# Chapter 6: Publish and Custom Domains

> How to publish your site, connect your own domain, configure SSL, and understand URLs.

---

## 6.1 Publish Your Site

### Difference between Save and Publish

| Action | Who sees it | What it generates | Speed |
|--------|------------|-------------------|-------|
| **Save** | Only you (in the builder) | JSON in database | Instant |
| **Publish** | Everyone | Static HTML + inline CSS + minimal JS | 5-15 sec |

### How to publish

1. In the builder, click **"Publish"** (or `Ctrl/Cmd + P`)
2. Select which pages to publish (default: all)
3. Click **"Confirm"**
4. Wait for HTML generation
5. We show you the URL:
   ```
   https://slug.mypagegenius.com
   https://slug.mypagegenius.com/about
   https://slug.mypagegenius.com/services
   https://slug.mypagegenius.com/contact
   ```

### What publishing includes

- ✅ Optimized static HTML (no React, no heavy server)
- ✅ Inline CSS (loads instantly, no waiting for external files)
- ✅ Minimal JavaScript: mobile menu, forms, analytics, scroll-reveal
- ✅ Automatic Schema.org JSON-LD (for Google)
- ✅ Automatic sitemap.xml and robots.txt
- ✅ WebP images with srcset (adapts to screen size)
- ✅ Favicon and meta tags (OG image for social media)
- ✅ Automatic Header and Footer on all pages

### Republish

Every time you edit and publish, a new version is generated. The URL doesn't change.

> **Example of a published site:** `![Published site with PageGenius](/help/screenshots/pagegenius-published-site.png)`

---

## 6.2 Your Site URLs

### Free subdomain (default)

```
https://slug.mypagegenius.com              → Home
https://slug.mypagegenius.com/about        → About
https://slug.mypagegenius.com/services     → Services
https://slug.mypagegenius.com/contact      → Contact
```

The **slug** is chosen when you create the project. It can be changed later in **Settings**.

### Change the slug

1. In the builder, click **⚙️ Config**
2. Go to **General**
3. Edit the **Slug** field
4. Save and publish

**Warning:** The previous URL stops working immediately. If you shared the old link, people will see a 404.

---

## 6.3 Custom Domains

Connect your own domain (e.g., `myshop.com`) instead of using the PageGenius subdomain.

### Requirements

- **Pro** plan or higher (Free doesn't include domains)
- A domain purchased from any registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, Google Domains, Hostinger, etc.)
- Access to your registrar's DNS panel

### Step by step

**Step 1: Add the domain in PageGenius**
1. Go to your project → **Domains**
2. Enter your domain: `myshop.com` (without `www`, without `https://`)
3. Click **"Add Domain"**

**Step 2: Configure DNS at your registrar**

Create **ONE SINGLE** A record:

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Type | `A` |
| Host | `@` (or leave blank) |
| Value | `195.26.248.6` |
| TTL | Automatic |

> **Screenshot of the domains page:** `![Custom domain setup](/help/screenshots/domains-mockup.png)`

**Guides by registrar:**
- **GoDaddy:** My Products → Domain → DNS Settings → Add A Record
- **Namecheap:** Domain List → Manage → Advanced DNS → Add A Record
- **Cloudflare:** DNS → Add Record → Type A

**Step 3: Wait for propagation**
- Minimum: 5 minutes
- Average: 15-30 minutes
- Maximum: 24 hours

**Step 4: Automatic verification**
PageGenius checks your domain every few minutes. When it detects that DNS points to us, the status changes to **"Active"**.

### Domain statuses

| Status | Color | Meaning |
|--------|-------|---------|
| **Pending DNS** | 🟡 Yellow | Waiting for propagation. Normal. |
| **Active** | 🟢 Green | DNS resolved. SSL active. Ready. |
| **Error** | 🔴 Red | Something failed. Check configuration. |

---

## 6.4 SSL (Green Lock)

PageGenius uses **automatic SSL** through Cloudflare.

### What is SSL
The green lock 🔒 in the browser bar. It means the connection between the visitor and your site is encrypted.

### How it activates
1. Your domain must be in **"Active"** status
2. Cloudflare issues the SSL certificate automatically
3. The lock appears within 5-30 minutes after activation

### Problem: "My domain is active but I don't see the lock"
- **Cause:** Cloudflare hasn't issued the certificate yet, or you have mixed content (some images loading over HTTP).
- **Solution:** Wait 30 minutes. If it persists, force HTTPS in Cloudflare: SSL/TLS → **Full (strict)**.

---

## 6.5 Subdomains

If you want a specific section of your site on a subdomain:

```
landing.myshop.com    → Landing page
app.myshop.com        → (doesn't apply, PageGenius doesn't do apps)
blog.myshop.com       → (use the /blog page of your project)
```

**How to do it:**
1. In your registrar, create an A record with Host=`landing` (not `@`)
2. The value is still `195.26.248.6`
3. In PageGenius, add `landing.myshop.com` as a domain

---

## 6.6 Sitemap.xml and Robots.txt

PageGenius generates these files automatically for each published site:

### Sitemap.xml
```xml
https://slug.mypagegenius.com/sitemap.xml
```
Lists all pages of your site for Google to index.

### Robots.txt
```
https://slug.mypagegenius.com/robots.txt
```
Tells Google bots which pages they can crawl.

**You don't need to do anything.** They're auto-generated with each publish.

---

## 6.7 Publishing Problems and Solutions

### "Publish failed"
- **Cause:** Rendering error in some widget, or server timeout.
- **Solution:**
  1. Check that no widgets have empty required fields
  2. Try publishing again
  3. If it persists, contact support

### "My published site looks different from the builder"
- **Cause:** The builder uses a preview environment. Some styles may render slightly differently live.
- **Solution:** Use **"Preview"** before publishing. If there are big differences (colors, fonts, broken layouts), contact support.

### "My site returns 404"
- **Cause:** The project was deleted, or the slug changed.
- **Solution:** Check that the project exists and is published. If you changed the slug, the previous URL no longer works.

---

## Domain Problems and Solutions

### "Pending DNS for more than 2 hours"
**Check your DNS:**
1. Go to [whatsmydns.net](https://whatsmydns.net)
2. Enter your domain
3. Select type **A**
4. Click **Search**
5. If you DON'T see `195.26.248.6` on most servers → the problem is at your registrar

**Common causes:**
- ❌ Used CNAME instead of A
- ❌ IP has spaces or is misspelled
- ❌ There's an old A record with a different IP
- ❌ On Cloudflare, you have the orange proxy turned on (set it to "DNS only")

### "SSL doesn't appear (no lock)"
1. Wait 30 minutes after the domain is "Active"
2. If you use Cloudflare: SSL/TLS → **Full (strict)**
3. Force HTTPS: add a redirect rule in Cloudflare

### "Domain is already in use"
- That domain is connected to another PageGenius project
- **Solution:** Go to the other project → Domains → Delete the domain → Go back to your project and add it

---

## Chapter 6 Summary

| Task | How | Result |
|------|-----|--------|
| Publish site | Builder → Publish | Live site at `slug.mypagegenius.com` |
| Connect domain | Project → Domains → Add + DNS A record | `myshop.com` working |
| Verify SSL | Wait 30 min after activation | Green lock 🔒 |
| Change slug | Config → General → Slug | New URL (old one stops working) |

---

**Next chapter:** [Chapter 7: Analytics and Leads](17g-en-analytics-leads.md)