Website · Custom domains & SSL
Your own domain, with HTTPS set up for you
Every website gets a free address with HTTPS from day one. Connect your own domain in a few steps; the security certificate is issued and renewed automatically.
Overview
Custom domains & SSL at a glance
Travellers trust a website on your own domain. Tourtify gives every business a free address that works straight away, and lets you connect a domain you already own, such as www.yourbusiness.com, so travellers see your brand everywhere.
You add two DNS records where you bought the domain and Tourtify does the rest: it checks the records, issues an HTTPS certificate on the first visit and renews it automatically. Once your domain is live, your free address redirects to it so old links keep working.
Capabilities
What's included
-
Guided DNS setup
The console shows exactly which TXT and CNAME records to add, then checks them for you and re-checks pending domains every 10 minutes.
-
Automatic HTTPS
A certificate is issued as soon as the domain is live and renewed automatically. There is nothing to buy or install.
-
Root domains
Use A records for a domain without www where shown, or a provider that supports CNAME flattening such as Cloudflare.
-
Several domains
Connect more than one domain (how many depends on your plan) and choose your main address. The others redirect to it.
-
Permanent redirects
Your free address redirects to your main domain with a 301, so search rankings and old links carry across.
Decide which address travellers will see
Before you touch DNS, choose the version of your domain you want on brochures, emails and search results. The www version (www.yourbusiness.com) is the easiest because it uses a CNAME record, which every DNS provider supports. A root domain without www needs either the A records Tourtify shows for it or a provider that supports CNAME flattening.
Many operators connect both. Add www.yourbusiness.com and yourbusiness.com as two domains, then choose Make main on the one you prefer. Every other connected address redirects to the main one with a permanent 301 and keeps the rest of the address, so a traveller who types yourbusiness.com/tours/annapurna-circuit lands on the same tour page under your main address.
You can paste the domain however you have it. Tourtify removes https://, any page path and port numbers and converts it to lower case, so https://www.YourBusiness.com/about is saved as www.yourbusiness.com. How many domains you can connect depends on your plan, and the Domain screen tells you when you have reached the limit.
Reading the DNS check
Tourtify checks two separate things. The TXT record at _tourtify followed by your domain proves you own it, and the CNAME to sites.ttfweb.com (or the A records for a root domain) sends visitors to your website. The check tells you which part is missing. "We can't see the TXT record yet" means ownership is not proven yet, while a message that starts "Ownership confirmed" means only the routing record still needs attention.
If your DNS is at Cloudflare, watch the proxy setting. When the record is proxied (the orange cloud), Tourtify detects it and asks you to switch that record to DNS only (the grey cloud), because the proxy hides where the domain points and stops the security certificate from working.
Two general DNS habits save time. Some providers add your domain to the Name field automatically, so type only _tourtify.www or www where they expect a host name, not the full address. And a name can't have a CNAME alongside other records, so remove any old A record for www that points at your previous website first.
Switching a live website without a gap
Your free ttfweb.com address works from day one, so build and test your tours, pages and checkout there while your old website stays live on your domain. Add redirects for your old website's important addresses before you change DNS, so the moment the domain points at Tourtify every old link already has somewhere to go.
After you add the records you don't need to keep the page open. Pending domains are checked again every 10 minutes for three days; after that, choose Check now. If another Tourtify business started connecting your domain but never proved ownership, its claim is released after 72 hours, so a forgotten attempt can't block you for good.
Certificates are only issued for domains that have passed the check, and the first one is created on the first visit. Open your website on the new domain yourself once it shows Live, so the certificate is ready before you announce the change.
What changes, and what doesn't
Tourtify only asks for a TXT and a CNAME or A record. Your MX records are not involved, so email on the same domain keeps working as long as you leave those records alone at your DNS provider.
Once your main domain is live, the free address and any other connected domains redirect to it, which gives search engines one address for every page instead of duplicate copies. Submit your sitemap in Google Search Console under the new domain so the switch is picked up quickly.
If you stop using a domain, choose Disconnect and then remove its records at your DNS provider. Visitors to that domain stop reaching your website straight away, so make sure it isn't your main address or printed on current marketing first.
How it works
Custom domains & SSL, step by step
- 1
Add your domain
Enter it in Settings › Domain.
- 2
Copy two records
Add the TXT and CNAME records at your DNS provider.
- 3
Check
Tourtify confirms ownership and turns the domain live.
- 4
You're secure
HTTPS is issued on the first visit and renewed automatically.
How long does it take?
DNS changes usually show within an hour, occasionally up to 48 hours. Tourtify keeps checking for you.
Can I keep my existing domain?
Yes. Keep it with your current provider and point it to Tourtify with two DNS records.
Who can change domains?
Owners and admins.
Related features
Works well with
Start selling tours direct
Try Tourtify free for 30 days. Add your tours, pick a theme and take your first booking today.