To be able to point your own domain (url) to a mydigitalstructure hosted website, you need to adjust the Domain Name System (DNS) settings for your domain.

As part of the domain name system your domain is associated with a Name Server, typically run by the organisation you registered the domain with.

You need to make some changes to some database records managed by this DNS Name Server.

You need to set up the following:

• A CNAME type record that points your host, eg "app" for app.yourdomain.com, to "site.mydigitalstructure.cloud"
  
  
• If you plan to use the root domain i.e. yourdomain.com, then you need to setup a masked URL forward to [host].yourdomain.com or if your using AWS Route53, setup an "alias".

You should not CNAME your root domain (yourdomain.com), as bad things can happen; given it works across all your DNS records.

The reason it has to be a CNAME and not a A record is because the mydigitalstructure platform uses an array of load balancers - each with its own dynamic IP address - using the domain name system creates an abstraction from the IP address and scalability via the reduction of bottle-necking.

Notes:

• Some DNSs require you to put a "." after the domain name - ie "site.mydigitalstructure.cloud."
  
  

If you you want to use your root (base) domain, ie without the user having to type a host name like "www" - in the same way that if you type "apple.com" into your web-browser it redirects to (displays) "www.apple.com", as it does also for the likes of "facebook.com", "google.com" etc - then you need to do something special. 

The days of pointing the root domain directly to a single IP address using an DNS A record are fading fast.

You can't use a CNAME record as it will effect all your DNS records, including your MX email records.

To deal with it, most domain registrars/hosters provide a URL forwarding service.  If your registrar doesn't support it, you can always use the Amazon Web Services Route53 service to host your domain.

Essentially they set up an DNS A record that points to a http service that they are running - it then redirects to the "www" host - ie user types in mydomain.com and it gets redirected to www.mydomain.com - which has the CNAME reference to the ibCom platforms array of load balancers with many IP addresses (not just one, like in the past).

EXAMPLE URL FORWARDING SET UP:

Typically you can pick type "301" (permanent redirect) or "302" (once off redirect, happens each time they revisit) - pick "301" if not sure.

If your registrar doesn't support URL forwarding, then:

• Change registrar - eg to someone like "name.com" (not an endorsement)
• Use a service like "https://www.rootredirect.com" (not an endorsement)