When you signup for a new Tumblr Blog, by default your blog’s address will be your_blog_name.tumblr.com. One of the best reasons to use your own domain name is that you could always move the domain to another blog service if you decide to switch and quit blogging at Tumblr. With your own domain, your blog’s identity is secure, and best of all, once you own a domain it’s free to add it to your Tumblr. Here’s how to do it.
Redirect Your Domain to Tumblr
First, you need to own a domain name. There are many popular domain registrars, and you can usually signup for a new domain name for around $10. If you don’t already have one, find a domain hosting service you feel good with and signup for a new domain name.
Once you’ve got a domain name, you need to direct your domain name to point to Tumblr’s servers. Or, if you want to keep your domain name at a current site, you could redirect a subdomain to Tumblr. Our domain was hosted with 1&1, so here’s how to do it there; the process is generally the same on other registrars, though the wording may be slightly different. Login to your domain administration page, and if your hosting company offers multiple services, select to Manage your Domain.
Now select your domain name, click the DNS button, and select Edit DNS Settings. Again, this may appear different depending on your domain registrar, but should in general work the same.
Now, on the IP Address settings, select Other IP address, and then enter Tumblr’s IP address:
Click Ok when you’re finished making the changes. Now your domain name should be ready to add to your Tumblr blog, though note that it can take up to 72 hours for the changes to go through.
Add Your Domain to Tumblr
Once you’ve changed your DNS settings, head over to Tumblr’s Check Domain page (link below) to make sure everything is setup correctly. Enter your domain name, and click Check domain.
If everything’s setup correctly, you’ll see a confirmation like the one below.
Alternately, if your domain is not pointing to Tumblr, you’ll see a message informing you that it isn’t pointed to Tumblr. If you see this, make sure you entered your domain correctly, and then go back and check your domain settings at your domain registrar.
If everything is directing to Tumblr correctly, you should now see a page similar to the following screenshot when you visit your domain. Now you’re ready to add it to your Tumblr account.
Browse to tumblr.com/customize (link below), and click the Info tab at the top.
Now check the box near the bottom that says Use a custom domain name, and enter your domain name in the field.
Click Save + Close on the top right corner, and now you should see your Tumblr blog when you browse to your new domain. If you don’t see it, press Shift+F5 to force your browser to fully refresh.
Conclusion
No matter how you plan to use your blog, you can make it much more personalized with a custom domain. Now you can run your business’ blog on Tumblr and keep your branding, or run a personal site that’s easily movable to a different service. Don’t forget; if you don’t have a Tumblr blog, check out our tutorial on how to Create a Beautiful & Easy to Update Blog With Tumblr.
Links
Check and See if Your Domain is Pointing to Tumblr
Customize Your Tumblr Blog
