A public IP address gives you access to your website, but a domain name makes it shareable and professional. This topic describes how to register a new domain name and resolve it to your Simple Application Server instance from the Simple Application Server console.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure that you have:
A Simple Application Server instance running a website
An Alibaba Cloud account with sufficient balance (required only if you are registering a new domain name)
Step 1 (optional): Register a new domain name
Skip this step if you already have a domain name. You can also register in the Alibaba Cloud Domain Name console. For more information, see Register a generic domain name.
Go to the Domain Name page in the Simple Application Server console. Alternatively, open the Domain Names tab on your instance details page.
If this is your first time using domain name management, a Tips dialog box appears. Click OK to authorize the Simple Application Server service.
Click Register New Domain Name. In the Register New Domain Name dialog box, enter your desired domain name and suffix, then click Search.
If the domain name is already taken, select one of the recommended alternatives or try a different name or suffix.
Click Register Now and complete the purchase. Select a subscription duration and a domain name information template in the Registrant Profile section.
If you have not created a domain name information template, click Create to fill in the registrant information, then select the template. For details, see Create Create a domain name information template
After payment, return to the Simple Application Server console. In the Check whether you complete the payment for the domain name registration order dialog box, click Complete.
Proceed to Step 2 to add and resolve your new domain name.
Step 2: Add and resolve a domain name
Add your domain name to the Simple Application Server console, then configure a DNS record to point it to your instance's public IP address.
Go to the Domain Name page in the Simple Application Server console.
Click Add Domain Names.
In the Add Domain Names dialog box, complete the following sub-steps: a. Add domain names Select or enter your domain name, then click Next. b. Add DNS record Configure the parameters, then click Confirm to Add DNS Record.
For Alibaba Cloud domain names: The DNS record is added automatically.
For domain names registered with another registrar: The system cannot add the DNS record directly. Choose one of the following options:
Option 1: Change the DNS server address at your registrar to the address assigned by Alibaba Cloud DNS. This lets you manage all DNS records from the Alibaba Cloud console. For instructions, see How to set up DNS resolution for non-Alibaba Cloud registered domain names in Alibaba Cloud DNS.
Option 2: Create an A record at your registrar to point the domain name directly to your instance's public IP address.
Each Alibaba Cloud account supports up to 10 domain names.
Parameter Description Domain Name Prefilled with your domain name. Host Record The website domain name. Record Type Set to A record by default, which resolves the domain name to an IPv4 address. Select Simple Application Server Select the instance to point the domain name to. Filter by region if needed. 
On the Domain Name page, click the domain name to view its resolution status. When Resolution Status shows Normal, the DNS record is active and your website is accessible through the domain name.
More operations
After adding a domain name, you can manage its DNS records from the Domain Name page.
| Operation | Steps |
|---|---|
| Add domain name resolution | In the Actions column, click Add DNS Record. Complete the Add DNS Record dialog box and click OK. |
| Modify domain name resolution | In the Actions column, click View Details. In the Actions column of the target host record, click Modify Domain Name Resolution. Update the host record or select a different instance, then click OK. |
| Delete domain name resolution | In the Actions column, click View Details. In the Actions column of the target host record, click Delete, then click OK in the confirmation dialog box. The DNS record is also removed from the DNS console and stops taking effect within 10 minutes. |
| Delete a domain name | Delete all DNS records for the domain name first. In the Actions column, click Delete, then click Remove. The domain name is removed from the Simple Application Server console but remains in the Domain Name console. |
What's next
Configure HTTPS for your domain name to secure data in transit.
One-click configuration: Available for instances created from the LNMP 7.4 application image. See Configure HTTPS with one click.
Manual configuration: Required for instances created from other images. See Manually deploy certificates to web application servers.