There are two requirements for all domains not purchased through HotDoodle:

1. Tell Hotdoodle about the new domain - tells HotDoodle to show your site when traffic arrives for a particular domain
2. Tell the domain about HotDoodle - tells the domain to route web traffic to a HotDoodle server.

This section covers the specifics of telling one common domain vendor about HotDoodle.

Steps: Getting to the Domain Screen in GoDaddy.com

1. Log into GoDaddy.

2. from the Domain menu get to Domain Management. 
Ignore the various additional offerings GoDaddy wants to sell you.

The next part is not intuitive. 3. Click on the domain you want to manage:

4. Click "Manage Domain".  
Note that this is small and looks like a tab, whereas additional products GoDaddy wants you to buy are big and featured.

Once you are on the Manage Domain screen, you must choose between two ways to keep the domain information up to date

1. Change the Name Servers: Use the HotDoodle name servers and we will update these records automatically to work with your site and email.
2. Change the A Record: Use the name servers of the company that sold you the domain and update the Cname, Aname, and MX records by hand.

When to use each method:

• Change the Name Servers when you do not have email hosted for your domain or if HotDoddle is handeling your email.
• Change the A Record when you currently have email hosted through your domain.

We strongly encourage changing the name servers when allowed. Besides simplicity, one key advantage is that if we ever need to move to a different internet address we will make the changes automatically. However changing the name servers works only if HotDoodle is providing all of your domain's services -- web and email in particular.  Our nameserver will automatically have the proper configuration to use HotDoodle services. Changing the A Record is required if some services are provided by HotDoodle and some by the company that hosts the domain, most importantly email.

1. Find the Set Nameservers link and click the "Set Nameservers" link

2. Choose the radio button next to [I have specific nameservers for my domain.]

3. In the boxes that open enter:
    N1.HOTDOODLE.COM and N2.HOTDOODLE.COM

11. Click on a the “Save,” “Set,” or “Apply” button.

Please do not continue with option 2 if you have done option 1. We strongly recommend that you you use option 1 unless you are using services (email) from somewhere other than HotDoodle.  If you must use your domain manager's name servers, here is what to set.

1. After clicking on your domain name, click the "Launch" link below DNS Manager.

Find Your Site's IP Address - the address you find there is the address you will use in the next step. In the HotDoodle site at the bottom of the Config Domains screen is a message such as the following:
     This site is hosted on 198.66.xxx.xxx

2. Under A (Host) Move the mouse over the "@" record and click on the "edit icon (pencil)".

3. In the newly available field, enter the IP address for your HotDoodle Website.

Save

4. Click the "Save Zone File" button.

You also need to edit your mx records if your domain will be have email services supplied by the HotDoodle servers. You want to change the record to "mail.yourdomainname.com"