Booking Website: DNS & SSL FAQ

1. What DNS records do I need for a Hostaway Booking Website on my own domain?

If you use your main domain in Booking Website > Settings > Domain & Security, set the root @ record as an A record pointing to 52.37.108.119, and make sure it is the only A record for the root domain. 

Set the www record as a CNAME pointing to proxy3.holidayfuture.com. If you use a booking subdomain such as book.yourdomain.com, select the subdomain option in Hostaway and create only a CNAME for book pointing to proxy3.holidayfuture.com** — do not** add extra A, AAAA, or ALIAS records for that subdomain.

The required records differ between the Standard booking website and Booking Website Pro, so always confirm the exact CNAME or proxy value shown for your account in the Booking Website settings before you add any records.

2. Can I keep my main website where it is and use only a Hostaway booking subdomain?

Yes. If your main website already lives somewhere else, keep the root domain pointing to that existing site and connect only a booking subdomain, such as book.yourdomain.com, to Hostaway. Do not change the root-domain A record if it already points to your current website.

3. What DNS records do I need for Booking Website Pro?

For Booking Website Pro, set two A records on your root domain: 35.172.94.1 and 100.24.208.97. Set the www record as a CNAME pointing to s.multiscreensite.com. If you also need dynamic booking pages — such as listing pages, search results, or checkout — to work correctly, you may also need a booking subdomain such as book pointing to proxy3.holidayfuture.com, depending on your setup.

4. How do I add my DNS records at my domain provider?

Open your domain provider's DNS management area and add the records exactly as shown in Hostaway. The exact interface varies by provider, so the menu and field names may look different. If you are not sure where to add them, your domain provider's support team can help you find the DNS settings.

5. How do I verify my DNS records are propagating correctly?

Use a DNS propagation checker such as dnschecker.org to confirm that your records are visible and resolving correctly. This helps you tell the difference between a propagation delay and a record that was entered incorrectly.

6. What if my DNS records are uneditable at my provider?

If you cannot edit your DNS records, do not remove or change your name servers, and do not try to enable an A record as a workaround. Hostaway only manages A and CNAME records and does not provide name server services — your DNS records must be edited where your DNS zone file is hosted. Changing your name servers can cause problems that are difficult to undo. If you are stuck, contact your domain provider or Hostaway support for help.

7. Do I need to buy or install my own SSL certificate?

No. When your DNS is configured correctly, Hostaway automatically generates and installs a free SSL certificate through Let's Encrypt**, so you do not need to buy or install one yourself.** Third-party SSL certificates are not supported for these custom-domain connections.

8. How long does DNS and SSL setup usually take?

DNS propagation usually takes about 2 to 24 hours. During the first 24 to 48 hours, you may still see a "Not Secure" warning or a temporary 404 error — this is normal while the setup completes. Certificates are generated in scheduled processing windows, so a short delay is expected even when your records are correct. On Booking Website Pro, you can often recreate the SSL certificate from your site settings; on the Standard booking website, wait the full 24 to 48 hours for propagation to finish.

9. Why is my custom domain showing "Not Secure" or a certificate warning?

This usually means your SSL certificate has not been issued yet**, or your** DNS records do not exactly match what Hostaway expects. Certificate warnings are typically caused by incorrect DNS records. The most common checks are to make sure the correct A and CNAME records are in place, to make sure there is only one root A record where required, and to check whether your site loads correctly in an incognito window instead of a cached browser session.

10. Why am I getting a 404 error on my custom domain?

A 404 can appear while your DNS changes are still propagating, especially during the first 48 hours** — this is expected during the initial setup**. If the error continues after that, check that your live DNS records match the records shown in Hostaway, and remove any incompatible records that could block SSL or routing.

11. Why does Cloudflare show Error 525 or SSL Handshake Failed?

If you use Cloudflare, set the Hostaway-related DNS records to DNS Only**, not** Proxied. Leaving the orange-cloud proxy enabled can stop Let's Encrypt from validating your domain and can cause permanent SSL errors such as Error 525.

12. Which DNS records should I remove if SSL is not issuing?

Remove any incompatible AAAA (IPv6) and CAA records, because they can block Let's Encrypt from issuing your certificate. Also make sure that old or duplicate A records are not still pointing to a previous server.

13. Why does the homepage load, but listing pages or checkout pages return 404 on Booking Website Pro?

On Booking Website Pro, your static pages (such as your homepage) and your dynamic booking pages (such as listing pages, search results, and checkout) are handled by different systems. If your custom domain is connected only to the Website Builder and no booking subdomain is set up, your listing pages can try to load from the wrong system and return a 404. To fix this, set up a booking subdomain (for example, book) in Hostaway and point it to proxy3.holidayfuture.com.

14. What should I do if the SSL certificate never finishes provisioning?

Hostaway follows an "8-hour rule": your DNS should be completed shortly after you save your domain in Hostaway. If you completed the setup too late and the SSL request gets stuck, reset it by turning off "Use your own domain", saving, waiting 5 to 10 minutes, turning it back on, saving again, and then republishing your site.