Having a checkout page that uses a custom domain feels more authentic and professional-looking than others that don’t.
Good thing, SamCart allows you to do that easily.
If you’re already a SamCart user or planning to be one, I’ll show you how to add a custom domain in three simple steps.
Table of Contents
How to Connect Your Domain to SamCart
Step 1 – Purchase a domain
SamCart doesn’t host domains independently, so you must set it up from a third-party platform.
If you already have your custom domain, you can skip this step.
Here are some of my recommended domain hosting software.
- GoDaddy
- Namecheap
- Domain.com
- Bluehost
- Dreamhost
The standard domain names (i.e., those that end with .com, .net, .org) cost $8 – $25 yearly.
But as first-time buyers, you can get huge discounts and pay as low as $2/month.
Step 2 – Connect your custom domain to your SamCart account
Once you’ve bought your domain, it’s time to connect it to your account.
This process is pretty simple. You have to choose between these two methods.
Option 1 – Connect Root Domain (Yourdomainname.com)
You can follow these steps if you want your root domain to point directly to your marketplace.
- Log in to the DNS settings of your chosen hosting provider. The dashboard may vary to the DNS hosting provider of your choice. For this example, I used Dreamhost.
- Add or update the A record for your root domain with the following IP addresses – 107.23.163.128 and 54.87.111.129.
- Click “Save” or “Add Record.”
Option 2 – subdomain at your marketplace (store.yourdomainname.com)
If you already have a website outside SamCart and want to connect a particular checkout page, this is the best thing to do.
To achieve this, follow these easy steps:
- Log in to your DNS hosting provider. I’ll use the same platform for this sample.
- Add a CNAME record for your chosen subdomain, such as ‘cart’ or ‘shop.’
- Set the CNAME record value to: custom-lu4rid0t27xh1ppv.samcart.com
- Save the changes.
Step 3 – Link Your Custom Domain to SamCart
Now for the last step.
After setting up your DNS configurations, it’s time to work on the back end of your SamCart and connect your custom domain to your product of choice.
- First, go to “Settings” of your SamCart dashboard. Then click “Custom Domains.”
- Click the “+Add New” button.
- Input your custom domain
- Choose the product you want to link the custom domain to
- Click “Save,” and you’re done!
It’s also possible to add your custom domain to your other SamCart products.
You can do so by clicking the “Advanced Settings” tab inside your product settings page.
Then you can scroll down to the “Advanced” section and select “Default Custom Domain.”
Choose your domain and save.
Optional Step – Apply Your Custom Domain to Referral Links
SamCart also offers the flexibility of using your domain for referral links within the Affiliate Center. Here’s how to do it effortlessly.
- Go to your affiliate center
- Find your custom domain in the dropdown menu when creating or editing a link.
- Add the custom domain to the link
After that, your affiliate’s dashboard will display the updated referral link.
To ensure accurate tracking, apply the domain for each affiliate link.
FAQs
Is a custom domain required for SamCart?
No, it’s not. You can stick with the default one provided by the platform (domain.samcart.com.) But we recommend having your own domain to increase credibility.
Is it possible to use multiple domains on my SamCart account?
Absolutely! You can configure multiple custom domains within a single SamCart marketplace and assign them to different checkout pages.
Wrapping It Up
By following this guide, you can easily connect a custom domain to your SamCart store.
The three-step process can sum up buying your domain, modifying DNS, then connecting it to your checkout pages.
Not yet using SamCart? Read our review and see if it’s for you.
