# Booking Page Address (/docs/getting-started/booking-page-address)
Your booking page needs a web address. You have two options, and you can switch between them later without losing any bookings.
Which should you pick? [#which-should-you-pick]
**A free address from us** looks like `yourbusiness.bookingui.com`. You pick a name, and you're live in seconds. There is nothing to configure, no DNS, and no waiting. If you don't have a website, or you just want to start taking bookings today, choose this.
**Your own domain** looks like `booking.yourbusiness.com`. It keeps everything under your own brand, and it's the better long-term choice if you already have a website. It needs one DNS record adding at whoever manages your domain, which takes a few minutes.
Not sure? Start with the free address. You can move to your own domain whenever you're ready, and your existing bookings, links, and settings all carry over.
Option 1: A free address from us [#option-1-a-free-address-from-us]
1. Click **Location** in the top navigation
2. Open the **Booking Domain** tab
3. Under **Booking Domain**, click **Manage**
4. Choose **Use a free address from us**
5. Type the name you want, for example your business name
6. When it shows as available, click **Use this address**
That's it. Your booking page is live at that address immediately.
Choosing a name [#choosing-a-name]
* Letters, numbers, and hyphens only
* At least 3 characters
* It has to start and end with a letter or number
Some names are reserved because we use them ourselves, and a few are already taken by other businesses. The page tells you as you type, so you'll know before you commit.
Pick something short and easy to say out loud. Customers often type it in from a poster, a business card, or a phone call.
Option 2: Your own domain [#option-2-your-own-domain]
This serves your booking page on an address you own, like `booking.yourbusiness.com`.
Use a subdomain (`booking.yourbusiness.com`), not your root domain (`yourbusiness.com`). Root domains cannot point at us, and using one would take your main website offline. If your website is at `yourbusiness.com`, that stays exactly where it is.
Step 1: Enter your address [#step-1-enter-your-address]
1. Click **Location** in the top navigation
2. Open the **Booking Domain** tab
3. Under **Booking Domain**, click **Manage**
4. Choose **Use my own domain**
5. Enter the full address you want, for example `booking.yourbusiness.com`
6. Save
Step 2: Add the DNS record [#step-2-add-the-dns-record]
After saving, the page shows you the exact record to create. It looks like this:
| Field | Value |
| ----- | --------------- |
| Type | CNAME |
| Name | `booking` |
| Value | `bookingui.com` |
Add that record wherever your domain is managed. That's usually the company you bought the domain from (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Squarespace, Cloudflare, and so on), or whoever built your website.
Providers label these fields differently. Some call the **Name** field "Host", "Hostname", or "Subdomain". Some want just `booking`, others want the full `booking.yourbusiness.com`. The page shows you both so you can use whichever matches.
If your domain provider supports one-click setup, you'll see a **Connect my domain automatically** button instead. That does the whole thing for you, no typing required.
Step 3: Wait for verification [#step-3-wait-for-verification]
Once the record is in place, we detect it automatically and issue a security certificate for your address. The page updates itself while you wait, so you can leave it open.
This usually takes a few minutes. DNS changes occasionally take longer to spread across the internet, so if it hasn't finished within an hour, see below.
Status meanings [#status-meanings]
| What you see | What it means |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Verified** | Everything is working. Customers can reach your booking page. |
| **Waiting for CNAME** | We can't see the DNS record yet. Check it was saved correctly at your provider. |
| **Pending verification** | We found the record and are issuing your security certificate. Nothing to do. |
| **Action required** | Something needs attention. The message explains what. |
Troubleshooting [#troubleshooting]
The record either isn't saved, or isn't quite right. Check at your domain provider that:
* The type is **CNAME**, not A or AAAA
* The value is exactly `bookingui.com`, with no `https://` and no trailing slash
* The name matches the subdomain you entered here
If you've just added it, give it up to an hour. Some providers are slower than others to publish changes.
You've most likely added the record on your root domain rather than a subdomain. Remove the record you just created, and your website will come back. Then start again using a subdomain like `booking.yourbusiness.com`.
Some domains carry a CAA record, which restricts who is allowed to issue certificates for them. If yours does, whoever manages your DNS needs to allow Let's Encrypt. Send them the message shown on the page, it names the exact problem.
Yes, either direction, whenever you like. Bookings, customers, and settings are unaffected. The only thing that changes is the address.
If you're moving off an address customers already use, keep the old one working somewhere (a redirect on your website, for example) until you're confident everyone has the new one.
Where your address is used [#where-your-address-is-used]
Once set, it's the address used for:
* Your public booking page
* Booking confirmation and reminder emails
* Manage-booking links customers use to change or cancel
* Invoice and payment links
* Embedded checkout on your own website
Changing it updates all future links. Links already sent out keep pointing at the old address, which is why it's worth settling on one before you start promoting it.
Next steps [#next-steps]