Are you scratching your head because your custom domain isn't forwarding to your wedding website correctly? Don't fret! There are a couple of common reasons for this, and we've got the scoop.

First things first, have you connected your domain to Joy? Buying the domain is just the opening act, you have to go through the process to connect it to your Joy site. Need a step-by-step guide? Check it out here.

Uh-oh, your custom domain is taking a detour and pointing to withjoy.com or the Find page instead of your trusty Joy URL. You likely set your custom domain to forward to withjoy.com instead of your actual Joy URL or there is a typo in your URL. If you're unsure where to find your URL, you can learn about that here. Once you have your URL go back to the domain provider site and update your forward settings

Now, let's talk about DNS delays! Here's the deal: often, after connecting your domain to your Joy website, you'll be able to see your site at your domain right away. But, sometimes, the Internet likes to take its sweet time.

You see, every time you make changes to the DNS (Domain Name System) records (which you did when you forwarded your domain to your wedding website), the rest of the Internet needs to catch up. This catch-up time is known as propagation. Usually, DNS changes will shimmy their way across the Internet within a few hours, but, just like a slow dance, it can take up to 48 hours for everything to sync up.

Here's a rule of thumb: check back in about 5 hours. Give it a try using an incognito/private browser as well. If you're still not seeing your site when incognito, don't hesitate to send us a message! We're here to help and can give things a quick check for you. No worries, we've got your back!

Ask us directly! Click on the black and white chat bubble in the bottom-right corner of this page to ask us your questions, or you can email us at support@withjoy.com. You’ll get a friendly response from someone on our team! 🙂