Create sub-domain with custom domain

If you are just interested to know how to create sub-domain, skip directly to How to create sub-domain

A blogger's complaint that the static page he created has unwanted expandable post summary (if I understand him correctly is the push I needed to finally write this post on sub-domain. He suspect it may have something to do with the fact that he is using a template with built-in expandable post summary (again if I understand him correctly. He may be right but it looks that the static page one created via Blogger uses the same template.

Anyway I figure his solution might be to abandon blogspot and upgrade to custom domain and create a sub-domain instead as the sub-domain can use any template which may or may not be the same as the original. It is practically a separate independent website. Look at the one I created recently faq.bloggertipsandtricks.com/ (still under construction). If you go to BT&T FAQ which is the title of that sub-domain, you may see me using the same template, but the blog title, sidebars, etc are different from Blogger Tips and Tricks.

A bit more rambling. While for a long time, Blogger.com was negatively compared with Wordpress, since it abandoned the old classic template and forced everyone to upgrade to the new Blogger xml templates, Blogger has improved by leaps and bounds. Not only that, now coupled with Google Apps, you have a very easy "content management system" to create many things without getting too technical. In fact, I know that Google (here in Malaysia anyway) is working with a students from a University to help SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) using Blogger and Google Apps to create >websites for businesses.

How to create sub-domain

First you must upgrade to custom domain and I would suggest you not register directly your domain using other domain registra but do it via Blogger.com and Google Apps and you will find lots of what you need to do is automated for you by Blogger.com. No need to struggle with CNames, etc. etc.

Once you have a custom domain, make sure you create an administrator account (email). Instructions should be emailed to you. Once you have created that administrator account, either log into that email or log into https://www.google.com/a/cpanel/yourdomain.com, making sure to replace yourdomain with the actual URL of your blog. If you ever forgot your admin password, refer to Google Apps "forgot password". (I somehow prefer to sign into my admin email, then click "Manage this domain" to get into the CPanel).

In Google Apps Control Panel, click the Domain Settings tab (or click Domain names):



and in the following window, click Domain Names tab:



In the window after clicking the Domain Settings tab, the name of your domain registra will be shown. Below that, there will be an Advanced DNS Settings link. Click it



Click "Advanced DNS Settings" and the next screen will give you the password and username of your domain registra which will likely be Godaddy or eNom:



Click "Sign into DNS Console" and in the next window will be the login page of your domain registra's:

Godaddy Domain Control Center login

or

eNom Domain Management sign in

Copy-paste the username and password, click "Secure login" and presto, you are signed into the Advanced DNS Settings of your respective domain registra:

GoDaddy

Click the particular domain to which you want to add a sub-domain, and in the next window:



Click "Total DNS Control" and in the next window, under "CNames Aliases", click "Add New CName record"



then type in the sub-domain (eg. faq.yourdomain.com), and for Points to Host Name: enter ghs.google.com, click OK and you are done. Congrats, you have created a sub-domain for your blog.

eNom

For eNom, in the HOST RECORDS section, click EDIT at the bottom right of the section:



and the section instantly turned editable where you can edit the Host Names, their Addresses and Host Types (A record or C Name). In your case, you want to create a new sub-domain, so click ADD NEW and a new row open at the bottom for you to type in a new host name, address and record type:



Thus for Host Name, type in the name of your sub-domain. For example, if I want to create forum.bloggertipsandtricks.com, I will type just "forum". For the address, type or copy-paste ghs.google.com and for Record Type, choose CName (Alias).

When done, just click SAVE and you are done.