As some have already noticed, Activerain recently gave the members an opportunity to have an outside blog page. This is a huge thing and an awesome idea. The best part about it, is that you can write your posts in Activerain and by just clicking one box, they are automatically added to your own personal outside blog. For the more advanced users you can purchase an outside domain name and have your outside blog point to that page. Since this release, I have seen many questions about how to set up your outside domain name, so I asked Brad if he wanted me to write a brief tutorial to help everyone else. My outside blog went active yesterday.

First thing is to visit GoDaddy.com and find a domain. You can see if your domain is available by searching at the top of the page, or in the middle there is also a search area. Type in exactly what you want the domain to be and click go.

Pick a Domain

If the domain is already taken, you will see this next screen come up.

Domain taken

If this happens, simply try another domain name, or you can pick one of the different variations which will be listed below. If the domain is not taken, this screen will appear:

Available Domain

Once you have found an available domain, you will need to set up an account with GoDaddy & go through the steps to purchase the domain. After you have purchased the Domain, you will need to point Activerain Servers to your new domain. Below is how to do that.

First, log into your account with GoDaddy & click on the tab on the left side that says My Products and then Manage Domains.

Manage Domains

After clicking on the Manage Domains link, a menu across will appear. Click on the image that says Nameservers.

Nameservers

You will then bring up a menu screen with multiple tabs. Click on the Custom Nameservers box at the bottom of the Default Nameserver tab. Then click the Custom Nameserver Tab.

Nameserver

After clicking on the Custom Name Server Tab, input these exactly:

Nameserver 1: NS1.AGENTSPACES.COM

Nameserver 2: NS2.AGENTSPACES.COM

Then click OK.


You are now set up on GoDaddy.com. You will then need to go to your Activerain page. Click on the Outside Blogs button. Halfway down the page you will see the box, Use an outside domain name (advanced). Here is where you will type in your new domain page. Enter it exactly the same as your domain name. Also make sure you click the enable box.

Enable outside Domain Name

The last step is to go to the bottom of this page and click SAVE CHANGES.


Save

After clicking SAVE CHANGES it will take up to 72 hours for the nameservers to be directed and for the page to go active. You have done everything properly. The only thing left to do is be patient and wait.

Enjoy your new outside domain name blog. Thanks ACTIVERAIN!

 


****UPDATE FROM BRAD ANDERSOHN****

Here's A TIP I just picked up from AR support:

If it has been more than 24 hours and your personalized domain is NOT WORKING:

Go into your AR Blog setup page, and disable the custom domain section and save.
(just uncheck the "enable" box)

Then go back in and re-enable it and save once again.  This will clear the bug issue
that was discovered over the weekend and stored in your browsers memory.

 

Make sure you don't add in the http://  or the www, to the domain name, just enter
the domain name ONLY:  ie: JeremyBlanton.com


So if you're one of those still waiting, this WILL be the process that will fix it.

 

*****UPDATE #2*******

Since there is going to be a lot of questions and tips/tricks coming out over the next few months, I made a group for outside blogs this evening.  Go Join Here

 

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171 Comments on How to Set Up Domain for Outside AR Blog

20 Most Recent Comments Displayed Show All

SEP
25
2008
510,892 Points 44 Featured Posts Outside Blog Hit Router Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Jeremy - I had the same question and I'm in my godaddy account now in the forward section, do I type in my outsideblog domain to Forward to:  Also, what is masking and do I have to include keywords in masking. I really appreciate your help if you can help me. Thanks

4:36pm • #152
SEP
26
2008
1,210,518 Points 118 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Jeremy,

Good stuff. Did you leave the outside blog set by Activerain as well, or you can't forward to both, and does it make sense to try to do that?

Wow, sorry for so many questions

12:09am • #153
1 Featured Post Outside Blog Hit Router Attended Rain Camp

excellent post Jeremy. Need to re-visit this along with the other 100 things on my to-do list, but this is one is important. Thanks again for the guidance here.

5:05am • #154
OCT
05
2008
2 Featured Posts

I am working on this and forgot I had bought a blog domain name until godaddy sent me a message... Thanks Jeremy - I am going to get this set up tomorrow!

2:06pm • #155
OCT
19
2008
695,114 Points 39 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Jeremy -  I'm finally going to use one of our names we bought many years ago from godaddy. My renewal just came up which reminded  me that I even had these to play with. Thanks for the tutorial. Bob H

4:35pm • #156
609,664 Points Outside Blog

Thanks for the post and great information.  We are new and still learning.  This was very helpful.

5:31pm • #157
OCT
21
2008
605,972 Points 9 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Jeremy - this is an awesome tutorial. I completed it and will wait for my 72 hours. This is a great tutorial, and thank you so much. I appreciate how much this has helped!

9:25pm • #158
1 Featured Post Localism Sponsor

Good tutorial. It was very clear and I haven't found any glitches in our advice. Thanks.

9:37pm • #159

Ok - sounds great! I've bookmarked this blog for later. Now, to just think up a premo name..... (Actually, that's probably going to be the hard part!) LOL

10:14pm • #160
OCT
22
2008
425,063 Points 22 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Awesome - I followed all directions :) got everything set up in about 4 minutes and it is already working (10 minutes later!) wow, that was fast. ~Rita

12:02pm • #161
3 Featured Posts

I was wondering what the outside blogs things was...hadn't had time to look into it!  Thanks!

 

5:33pm • #162

Great tips Jeremy......thanks!

7:06pm • #163
OCT
23
2008
131,631 Points 1 Featured Post

Thanks for the info I followed your instructions word for word.  I will check back to see how its working.  Thanks for the info.

7:01pm • #164
OCT
26
2008

Hi Jeremy,

Great tutorial ... another fantastic website for domain purchases is www.1and1.com  They offer domains for $6 a year.  You can point to any HTML page (link).  I have multiple domains that point to the same spot - they're cheap ... so why not :).

Thanks again,

Mike

7:48am • #165
OCT
30
2008
1 Featured Post

I'm SO happy I found your post. I was JUST wondering how to set this up. Many Thanks.

9:31am • #166
NOV
04
2008
8 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor

Hey Jeremy.  Thanks for this great tutorial.  I followed it to set up two domains for my outside blog on Nov. 1.  As of now I still can not get them to work.  Last night I went thru the disable/enable process as suggested in your tips.  This is the msg I'm getting: 

Page Not Found --- !ruby/exception:NoMethodError message: private method `gsub' called for nil:NilClass

Any thoughts?  Trying to get up and running so I can submit a blog for the contest.

10:39am • #167
NOV
16
2008
130,414 Points 1 Featured Post Localism Sponsor Attended Rain Camp

I'm back reading this - I'm pretty sure I read it before - but thanks to your 103 or 107 ways to use Activerain, I'm back again - This time I'll give it a try...!  THanks!

7:28am • #168
226,968 Points Hit Router

Just joined the group.  I know I need to do this.  Just need to do it!!

7:36am • #169
DEC
19
2008
7 Featured Posts

Jeremy - do we have a new tut for the new way the blogs are set up-it is all different now.

3:24pm • #170
JAN
04
2009
823,384 Points 155 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog Hit Router Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

It's time for an update or a reblog on this...  'Don't know thata it is "all different now" but I do know there are people setting up outside blogs that weren't around when this was first posted.

1:50pm • #171

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Jeremy Blanton

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