Domain and Email

When you create your restaurant in SandwichBoard, you not only supply its name, you also supply its unique domain. If you do not own a domain name that you can use (like billsbbq.com), you must still designate one–even if it doesn't exist in the real world. Out-of-the-box, SandwichBoard allows patrons to access your site from yourdomain.sandwichboard.com. For example, if you indicate that your domain is billsbbq.com, your SandwichBoard site is available at http://www.billsbbq.sandwichboard.com/ and http://billsbbq.sandwichboard.com/.

If you own, or later choose to own, a domain name for your restaurant, you can follow the steps below to point it to your SandwichBoard site to maintain a more professional image and to send and receive email using Google Gmail. For example, if the owners of Bill's Barbecue decided to own billsbbq.com and followed the steps below, their restaurant's site would be accessible from http://www.billsbbq.com/ and http://billsbbq.com/. As well, they would have an info@billsbbq.com email address to correspond with patrons and suppliers.

To use your domain (eg. billsbbq.com) with SandwichBoard you must create an A host record pointing to 8.12.42.220 and www CNAME alias record pointing to your domain.

SandwichBoard uses and recommends GoDaddy for Domain Name Services.

1. Log in to your account at http://www.godaddy.com/
2. Mouse over the Domains tab and click My Domains.
3. On the Manage Domains page click the domain that you want to use with SandwichBoard.
4. Click Total DNS Control And MX Records.
5. Click Edit (a button that looks like a pencil) next to the @ A host record.
6. Enter 8.12.42.220 as the Points To Ip Address.
7. Click OK, and then click OK again.
8. Click Edit (a button that looks like a pencil) next to the www CNAME alias record.
9. Enter @ as the Points To Host Name.
10. Click OK, and then click OK again.

1. Log in to your account at http://www.networksolutions.com/
2. Click on the Domains left-hand tab and select Manage Domain Names.
3. At the end of the Domain currently points to row, click Edit.
4. Click Manage DNS Records.
5. Click Add/Edit under IP Address.
6. Check the Delete check boxes next to the A host records for www and * (All Others).
7. Enter 8.12.42.220 as the Host IP Address for the @ (None) A host record.
8. Click Go and then Go again on the confirmation screen.
9. Click Add/Edit under Host Alias.
10. Enter * and www CNAME alias records and select @ (none) as the Refers to Host Name for each.
11. Click Go and then Go again on the confirmation screen.

The process for creating and managing A host records and CNAME alias records is similar with other Domain Registrars. Please check with your registrar for instructions.

SandwichBoard uses and recommends Gmail for business email.

Google provides excellent instructions and support for setting up Gmail for your domain.