This guide explains how a domain name and a DNS zone work.

Preamble

1. When you browse a website https://www.abc123.xyz for example, abc123.xyz is the domain name.
2. Each domain name has a DNS (Domain Name System), which indicates where the DNS zone is located (with which provider, for example).
3. The DNS zone then allows the management of various services related to the domain name to be entrusted to different service providers.
   • For a single domain name, it is possible, for example, to entrust:
     • web hosting with a provider X (via the "A" record)
     • and the Mail Service to a provider Y (via the "MX" record)

Domain name, DNS and DNS zone, then services

Who manages what?

1. Each domain name is reserved and managed by a registrar (registration office). For example, Infomaniak is a registrar, one of the cheapest in Switzerland.
2. The DNS of a domain name are configured with the registrar that manages the domain name.
3. The DNS zone can be managed by the registrar or another service provider.
4. Web hosting and email service can be handled by any host.

In the most common example, it is therefore possible to have 1 different provider for the following services: domain name registration and DNS management, DNS zone management, Web hosting, Mail Service.

The following diagram summarizes these different possibilities, with X, Y, A and B being different providers.

Infomaniak

As a registrar and host, Infomaniak can manage all these services. It is the simplest solution.

• In the case of Infomaniak, the DNS are generally in the form of nsXX.infomaniak.com and nsXX.infomaniak.com (XX such as 11 or 12 for example).
• You can modify the DNS of your domain name, as well as modify the "inside" of these DNS, that is to say modify the DNS zone of a domain name.

And in these DNS zones, to redirect traffic to services, we distinguish:

• an MX record that allows you to point a domain name (domain.xyz for example) to a mail server.
• an A record that allows you to point a domain name (domain.xyz for example) or a subdomain (example.domain.xyz for example) to a web server with a static IP address (otherwise you would have to constantly edit the A record to update the new IP address - refer to this other guide on this subject)

Some possible situations

etc.

This guide explains how to modify the details linked to a domain name, i.e., the “WHOIS” details of the owner / holder / administrator.

Preamble

• Domain names have a unique feature: each has an owner whose details are specific to the domain itself, independent of the user account managing the product with the host or registry.
• These details related to the domain name are called WHOIS details and indicate information such as first name, last name, postal address, email address, etc.
• They have no connection with the Infomaniak user account details.
• They can be viewed online using WHOIS services (whois.infomaniak.com or whois.nic.swiss for example) and additional private coordinates sometimes exist upstream.
• This information outside of the public WHOIS is never visible and/or communicated by Infomaniak without prior authentication!
• They will always be considered valid in case of a dispute regarding the ownership of a domain name, it is therefore important to keep this information up to date even if you activate Domain Privacy to mask this information.
• Any modification of WHOIS coordinates must be validated by the current contact. The latter will receive an email with a validation link valid for two days to validate the changes. The change will not be made if all actions are not completed entirely and before the deadline expires!
• Depending on the extension of the domain in question, these operations may incur fees.

Manage WHOIS information

To access your domain names:

1. Click here to access the management of your product on the Infomaniak Manager (need help?).
2. Click directly on the **name** assigned to the product in question.
3. Click on WHOIS Information in the left sidebar:
   

Then, several options are available under Domain Owner:

• Click on the Edit button to edit the language (of certain emails) as well as the postal and telephone coordinates without delay.
  
• Click on the Change Owner button to modify other elements, but you will need to obtain the agreement of both parties before applying:
  
  • Choose an existing contact record (this may be the case if you own other domain names)…
  • … or click the Add button to create a completely new contact record.

You can also do this for multiple domains at once: a contact record can be linked to several domains; therefore, modifying a record will automatically update all domains with the same WHOIS contact.

This guide presents the DNS Diagnostic tool, which allows you to check that the relationships between…

• DOMAIN NAME at Infomaniak
  
  and
   
• MAIL SERVICE at Infomaniak

… are correct, so that Mail traffic goes to the right place.

Introduction

• To check, the tool verifies the MX, SPF, etc. records.
• You will thus be able to detect and correct certain Mail problems, especially if they are related to DNS (technical information that, broadly speaking, determines where such and such Mail traffic should be directed) by acting at the level of your domain.
• Automatic correction is only possible when the domain name is present in the same Organization as the product to which it must be attached.
  • If this is not the case, then the correction will need to be done manually.

Diagnose a DNS issue

To access the DNS diagnostic for your domain name:

1. Click here to access the management of your product on the Infomaniak Manager (need help?).
2. Click directly on the name assigned to the product in question.
3. Click on Domain Management in the left sidebar.
4. Click on DNS Diagnostic in the left sidebar:
   
   • If DNS issues are detected, a red display on the table indicates it:
     1. Correct each error individually by clicking the button to the right of the concerned element…
     2. … or all errors at once.

Refer to this other guide regarding the same automatic verification process but for Web Hosting.

And if necessary, familiarize yourself with the mail-related security diagnostic.

This guide explains what a web host like Infomaniak is and specifies its role and limits of intervention.

Infomaniak, web host since 1996

According to Wikipedia, a web host is a company that provides Internet hosting for computer systems to individuals or entities that do not wish to do so themselves.

Infomaniak is also…

• … decades of experience in hosting and online solutions
• … more than a million users in Switzerland and Europe (CHF 36.5 million in revenue in 2022)
• … a company certified ISO 27001, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001 and committed to sustainable development
• … 100% Swiss-made technological expertise with data hosted in Switzerland
• … a rich knowledge base and customer support available

Responsibilities and limits of intervention

As a web host, Infomaniak installs, secures, and keeps servers up to date, updates its web interfaces (Manager) and guides its clients in the use of services.

However, **Infomaniak does not intervene in the content of the servers or the development of websites**.

Technical support limitations

The technical support cannot help you with…

• … solve issues related to site development or its updates
• … implement solutions (migrations, complete installations)
• … manually install WordPress
• … take control of your computer remotely

but can assist you with…

• … solve issues related to the infrastructure or the Manager
• … clarify certain processes

A Premium support and a migration service are available for more demanding needs.

Find external help

For help with your site's content or organizing your emails, use the Infomaniak tender platform which lists over 1000 verified professionals, or consult the directory.

The BIMI standard (Brand Indicators for Message Identification, brand indicators for message identificationoffers companies the possibility to incorporate their logo into sent emails.

Preamble

• The Infomaniak applications (and other companies around the globe - read the chapter in case of issue below) are compatible with BIMI and will display the logos next to the received emails.
• Infomaniak Mail Services allow you to configure your email with your logo (be sure to read the prerequisites); the benefits are numerous:
  • increased trust: recipients can visually identify your emails, thus reducing the risk of phishing.
  • brand reinforcement: a clearly visible logo in inboxes enhances brand recognition.
  • better deliverability: emails compliant with DMARC have a higher chance of reaching the main inbox.

1. Create a logo

Create a logo in SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) format. This format is required as it ensures optimal quality regardless of the device or display size.

To be imported into the Infomaniak interface (see below), it must not exceed 10 MB, but it can also be hosted on a publicly accessible secure server and you will simply need to provide its URL for the BIMI DNS record.

2. Obtain the VMC certificate

A verified logo certification (VMC) is required; it certifies that you are the legitimate owner of the logo. You can obtain this certification from recognized certification authorities such as DigiCert and Entrust.

When your VMC certificate is issued, you receive a PEM file containing the entity certificate. This PEM file includes your SVG format logo as well as the VMC.

3. Add the logo to Service Mail

Prerequisites

• All the indicators for Global Security of your Mail Service must be green (SPF + DKIM + DMARC)!

To access the Service Mail and set your company's logo:

1. Click here to access the management of your product on the Infomaniak Manager (need help?).
2. Click directly on the name assigned to the product in question.
3. Click on Global Security in the left sidebar.
4. Click on the Create button (in the BIMI section):
   
5. Fill in the requested information based on the received documents (see chapter 2 above) and do not forget to save.

In case of trouble

• If the Create button in the BIMI box remains grey, make sure to check the informative messages: DMARC may exist but may not be at the required rejection percentage, so adjust the parameters according to the indications.
• When there are multiple domains linked to the Service Mail, you must ensure that you have a certificate for each linked domain if you want BIMI on them.
• Note that Microsoft Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, the Mail app from Samsung, among others, have not yet adopted BIMI.

Disable BIMI

To disable BIMI, simply go to the domain name management page linked to the Service Mail and delete the corresponding TXT record.

This guide explains how to order a DNS zone from Infomaniak.

Preamble

• Having the DNS zone at Infomaniak is useful if your domain name is registered elsewhere (third-party provider/registrar) and you want to easily link this domain with Infomaniak products.
• Indeed, it is not enough to have a site domain.xyz at Infomaniak and to indicate the 2 DNS addresses of Infomaniak at the registrar of the domain name (if it is not Infomaniak) for the site to display when you type domain.xyz in a browser.
• You must add a DNS zone in the same place as the hosting to make the site work easily.
• This will also be particularly useful if the provider managing your domain name does not offer DNS zone management.
   

Order a DNS zone

To do this:

1. Click here to access the Shop Infomaniak.
2. Start a search with the name of the domain registered elsewhere.
3. Click on the action menu ⋮ located to the right of the result obtained.
4. Select Order a DNS zone:
   
5. Complete the purchase.
6. Once added to your Manager, the zone can be edited.

This guide explains add a new domain name to a website Infomaniak.

Preamble

• When you add a new domain name to a website, we talk about related area but also of aliases.
• An alias domain in this case is an additional domain name, also linked to an existing site.
  • To make the website domain.xyz be reachable with a whole other domain name like private.abc e.g., add private.abc as the alias of the website.
  • Second example, so that the site domain.xyz can also be reached with www. domain.xyz, it must be added as an alias to the domain domain.xyz In this example, domain.xyz is the parent site of the alias www.domain.xyz In general, the alias www is already added automatically and now...

Add an alias to an existing site

Prerequisites

• If the domain name (intended to become alias) or its DNS area is managed by Infomaniak, everything is OK. If not:
  • Domain name registration A must point to Infomaniak.
  • To simplify, you canentrusting the management of the domain to Infomaniak.
• It is also necessary that the future alias is not already so, in which case it will have to be the disconnect from the current site in advance (i.e. synonym).

To add an additional domain that will be linked to your website:

1. Click here in order to access the management of your product on the Manager Infomaniak (Need help?).
2. Click directly on the nameallocated to the product concerned:
   
3. Then click on the chevron ‍ to develop the game Areas of this site.
4. Click on the button Add Domain:
   
5. Enter the domain name(s) to be added, separating them by the key Enter.
6. If the alias or its DNS area is managed by Infomaniak, it is possible to automatically update DNS entries In the opposite case, make any changes to your registrar or transfer domain name management to Infomaniak.
7. If you have an SSL certificate like Let's Encrypt e.g. you can ask the update here to include the new names.
8. Click on Validate to complete the procedure:
   

To define the alias as the main domain, take note of this other guide.

This guide explains how to register a domain name with Infomaniak.

Preamble

• With a new domain name or an additional name, many possibilities open up for you such as:
  • Using free services related to the domain you order:
    • 1 email address with contact & calendar management
    • 1 Web space of 10 Mo
    • Newsletter
  • Using your existing Mail Service or Website but with a different spelling.
  • Hosting a website here or with a third-party host.
  • etc.

Order...

... a first domain name

For this:

1. If necessary, create a user account.
2. Click here to access domain management on the Infomaniak Manager.
3. Click to open the Shop.
4. Once on the Shop, enter the domain name to register:
   
5. Check or uncheck the additional extensions offered.
6. Click on Next.
7. Choose the desired options as you go along, such as the possible Mail Service associated with the domain name:
   
8. Choose the desired options as you go along, such as the potential Web hosting associated with the domain name:
   
9. Complete the purchase without forgetting to read and accept the Terms (you may need to scroll down the page first):
   

... an additional domain name

For this:

1. Click here to access the management of your product on the Infomaniak Manager (need help?).
2. Click on the cart to Order an additional domain:
   
3. Follow the first guide above starting from step 4.

Check the availability of a domain name

Check out this other page to quickly verify if a domain is available for registration or not.

There are at least three main indications:

• Available — in this case, it's good, you can reserve it.
• Transferable — you must own it with another provider to ‍transfer it to Infomaniak‍.‍‍
• Unavailable — unfortunately, it will not be possible to order it as long as it is not abandoned by its current holder.‍
  ‍‍

This guide explains the difference between the terms Synonym and Alias within the Domain Name service of Infomaniak.

Synonym domain, alias domain

A synonym domain name and an alias domain name can both serve as secondary domain names for another domain name.

For example, the domain names pomme.xyz (alias) and banane.xyz (synonym) can redirect to the domain name fruits.xyz (the main domain name).

The difference between a Synonym and an Alias is technical:

• A synonym domain is based on the DNS of the main domain.
• A domain alias has its own DNS:

Learn more

• Add a domain as an alias
• Unlink a synonym domain
• Understand domains and DNS zones

This guide explains how‍ to create subdomains on an existing Infomaniak hosting, using a .htaccess file.

Preamble

• The hosting can be on a Shared Web Hosting offer or on a Cloud Server but this function is impossible with a Starter hosting.
• Subdomains can be added very easily to your current hosting since you have 20 sites per hosting (sites = subdomains) included in the base offer.
• If you do not wish to use this available site volume, you can follow the method below.
   

Create a subdomain as a shortcut

The subdomains created in this way help to organize a hosting. For example, the address vlog.domain.xyz will be a shortcut for the address domain.xyz/vlog. In other words, the address vlog.domain.xyz will redirect to the folder vlog which must be located at the root of the website domain.xyz. In this example, vlog is the subdomain of domain.xyz.

1. Add the subdomain as an alias for your website

To do this:

1. Follow the alias addition procedure but please read points 2 and 3 below.
2. In the field to add the linked domain, enter the full address of the subdomain (e.g. vlog.domain.xyz).
3. If your domain or its DNS zone is managed by Infomaniak, enable the following two options: Update the DNS records for this domain and Replace existing entries ; if that is not the case, create a A record with your registrar with the following information:
   • field: the full URL address of the subdomain (e.g. vlog.domain.xyz)
   • target: the IPv4 address (A record) of your site (refer to this other guide to find the A record of your site)

2. Modify the .htaccess file of your website

Using your FTP software/client or the FTP Manager, add and adapt the following code in the .htaccess file located at the root of your website:

RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^(.*)\.domain\.xyz [NC]
RewriteCond %{DOCUMENT_ROOT}/%1/ -d
RewriteCond %1::%{REQUEST_URI} !^(.*?)::/\1/?
RewriteRule "^(.*)$" "%{DOCUMENT_ROOT}/%1/$1" [L]

Explanation for the third line: https://stackoverflow.com/a/15981056

Replace on the first line:

• domain with your domain name
• xyz by the extension of your domain name (ch, fr, etc.)

Now, the address vlog.domain.xyz should display the content of the vlog folder located at the root of your website. If this is not the case, check that the vlog folder actually exists at the root of your website.