How to use Google App Engine with my own naked domain (not subdomain)?

google-app-engine dns google-cloud-platform
Mark picture Mark · May 3, 2009 · Viewed 100.3k times · Source

After hours of reading about and experimenting with DNS records I can access my Google App Engine app via these URLs:

  • myappid.appspot.com
  • www.myappid.myowndomain.com

What does not work:

  • myowndomain.com
  • www.myowndomain.com

I want to be able to serve my app directly off my domain and not a subdomain. I've seen apps that do this. Is there any way to do this without a URL redirect?

Answer

Mark picture Mark · May 3, 2009

[Update April 2016] This answer is now outdated, custom naked domain mapping is supported, see Lawrence Mok's answer.

I have figured it out!

First off: it is impossible to link something like mydomain.com with your appspot app. This is considered a naked domain, which is not supported by Google App Engine (anymore). Strictly speaking, the answer to my question has to be "impossible". Read on...

All you can do is add subdomains pointing to your app, e.g myappid.mydomain.com. The key to get your top level domain linked to your app is to realize that www is a subdomain like any other!

myappid.mydomain.com is treated exactly the same as www.mydomain.com!

Here are the steps:

  1. Go to appengine.google.com, open your app
  2. Administration > Versions > Add Domain... (your domain has to be linked to your Google Apps account, follow the steps to do that including the domain verification.)
  3. Go to www.google.com/a/yourdomain.com
  4. Dashboard > your app should be listed here. Click on it.
  5. myappid settings page > Web address > Add new URL
  6. Simply enter www and click Add
  7. Using your domain hosting provider's web interface, add a CNAME for www for your domain and point to ghs.googlehosted.com

Now you have www.mydomain.com linked to your app.

I wished this would have been more obvious in the documentation...Good luck!

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