TersbyWhat you need
A domain bought from any registrar, and access to its DNS settings. Sites will open on subdomains of that domain: for example, drill.example.com and watch.example.com.
Step 1. Prove the domain is yours
- In “Domains”, add the domain as
example.com, with nohttp://and no path. - Open the connection guide: Tersby shows a TXT record.
- Add that record to the DNS at your registrar.
| Type | Host | Value |
|---|---|---|
| TXT | _tersby-verify |
tersby-verify=… (the value from the dashboard) |
The record only proves ownership and doesn't affect how the domain works. Tersby checks it by itself. DNS changes sometimes take a while: usually a few minutes, occasionally up to 24 or 48 hours.
Step 2. Open addresses for your sites
Once the domain is verified, a second record appears:
| Type | Host | Value |
|---|---|---|
| CNAME | * |
the value from the dashboard |
The asterisk means “any subdomain”. One record covers every site on the domain, so you never add a record per site. If your registrar doesn't accept an asterisk in the host field, ask its support how to add a wildcard record.
Step 3. A site on the domain itself (optional)
If the site should open right on example.com, with no subdomain, open “Site on the domain itself” in the connection window. Tersby shows an A record:
| Type | Host | Value |
|---|---|---|
| A | @ |
the address from the dashboard |
Remove any other A and AAAA records for @ left over from an old host. If your DNS is on Cloudflare, you can instead set a CNAME for @ to the address from the dashboard, with the cloud (proxy) off.
Once the record works, choose “On the domain itself, no subdomain” in the site settings. The www address leads there too. One site can live on the domain itself; the rest stay on subdomains.
The certificate
The SSL certificate is issued automatically the first time a site is opened at its address, and renewed after that. There is nothing to set up.
Verification for Facebook and Google
If Facebook or Google asks you to verify the domain, do it with a TXT record on the domain itself, not with a tag on one site. The verification then covers every site on the domain. Afterwards, mark the domain as verified in the connection window.
Backup domain
On the higher plans a site can have a spare address on another domain. If you mark the main domain as blocked, visitors who still land on it move to the spare one. The setting is on the “Settings” tab of the site editor.
If the domain isn't verified
- Check that the record was added to the right domain, with no typos in the value.
- Some registrars append the domain to the host field themselves: then it should hold only
_tersby-verify. - Wait and run the check again: the record may not have spread yet.