Connect an IONOS domain

This guide shows you where to add the one record Yclas needs when your domain is at IONOS (formerly 1&1).

Before you start

• Read Connect your own domain once, so you know the three steps.
• Your domain must use IONOS’s own name servers. If it uses another company’s, add the record there instead.

Yclas needs a CNAME record on your domain itself (@). IONOS treats a CNAME as clashing with any other record of the same name, including the MX records your email needs, and it has no ALIAS record to use instead. If IONOS refuses the record, or asks you to delete your MX records, stop: don’t delete them. See If IONOS refuses the record below.

Add the record at IONOS

1. Sign in to IONOS and open Domains & SSL.
2. Click the three-dots menu under Actions next to your domain and choose DNS.
3. Delete any A and AAAA records whose Host name is @: click the bin icon next to each one. Leave MX and TXT records alone.
4. Click Add record and choose CNAME. Fill in:
   • Host name: @
   • Points to: transfer.yclas.com
   • TTL: leave the default
5. Click Save.

Type @ (or leave Host name empty), never your full domain: IONOS would read yourdomain.com as yourdomain.com.yourdomain.com.

If IONOS refuses the record

You have two options, and you keep your domain at IONOS with either:

• Manage your domain’s DNS in a free Cloudflare account, which accepts this record next to your email records. The steps are the same as for GoDaddy: see Move your DNS to Cloudflare, changing the name servers in IONOS instead of GoDaddy.
• Open a ticket, tell us your domain is at IONOS, and we’ll help you choose.

Connect it in Yclas

Open Domain & SSL in your site’s admin panel, type your domain without www and click Connect my domain. The full details are in Step 3: Connect it in Yclas.

How long it takes

IONOS applies the change straight away, and it usually reaches everyone within an hour. Once we see the record, a free certificate is issued and your site switches to https on its own. See SSL (https) turns on by itself.

To send www.yourdomain.com to your site as well, set up a redirect from www to your domain at IONOS, or open a ticket. See www or no www?

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to check
IONOS says the record conflicts with an existing one	An A or AAAA record for @ is still there. Delete it. If the conflict is with MX or TXT records, keep them and see If IONOS refuses the record.
The SSL page keeps saying Waiting for your DNS record	Check the CNAME’s Host name is @ and it points to exactly transfer.yclas.com, with no A or AAAA record left for your domain.
Your domain also showed an IONOS website	Deleting its A records disconnects that website. That’s expected if your marketplace replaces it.
Email stopped working	An MX record was deleted. Add it back in the same DNS page.

Related guides

• Connect your own domain — the full setup, SSL and troubleshooting.
• Connect a Cloudflare domain — add the record once your DNS is on Cloudflare.
• Email addresses on your domain — keep your email working.
• Get help from Yclas support — open a ticket if you’re stuck.