sharepa

IONOS CNAME record for a subdomain, step by step

Updated:

In your IONOS account the records live under "Domains & SSL". Next to the domain, the gear symbol leads to the subdomains and from there to "DNS". You add a record of type CNAME with the "Hostname" of the subdomain and the target in the "Point to" field. For a sharepa page that target is domains.sharepa.page. IONOS itself points out that the subdomain is no longer available for IONOS products and email afterwards, which is normal for a CNAME.

Record-Typ   CNAME
Hostname     www
Zeigt auf    domains.sharepa.page

For sharepa a second record is added in the same menu: a TXT record proving that the domain is yours. The app shows name and value, the name starts with _sharepa-verify.

Record-Typ   TXT
Hostname     _sharepa-verify.www
Zeigt auf    sharepa-verify=…

The hostname is only the part before your domain. IONOS shows the target with a trailing dot in its documentation, both spellings are accepted.

Steps

  1. Sign in to your IONOS account and open "Domains & SSL".
  2. Next to the domain, under "Actions", click the gear symbol and choose "Manage Subdomains". Next to the subdomain, click the gear again and choose "DNS".
  3. Click "ADD RECORD" and pick CNAME as the type.
  4. Under "Hostname" enter the subdomain, say www, under "Point to" the target domains.sharepa.page.
  5. TTL is optional and can stay empty.
  6. "Save". IONOS applies the change right away.
Control panel
IONOS Konto
Path to the DNS zone
Domains & SSL Domain: Aktionen (drei Punkte) DNS Record hinzufügen CNAME Speichern
CNAME on the root domain
possible
Redirect for the root domain
Domain → Details → „Verwendungsart anpassen“ → Domain-Weiterleitung
Until the record takes effect
immediately at IONOS, everywhere within up to an hour
Checked
15.09.2026, against the provider's documentation

Where it goes wrong at IONOS

IONOS has a strict conflict rule: on the same hostname no other record may sit next to a CNAME, neither A nor AAAA, MX or TXT. An existing A record for www, common with IONOS web hosting, blocks the CNAME until it is deleted.

The CNAME can only be configured when the domain uses IONOS name servers. And a subdomain that exists only as a DNS record can no longer be connected to IONOS products such as web space or email afterwards. For www that is exactly right, for the subdomain of your mail addresses it would be wrong.

The German and English help articles describe different click paths; the fields are the same in the end.

Root domain without www

Technically IONOS allows a CNAME on the root domain, but its own help calls that bad practice because mail records then conflict. Better: connect www to sharepa and forward the root domain. To do that, open the "Details" tab of the domain, choose "Adjust Destination" and set up domain forwarding as an HTTP redirect to https://www.mysite.com. This only works if the root domain is not already used for something else, such as IONOS web hosting.

What it costs

DNS and forwarding are included in the domain price at IONOS. sharepa charges nothing for your own domain: one page in the free tier, five in the one-time plan.

Questions

How fast does the record take effect?

IONOS writes that changes are effective immediately, but it can take up to an hour until they have arrived everywhere.

Do I need a trailing dot?

No. IONOS shows the example with a dot but accepts the target without one too. What matters: no https:// in front.

Can I use the subdomain for email again later?

Yes, once you delete the CNAME. As long as it exists, the subdomain belongs to the target.

These steps follow IONOS's documentation as of 15.09.2026, without an account there. Source. Something no longer matches? Tell us and we will fix it.

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