Connecting Your Domain to Dealer Studio (DNS Setup Guide)

Dealer Studio hosts your dealership website on Vercel, while you retain ownership of your domain name. To make your website live, your domain’s DNS records must point to Dealer Studio’s Vercel hosting.

This guide explains:

• What happens inside the Dealer Studio dashboard

• How to update DNS records at your domain registrar or DNS provider

Part 1: Add Your Domain in Dealer Studio

1. Log in to the Dealer Studio dashboard.

2. Navigate to the Domains section.

3. Add your website’s domain name (e.g. exampledealer.com).

Once added, Dealer Studio will automatically display the required DNS records (such as A records) for your domain.

? Important:
Dealer Studio will show the exact values you must copy and paste into your DNS provider.
No guessing is required.

At this point, setup inside Dealer Studio is complete.

Part 2: Update DNS Records with Your Domain Provider

DNS records are not managed inside Dealer Studio.
They are managed at your domain registrar or DNS provider, such as:

• GoDaddy

• Namecheap

• Google Domains

• Bluehost

• Cloudflare

If you’re unsure where your domain is hosted:

• Check your billing emails, or

• Contact your IT provider or domain administrator.

Step 1: Log In to Your Domain Provider

1. Visit your domain registrar’s website.

2. Log in using your account credentials.

Step 2: Navigate to DNS Management

1. Locate your domain management area (often called Domains or My Domains).

2. Select the domain you want to connect.

3. Look for an option such as:

   • DNS Settings

   • DNS Management

   • Manage DNS

   • Advanced DNS

This will open the DNS records page.

Step 3: Understand DNS Records

On the DNS page, you’ll see a list of records. Common types include:

• A Record – Points a domain to an IP address

• CNAME Record – Points one domain to another domain

• MX Record – Controls email delivery

• TXT Record – Used for verification and security

• NS Record – Defines where DNS is managed

Each record usually includes:

• Name / Host (e.g. @, www)

• Type (A, CNAME, MX, TXT)

• Value / Target

• TTL (Time To Live)

? Dealer Studio provides the correct values for these fields.

Step 4: Locate the Record to Update

Based on the instructions shown in Dealer Studio, find the matching record:

• A record update → Replace the IP address

• CNAME update → Replace the target domain

• TXT record → Add or replace the verification text

If the required record does not already exist, you’ll need to add a new record instead of editing an existing one.

Step 5: Update or Add the DNS Record

1. Click Edit, Modify, or Add Record (label varies by provider).

2. Enter the values exactly as shown in the Dealer Studio dashboard.

3. Set the TTL if required (commonly 300 seconds / 5 minutes).

4. Double-check spelling and formatting — DNS is very sensitive to errors.

Step 6: Save Your Changes

Click Save, Update, or Apply Changes to confirm.

Step 7: Wait for DNS Propagation

DNS changes are not instant.

• Updates may take a few minutes up to 48 hours to fully propagate.

• Lower TTL values generally update faster.

• During propagation, your website may load inconsistently.

Provider Examples

GoDaddy

1. Log in to GoDaddy

2. Go to My Products

3. Click DNS next to your domain

4. Scroll to Records

5. Click Edit, make changes, and Save

Cloudflare

1. Log in to Cloudflare

2. Select your domain

3. Click DNS in the top menu

4. Locate the record and click Edit

5. Save your changes

Important Notes

• TTL affects how quickly changes take effect

• Be extremely careful when editing NS (Name Server) records — these control where DNS is managed

• If you’re unsure what to change, do not guess

Need Help?

If you experience issues or are unsure what values to enter, contact Dealer Studio Support with:

• Your domain name

• Screenshots of your DNS records

• The DNS values provided in Dealer Studio

You’re now equipped to safely connect your domain to Dealer Studio and launch your website ?