Blogger Custom Domain: Moving From Blogspot Without Losing Traffic

In March 2006 I spent weeks worrying about moving QuickOnlineTips from Blogspot to my own domain name. Feeds, backlinks, search traffic and PageRank were all at risk. Today a blogger custom domain is a built-in, free setting, and Blogger handles the redirect for you. Here is our story and how to move a Blogspot blog to your own domain the safe way.

Quick answer: You can connect your own domain to a Blogspot blog in Blogger under Settings, then Publishing, then Custom domain. Add the two CNAME records Blogger shows at your domain provider, wait for DNS to update, and save again. Blogger then redirects your old blogspot.com address to the new domain, so you keep your posts and traffic.

Our 2006 dilemma: leaving Blogspot

I had bought the QuickOnlineTips.com domain and set up web hosting, and I wanted the blog on my own address. At the time it was not easy. These were the issues that kept me up at night:

• Which platform? I first planned to keep Blogger and publish by FTP to my own hosting, because I knew its templates well. WordPress was the other option.
• No 301 redirects: a permanent 301 redirect is the search-friendly way to move a page, but Blogger did not let us set one up. The only options were a meta refresh, a JavaScript redirect or a “we have moved” link, all of which risked losing rankings.
• Search traffic and PageRank: the blog had PageRank 6 and some pages had PR7. I feared the move would cost us Google traffic.
• Backlinks: hundreds of sites linked to the blogspot address, and few webmasters would update their links.
• Losing the old address: once a blog moved, the blogspot subdomain could be released and claimed by someone else.
• Feeds: luckily I had already pointed readers to a single FeedBurner feed, so feed subscribers would not need to change anything.

The benefits still won: full control over the site, no Blogger navbar, more credibility with readers and advertisers, and the freedom to run my own scripts. In the end we moved from Blogger to WordPress.

How to set up a blogger custom domain today

Google later added custom domains to Blogger, which solves almost every problem above. According to Blogger Help (external site), the steps are:

1. Buy a domain from any domain provider.
2. Connect it in Blogger: sign in, select your blog, click Settings, and under Publishing click Custom domain. Enter your domain (for example www.yourdomain.com) and click Save.
3. Note the two CNAME records Blogger shows: one with the name “www” pointing to ghs.google.com, and a security record unique to your blog.
4. Add both records in the DNS settings at your domain provider.
5. Wait at least an hour for DNS to update, then repeat step 2 in Blogger. The redirect from your blogspot.com address can take up to 24 hours.

Redirect the bare domain

To make yourdomain.com (without www) work too, add the four A records listed in Blogger Help at your domain provider, then turn on Redirect domain under Publishing in Blogger settings.

Keep HTTPS working

Blogger creates a free SSL certificate for your custom domain. If your domain uses CAA records, add one for letsencrypt.org, or Blogger cannot create or renew the certificate.

What happens to traffic, backlinks and feeds

• Old links keep working: Blogger redirects visitors and search engines from the blogspot.com address to your domain, so backlinks still reach your posts.
• Search rankings: expect some movement while Google processes the change. Add the new domain to Google Search Console (external site) and submit your sitemap.
• Feeds: your Blogger feed moves with the blog, but update any feed links you have shared.
• Keep the blog: don’t delete the old Blogger blog, because the redirect depends on it.

If you later want to leave Blogger completely, see our guide on how to redirect Blogger to WordPress without losing traffic.

FAQ

Is a Blogger custom domain free?

Connecting a domain in Blogger is free. You only pay your domain provider for the domain name itself.

Will I lose traffic moving from Blogspot to my own domain?

Usually not much, because Blogger redirects the old blogspot.com address. Rankings can shift for a while as Google updates its index.

Why does Blogger show an error when I add my domain?

The error lists the CNAME records you need to add at your domain provider. Add them, wait for DNS to update, and save again.

Can I use my domain without www?

Yes. Add the A records Blogger Help lists and turn on Redirect domain in Blogger’s Publishing settings.