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Domain Name System (DNS) Setup

By Quality & Training
  • Updated

Direct Ordering serves a restaurant's online ordering site from a subdomain of its own domain, such as order.examplerestaurant.com. Setting this up requires adding specific DNS records at the domain's host. This article explains what DNS is, how to identify the domain host, and how to add the required records for the most common providers.

What Is DNS?

The Domain Name System (DNS) translates human-readable domain names, such as examplerestaurant.com, into the numeric IP addresses that computers use to locate each other on the Internet. Every device on the Internet has a unique IP address, and DNS resolves a domain name (for example, www.example.com) to its corresponding IP address (for example, 192.168.1.1) so a browser loads the correct website. For more detail on how DNS works, see Cloudflare's DNS overview.

Why Direct Ordering Needs DNS Access

To serve a Direct Ordering site under a restaurant's own domain (such as order.examplerestaurant.com), specific DNS records must be added at the domain's host. These records point the chosen subdomain to the Direct Ordering platform so guests see the restaurant's domain while ordering online. The restaurant continues to host the domain, and Direct Ordering powers the ordering site that runs on it.

Note: DNS entries must be added within 72 hours of receiving them from Checkmate. Delays can interrupt the online ordering experience.

Finding the Domain Host

A domain host (such as GoDaddy or Cloudflare) is the service where a domain's DNS is managed. If the domain host is unknown, the NS Lookup tool identifies it.

Using the NS Lookup Tool

Follow the steps below to find the domain host with the NS Lookup tool:

  1. Open the NS Lookup tool on DNS Checker.
  2. Enter the domain name (for example, examplerestaurant.com).

  3. Select Show NS Records.

    Show NS Records in the NS Lookup tool

  4. Locate the domain hostname in the Owner field (for example, godaddy.com or cloudflare.com).

    Owner field showing the domain host

After identifying the host, use the matching provider section below.

DNS Configuration by Provider

Each provider uses slightly different steps. Use the section that matches the DNS host.

GoDaddy

  1. Log in to the GoDaddy account.

  2. Select the domain under My Products.

    Select the domain under My Products

  3. Select Manage Domain.

    Manage Domain

  4. Under Additional Settings, select Manage DNS.

    Manage DNS under Additional Settings

  5. On the DNS Management page, select Add under DNS Records.

    Add under DNS Records

  6. Add a new record with the following values:

    • Type: CNAME
    • Name: order (or catering)
    • Value: Provided by Checkmate
    • TTL: Default

    GoDaddy CNAME record fields

Cloudflare

  1. Log in to Cloudflare.

  2. Select the domain.

    Select the domain in Cloudflare

  3. Open the DNS tab.

    DNS tab in Cloudflare

  4. Select Add Record.

    Add Record in Cloudflare

  5. Enter the following values:
    • Type: CNAME
    • Name: order
    • Target: Provided by Checkmate
    • TTL: Auto
    • Proxy Status: DNS only

  6. Select Save.

    Save the record in Cloudflare

Sucuri

  1. Log in at my.sucuri.net.

  2. Select the gear icon on the domain card, then select Firewall Settings.

    Firewall Settings in Sucuri

  3. Open the DNS tab.

    DNS tab in Sucuri

  4. Select Add Record.

    Add Record in Sucuri

  5. Enter the following values:
    • Type: CNAME
    • Subdomain: order
    • TTL: 5 minutes
    • Points To: Provided by Checkmate

  6. Select Add DNS Record.

    Add DNS Record button in Sucuri

Amazon Web Services Route 53

  1. Log in to the AWS Console.

  2. Search for Route 53.

    Search for Route 53

  3. Select Hosted Zones.

    Hosted Zones in Route 53

  4. Select the domain.

    Select the domain in Route 53

  5. Select Create Record Set.

    Create Record Set in Route 53

  6. Enter the following values:

    • Name: order
    • Type: CNAME
    • Alias: No
    • TTL: 300
    • Value: Provided by Checkmate
    • Routing Policy: Simple

    Route 53 record values

  7. Select Create at the bottom of the page to save the changes.

Squarespace

  1. Log in to Squarespace.

  2. Open the Domains tab and select the domain.

    Domains tab in Squarespace

  3. Select Advanced Settings.

    Advanced Settings in Squarespace

  4. Scroll down and add a new row with the following values:
    • Host: Provided by Checkmate
    • Record: CNAME
    • Priority: N/A
    • Data: Provided by Checkmate

  5. Select the Add button.

    Add the record in Squarespace

Note: Squarespace does not support a leading underscore (_) in DNS values. Checkmate's SSL DNS value begins with a leading underscore, which can be removed before saving. Checkmate provides a value in the form _<random value>.acm-validations.aws, and Squarespace accepts it as <random value>.acm-validations.aws.

Google

  1. Open Google Domains.

  2. Log in and select My Domains.

    My Domains in Google Domains

  3. Navigate to My Domains in the left-side menu.

    My Domains menu

  4. Select Manage on the domain entry to be configured.

    Manage a domain in Google Domains

  5. Select DNS in the left-side menu.

    DNS menu in Google Domains

  6. Select Manage custom records to make the entry rows editable.

    Manage custom records

  7. Scroll down and select Create new record. A new record appears at the bottom of the list with editable fields for Host Name, Type, TTL, and Data.

    Create new record

  8. Add or edit the records provided by Checkmate. Depending on the services in use, there are either two or three DNS entries:
    • SSL verification: The Name and Value fields are randomly generated. This entry allows Checkmate to host the website over a secure HTTPS connection, which all major browsers require (see DigiCert's explanation for more information).
    • Online ordering subdomain: The subdomain for the online ordering website (for example, order.examplerestaurant.com).
    • Catering subdomain: The subdomain for the online catering website (for example, catering.examplerestaurant.com).
Note: The screenshot below contains example values. Each domain has its own values, which the Checkmate team provides. DNS propagation can take 24 to 48 hours but usually completes within 5 to 10 minutes.

Example DNS values in Google Domains

Wix

The following process configures a domain for a Checkmate online ordering or catering website when the DNS provider is Wix.com.

Prerequisites

  • Access to the Wix.com account with at least domain manager access. See the Wix roles and permissions overview for details. Account owners have the highest level of access, which is sufficient for this guide.
  • The DNS values provided by Checkmate. There are either two or three pairs of DNS names and values (three pairs when catering is included), all of the CNAME record type.
  • No other website occupies the order or catering subdomain. For example, if order.examplerestaurant.com already resolves to a website, that subdomain is unavailable, since no two websites can occupy the same subdomain. Contact the assigned CSM or delivery specialist for options.

Steps

  1. Go to Wix sign-in and log in to the account that manages the domain.

  2. On the landing page, select the website connected to the domain to be configured.

    Select the website in Wix

  3. Select Settings in the side navigation.

    Settings in Wix

  4. Select Manage Domains.

    Manage Domains in Wix

  5. Under the domain to be configured, select the three dots, then select Manage DNS Records.

    Manage DNS Records in Wix

  6. Scroll to the CNAME section and select Add Record at the bottom of that section.

    Add a CNAME record in Wix

  7. Enter the name of the record, the type as CNAME, and the value provided by Checkmate. For example, one DNS pair would be entered as Name order, Value akbsdasd.cloudfront.net, Type CNAME.

    Enter the CNAME record values in Wix

  8. Repeat the previous two steps for each name and value pair provided by Checkmate.
  9. Allow time for propagation. Changes can take up to 24 hours to appear across the Internet, though they usually take effect within 2 to 5 minutes.
  10. After the records are added, notify Checkmate to confirm the configuration. Checkmate completes the remaining setup.

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