Forwarding a Domain to a Different Domain

You can make use of your internet address by forwarding your domain to a different domain. This will redirect the visitors of your website to a different internet address.

Requirement

Your domain must not be used by a service or application, e.g. as a webspace or by a managed application. How to disconnect existing connections is explained in the help article Disconnecting Existing Connection of a Domain.

Forward Domain

To forward a domain proceed as follows:

If you have not yet done so, please log in to your IONOS account.
Click on the Domain & SSL tile and select the desired domain.
Select the Adjust Destination link on the Details tab.
Click on Domain Forwarding.
Select Your Domain or Arbitrary URL as Type.
Set a forwarding destination.
Your Domain option: A click in this field opens a list with domains in your contract. Select one of the domains.
Option Arbitrary URL: Enter an Internet address in the form https://example.com.
Decide on a redirect type.
Option HTTP Redirect: Visitors to your domain are going to see the address of the destination domain in the address line of the Internet browser. This redirect type is preferable for good search engine results.
Option Frame Redirect: Visitors to your domain are not going to see the address line of the destination domain. The Internet browser will retain the original internet address.
Conclude your entries with Save.

Notes

If you would like to automatically forward domain calls with a leading www. as well, activate the option Domain forwarding for the www. Subdomain.
Please note: Frame redirects are not optimal for search engines. Use HTTP redirects instead.

SSL Encryption and Forwarding

SSL encryption is supported for the following instances:

https > https
http > https

When redirecting from https to http, the browser of the website visitor may show error messages. To avoid this, assign SSL encryption to the forwarding destination as well. You can find out how to change this in the article Secure Your Website with SSL Encryption.

DNS Settings and Domain Forwarding

Domain forwarding is automatically set up using DNS entries. Before you check with your browser whether domain forwarding has been successful, clear your Internet browser's cache to remove outdated redirect information.

To view DNS settings for a particular domain redirect:

If you have not yet done so, please log in to your IONOS account.
Click on the Domain & SSL tile and select the desired domain.
Switch to the DNS tab.
In the search field, enter "redirect" and complete the entry by clicking on Search. All DNS entries for the redirect will be displayed.

TXT records for redirects are only required for creation purposes and you can delete them afterwards.

Connect Domain to External Services

You can connect your domain to an external web service, social media profile, online shop or blog. The content will then be displayed under your internet address (domain mapping). Please note that for some of these services, the setup must be started in the configuration interface of the corresponding service.

To forward a domain, proceed as follows:

If you have not yet done so, please log in to your IONOS account.
Click on the Domain & SSL tile and select the desired domain.
Select the Adjust Domain Destination on the Details tab.
Click on Connect External Page.
Click on the logo of the desired external service.
Enter the necessary data for the final configuration.

You can find multiple configuration instructions in the Help Center under Domains > Using Domains.