Site Bindings
Connect a custom domain to your storefront and provision an SSL certificate through Azure App Service.
The Site Bindings page lets you connect a custom domain to your storefront. It walks you through a three-step process: configuring DNS records, creating the hostname binding on Azure App Service, and provisioning an SSL certificate. The page displays your current binding status and provides the DNS records you need to add at your domain registrar.
Each storefront runs on a system domain (e.g., yourstore.printnow.com). Site Bindings lets you replace that with your own domain (e.g., www.yourstore.com or store.yourstore.com). For root domains (e.g., yourstore.com), the system automatically creates a matching www binding as well.
View Site Binding
- From your admin, go to Settings > Domain Tools > Site Bindings.
- The page displays a two-panel layout: the left panel shows the domain configuration form, and the right panel shows the DNS records needed for validation.
Domain Configuration (Left Panel)
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| System Domain | Your storefront's default system domain (read-only). This is the domain your store runs on before a custom domain is configured. |
| Domain | The custom domain you want to bind to your storefront. Enter the full domain name (e.g., www.yourstore.com or store.yourstore.com). The field validates that the value is a properly formatted domain name. |
| Hostname record type | The type of DNS record to use for domain validation. Options change based on whether the domain is a subdomain or root domain: CNAME -- used for subdomains (e.g., www.yourstore.com, store.yourstore.com). Points the subdomain to your system domain.A Record -- used for root domains (e.g., yourstore.com). Points to the storefront's IP address.TXT -- a domain ownership verification record. Required alongside A Records for root domains. |
DNS Records (Right Panel)
The right panel displays the DNS records you need to add at your domain registrar before creating the binding. Each record row includes a copy button for quick clipboard access.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Type | The DNS record type (CNAME, A, or TXT). |
| Host | The hostname to create the record for at your registrar. |
| Value | The value to set for the DNS record (e.g., your system domain for CNAME, an IP address for A records, or a verification token for TXT records). |
Binding Workflow
The binding process follows a three-step sequence. The page shows status-driven action buttons that guide you through each step.
Step 1: Create Binding
- Enter your custom Domain and select the appropriate Hostname record type.
- Add the DNS records shown in the right panel at your domain registrar.
- Click Create Binding.
The system creates a hostname binding on Azure App Service in the background. The page polls for status updates every 15 seconds. While the binding is being created, the status shows as in progress.
If the binding creation fails (e.g., DNS records are not yet propagated), an error message is displayed. You can retry after ensuring your DNS records are correctly configured.
Step 2: Create Certificate
Once the binding is successfully created, the Create Certificate button appears.
- Click Create Certificate.
The system provisions an App Service Managed Certificate for your domain. This process runs in the background and the page polls for completion. Certificate provisioning may take several minutes depending on DNS propagation.
For root domains, the system automatically creates a www binding and certificate as well.
Step 3: Active Binding
Once the certificate is provisioned, your custom domain is fully active with SSL. The storefront is now accessible at your custom domain with HTTPS.
To remove the binding, click Remove Binding. This deletes the hostname binding and certificate from Azure App Service.
Status Messages
The page displays status messages as the binding process progresses:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| binding-creation:started | The hostname binding is being created on Azure. The page polls for updates. |
| binding-creation:completed | The hostname binding was created successfully. You can now create the certificate. |
| binding-creation:failed | The binding creation failed. Check your DNS configuration and retry. |
| certificate-creation:started | The SSL certificate is being provisioned. The page polls for updates. |
| certificate-creation:completed | The certificate was provisioned and the custom domain is fully active. |
| certificate-creation:failed | Certificate provisioning failed. This may indicate DNS propagation issues. |
| binding-deletion:completed | The binding and certificate have been removed. |
Associations
Print Store
| Area | Effect |
|---|---|
| Azure App Service | The binding process uses the Azure ARM SDK to create hostname bindings and App Service Managed Certificates on the storefront's Azure Web App. Both slot-based and non-slot deployments are supported. |
| Automatic www binding | When a root domain is bound (e.g., yourstore.com), the system automatically creates a corresponding www hostname binding and certificate, ensuring both versions of the domain work. |
| Custom domain detection | The storefront uses the custom domain setting to determine whether it is running on a temporary/system domain or a custom domain. This affects robots.txt generation -- temporary domains block all crawling with Disallow: /. |
| Preferred domain | The custom domain works together with the Redirects Preferred Domain setting to enforce www or non-www URL format. |
| Activity logging | Binding creation, certificate provisioning, and binding removal status changes are tracked in the Activity Log via status entries (e.g., binding-creation:completed). |
Related Pages
- Activity Log — view binding and certificate provisioning status entries
- Redirects — set preferred domain (www vs. non-www) after binding your custom domain
- Robots.txt — temporary domains auto-block crawling until a custom domain is bound
- Sitemap — sitemap URLs use the custom domain once bound