- **Part 3: Setting Up Custom Domains - DNS Records and SSL/TLS Certificates**
- [Part 4: Creating and tweaking `.gitlab-ci.yml` for GitLab Pages](getting_started_part_four.md)
## Setting Up Custom Domains - DNS Records and SSL/TLS Certificates
As described in the previous part of this series, setting up GitLab Pages with custom domains, and adding SSL/TLS certificates to them, are optional features of GitLab Pages.
These steps assume you've already [set your site up](getting_started_part_two.md) and and it's served under the default Pages domain `namespace.gitlab.io`, or `namespace.gitlab.io/project-name`.
> - **Do not** use a CNAME record if you want to point your
`domain.com` to your GitLab Pages site. Use an `A` record instead.
> - **Do not** add any special chars after the default Pages
domain. E.g., **do not** point your `subdomain.domain.com` to
`namespace.gitlab.io.` or `namespace.gitlab.io/`.
> - GitLab Pages IP on GitLab.com [has been changed](https://about.gitlab.com/2017/03/06/we-are-changing-the-ip-of-gitlab-pages-on-gitlab-com/) from `104.208.235.32` to `52.167.214.135`.
### Add your custom domain to GitLab Pages settings
Note that [DNS propagation may take some time (up to 24h)](http://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/domain-names/dns-nameserver-changes/domain-names-dns-changes),
This might be your first question. If our sites are hosted by GitLab Pages,
they are static, hence we are not dealing with server-side scripts
nor credit card transactions, then why do we need secure connections?
Back in the 1990s, where HTTPS came out, [SSL](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_Layer_Security#SSL_1.0.2C_2.0_and_3.0) was considered a "special"
security measure, necessary just for big companies, like banks and shoppings sites
with financial transactions.
Now we have a different picture. [According to Josh Aas](https://letsencrypt.org/2015/10/29/phishing-and-malware.html), Executive Director at [ISRG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Security_Research_Group):
> _We’ve since come to realize that HTTPS is important for almost all websites. It’s important for any website that allows people to log in with a password, any website that [tracks its users](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2013/12/10/nsa-uses-google-cookies-to-pinpoint-targets-for-hacking/) in any way, any website that [doesn’t want its content altered](http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/09/why-comcasts-javascript-ad-injections-threaten-security-net-neutrality/), and for any site that offers content people might not want others to know they are consuming. We’ve also learned that any site not secured by HTTPS [can be used to attack other sites](http://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/04/dont-be-fodder-for-chinas-great-cannon/)._
Therefore, the reason why certificates are so important is that they encrypt
[you'd rather issue a certificate than generate a self-signed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-signed_certificate),
for security reasons and for having browsers trusting your
site's certificate.
There are several different kinds of certificates, each one
with certain security level. A static personal website will
not require the same security level as an online banking web app,
for instance. There are a couple Certificate Authorities that
offer free certificates, aiming to make the internet more secure
to everyone. The most popular is [Let's Encrypt](https://letsencrypt.org/),
which issues certificates trusted by most of browsers, it's open
source, and free to use. Please read through this tutorial to
understand [how to secure your GitLab Pages website with Let's Encrypt](https://about.gitlab.com/2016/04/11/tutorial-securing-your-gitlab-pages-with-tls-and-letsencrypt/).
With the same popularity, there are [certificates issued by CloudFlare](https://www.cloudflare.com/ssl/),
which also offers a [free CDN service](https://blog.cloudflare.com/cloudflares-free-cdn-and-you/).
Their certs are valid up to 15 years. Read through the tutorial on
[how to add a CloudFlare Certificate to your GitLab Pages website](https://about.gitlab.com/2017/02/07/setting-up-gitlab-pages-with-cloudflare-certificates/).
### Adding certificates to your project
Regardless the CA you choose, the steps to add your certificate to
|[**← Part 2: Quick start guide - Setting up GitLab Pages**](getting_started_part_two.md)|[**Part 4: Creating and tweaking `.gitlab-ci.yml` for GitLab Pages →**](getting_started_part_four.md)|