Connect a custom domain

Every store comes with a free web address on menudock.co.uk, something like yourshop.menudock.co.uk. On the Pro and Business plans you can point your own domain at your storefront instead, so customers see order.yourrestaurant.com (or whatever you own). This article covers adding the domain, the DNS records you set, and how MenuDock verifies it and turns on HTTPS.

For the difference between the free subdomain and a custom domain, see Subdomain vs. custom domain.

Before you start

You need a domain you already own, bought from a registrar (the company you bought it from, such as GoDaddy, Namecheap or Cloudflare). You set the records at that registrar, because MenuDock can't change DNS for a domain it doesn't host. You also need to be on Pro or Business; on Starter the domain settings show an upgrade prompt instead.

Add your domain

1. Open Settings → Domain from the admin sidebar.
2. The top of the page shows your free .menudock.co.uk address. Below it, press Add domain.
3. Type the address you want customers to use, for example order.yourrestaurant.com, and press Save.

The page then moves to a waiting for DNS state and shows you the exact records to add.

Add the DNS records

At your registrar's DNS settings, add the records MenuDock shows you. There are up to two:

• The main record. For a subdomain like order. you add a CNAME record; for a bare domain you add an A record. The page gives you the exact type, name and target to copy. This is what routes visitors to your storefront.
• An ownership verification record. Sometimes MenuDock also shows a second record (usually TXT or CNAME) to prove you control the domain. When it's shown, it's required too, so add it alongside the main one.

Copy the values exactly as shown. The page lists the type, name and target for each, ready to paste straight into your registrar.

Verification and HTTPS

After you've added the records, DNS needs time to propagate. The domain page checks on its own every few seconds while it's waiting, so you can leave it open and watch it flip to active. This usually takes a few minutes, though DNS can take up to an hour. There's a Refresh now link if you don't want to wait for the next automatic check.

You don't set up HTTPS yourself. Once the domain verifies, MenuDock issues and manages the SSL certificate for you, so the site loads on https:// with no extra step. When the page shows active, a Visit site link appears so you can open it.

If you also use Apple Pay or Google Pay at checkout, your new domain is registered with those wallets automatically once it goes active, so there's nothing for you to do.

Removing or changing a domain

You can remove the domain from the same page. Your storefront falls back to the free .menudock.co.uk address straight away, and customers can still order there. To change to a different domain, remove the current one and add the new one.

What happens on a downgrade

A custom domain is a Pro and Business feature, so dropping to Starter removes it. This is the one plan change that can't simply be undone: the domain is detached and you'd add it again from scratch if you later upgrade. Your menu, orders and customers are untouched, and only the domain link goes. MenuDock warns you about this in the downgrade confirmation. See What changes when you switch plan.

Related articles

• Subdomain vs. custom domain
• What changes when you switch plan
• Integrations overview
• Plan comparison

Need a hand?

If the page sits at waiting for DNS for more than an hour, the records usually haven't propagated yet or one value doesn't match exactly. Re-check them at your registrar against what the page shows, character for character. Still stuck? Email support@menudock.co.uk with your store name and the domain you're adding.