Guide: Point a Custom Domain (HNS or DNS)

Learn how to decentralized your presence with host.limo

1 Choose a DNS Operator

You need a DNS operator that supports Handshake (HNS). Some options include:

  • hdns.io (Namebase DNS) - Easiest for beginners.
  • NextDNS - With HNS enabled.
  • Self-hosted - Run your own HNS resolver + authoritative DNS.

Recommended for Namebase users:

In your HNS name's manager, delegate NS to:

ns1.hdns.io
ns2.hdns.io

2 Add Records for Your HNS Name

Configure your DNS records to point to host.limo:

Root Domain (@)

If you want http://yourname/ or http://yoursite.com/ to work:

Type: CNAME
Name: @
Value: my.host.limo

Note: For some registrars (like Namecheap/GoDaddy) on standard domains, you might need to use an A Record for the root (@) if CNAME isn't supported. In that case, ping my.host.limo to get the IP.

Subdomain (www)

If you want http://www.yourname/ or http://www.yoursite.com/ to work:

Type: CNAME
Name: www
Value: my.host.limo

3 Configure host.limo

  1. Log in to your host.limo dashboard.
  2. Click Manage on the site you want to link.
  3. In the Site Settings section, find the Custom Domain / HNS Name field.
  4. Enter your HNS name (e.g., myname) or domain (e.g., myname.com).
  5. Click Save Changes.
  6. New The system will automatically attempt to configure the domain on our infrastructure.

4 HTTPS & Accessibility (Optional)

To make your HNS site accessible to everyone (even without an HNS resolver):

  • HNS Gateways: Users can visit your site via gateways like hns.to (e.g., https://yourname.hns.to).
  • ICANN Mirror: You can also buy a standard domain (e.g., yoursite.com), point it to host.limo, and use it as an alias.

Ready to go?

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