Guide

1. Purchase and verify domain name

A domain name is the unique address used to access your website, such as aliyun.com.

1. Create an information template and complete real-name verification: In the domain name console, create and submit an information template with your identity information (such as an ID card for individuals or a business license for enterprises) and wait for approval. For detailed instructions, see Domain name real-name verification.

   Real-name verification for an Alibaba Cloud account and for a domain name are two separate processes. Even if your account is already verified, you must complete a separate real-name verification for each new domain name you purchase.

2. Purchase a domain name: Go to the Alibaba Cloud domain name registration page to search for and purchase your desired domain name.

   Domain names are registered immediately and cannot be refunded once registration is successful. Please check your order carefully before payment.

   Note

   Domain names purchased from Alibaba Cloud support features like one-click DNS resolution. If you use a domain name purchased from another provider, you will need to manually bind the domain name and configure DNS resolution later.

2. Website filing

According to regulations, if your website builder product is deployed in the Chinese mainland, you must complete an ICP filing to launch your site. If your product is deployed in the Hong Kong (China) region, filing is not required.

1. Submit ICP filing: The filing process includes a preliminary review, SMS verification, and a final review by the filing authority. The entire process typically takes 1 to 20 business days. Please refer to Website filing and submit your application as early as possible.

2. Complete Public Security filing: After your ICP filing is approved, you must complete the Public Security filing within 30 days of approval. For detailed instructions, see Public Security filing cancellation and violation handling.

1. Designer interface

Before you start, review the Designer structure overview. Understanding the relationship between pages, layouts, modules, and widgets helps you build your site more efficiently.

2. Select a template

Choose from a variety of professionally designed templates to get started quickly. Choosing a template establishes the overall style and layout for your website.

• Procedure: Go to the website admin panel, click Select Template, and then browse and apply a template you like. For more information, see Select a template.

• Note: Switching templates may overwrite your existing content. We recommend selecting a template early in the website building process.

3. Edit content and use widgets

Starting with a template, you can replace the default text and images with your own content, similar to editing a document. All website elements, such as text, images, and videos, are added to the page as widgets. You can use the Content import feature to quickly generate website content, or drag and drop different widgets to customize your pages.

The following table describes common widget categories and their use cases.

4. Manage multiple pages

A complete website usually consists of multiple pages, such as a homepage, an "About Us" page, and a "Products" page. You can use the Multi-page creation feature to create, switch between, and manage these pages.

1. Publish the website

Publishing synchronizes all your changes from the designer to the live server. This process overwrites the current content and deploys the latest version of your website.

• Preview: Before publishing, use the preview feature to check how your website looks on different devices (such as PCs and mobile phones) to ensure everything is correct.

• Display filing numbers on your website: After your filings are approved, you can use the Add ICP filing number and Add Public Security filing number features in the admin panel to display the filing numbers in your website's footer.

• Publish: Click the publish button to deploy all changes to the live server. It may take a few minutes for users to see the updates due to cache propagation.

2. Configure DNS resolution

DNS resolution connects your domain name to your website's server, allowing users to access your site by entering the domain name.

• One-click DNS resolution: If you purchased your domain name from Alibaba Cloud, you can use the one-click DNS resolution feature to complete the setup quickly.

• Manual resolution: You need to manually bind your domain name and add a DNS record after verification. For detailed instructions, see Bind a domain name and configure DNS resolution.

3. Configure HTTPS

To secure data transmission, prevent browsers from displaying "Not Secure" warnings, and improve search engine rankings, you must enable HTTPS for your website.

• Automatic configuration: If you purchased your domain name from Alibaba Cloud, the system automatically applies for and configures a security certificate after you bind the domain name.

• Manual configuration: To apply for and configure an SSL certificate for your domain name, see Enable HTTPS access for your website.

1. Improve search engine indexing

To improve your website's visibility on search engines like Baidu and Google, you can configure the following website promotion settings:

• Configure Page SEO: Set a unique title, keywords, and description for each page to help search engines better understand your website content.

• Submit a sitemap: Generate a sitemap and submit it to major search engines. This helps them understand your site's structure more comprehensively and can speed up the indexing process.

• Site verification: Add the site verification code provided by major search engines (such as Baidu and Google) to your website's admin panel. This proves your site ownership, which allows you to use webmaster tools for advanced management.

2. Monitor website traffic

By analyzing traffic, you can understand visitor sources, popular pages, and other metrics to optimize your operational strategy.

• View built-in analytics: On the admin panel homepage, you can view basic website traffic statistics provided by the system.

• Integrate third-party analytics tools: For more detailed reports, you can integrate with professional third-party tools like Baidu Tongji.

3. Maintain website information

• Site information settings: Use Set site information to change the website name and icon (favicon) displayed in the browser tab, or to prevent visitors from saving images from your site by using the right-click context menu.