS → Add New Record.
• GoDaddy — DNS Management → Add → choose A or CNAME.
• Google Domains — DNS → Custom records → Add.
• Squarespace Domains — DNS Settings → Custom Records.

Your registrar's documentation will have screenshots if anything looks unfamiliar.

What customers see

• The booking page lives at your domain (https://salonsmith.com instead of openchairpro.com/salonsmith).
• Your existing OpenChair URL still works — visitors who type that get redirected to your custom domain.
• Search engines (Google, Bing) treat your custom domain as your primary website — your storefront's search authority builds on your brand.
• Shared link previews (iMessage, Slack, WhatsApp) show your storefront under your domain rather than ours.

When verification doesn't go through

If your domain stays in Pending DNS or Verifying for more than 30 minutes:

• Check the record exists: at your domain provider, search for the record you added. If it's not there, save it again.
• Check the values exactly match: typos in the DNS record (extra spaces, wrong subdomain name) are the most common cause.
• Check there's no conflicting record: an existing A or CNAME for the same name will block ours. Delete the old record.
• Cloudflare proxy is off: if your domain is on Cloudflare with the orange-cloud proxy enabled, verification will fail. Set the record to "DNS only" (grey cloud).
• Wait a bit longer: some registrars take up to a few hours to propagate. Try again in 30 minutes.

If you're still stuck, see Troubleshoot domain verification or email support.

Disconnecting a domain

Open Storefront → Domain → click Disconnect. Your storefront goes back to openchairpro.com/your-slug and customers visiting the custom domain stop seeing the storefront. The DNS record at your provider can stay or go — your choice.

You can reconnect the same domain within 7 days without losing your verification. After that it's a fresh setup.

Custom domains and email

Connecting your domain to OpenChair only handles your storefront — it doesn't affect email. If you have email at hello@salonsmith.com, those records (MX, SPF, DKIM) stay exactly as they are.

If you don't have email yet on your domain, Cloudflare Email Routing is a free way to forward hello@salonsmith.com to your existing Gmail/Outlook inbox.