Do You Even Need to Do This?
Before you start, let us figure out which situation applies to you:
If Dinevate bought your domain for you
You do not need to do anything. We already connected it to your Dinevate website. It is ready to go. You can skip this entire guide.
If you already own your domain
Great — we can absolutely use it. You just need to follow the steps in this guide to point your domain to your Dinevate website. It takes about 5 minutes of your time, and then you wait a day or two for it to kick in.
What Is a Domain and What Are Nameservers
Let us break this down in simple terms.
Your domain is your website address — like myrestaurant.com. It is the name people type into their browser to find you online. You bought this from a company like GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, or similar.
Nameservers are like a phone book for the internet. They tell the internet where to send people when they type in your domain name.
Right now, your nameservers probably point to wherever your old website was (or nowhere at all). To make your domain show your new Dinevate website, you need to change your nameservers to point to Dinevate instead.
Think of it like this: your domain is your restaurant's street address on a sign. The nameservers are the directions that tell people how to get there. We are just updating the directions so people arrive at your beautiful new Dinevate website.
The good news: You only need to do this once. After it is set up, it works forever.
The Easiest Way: Use Your Merchant Dashboard
Your Dinevate Merchant Dashboard has a built-in tool that walks you through the entire process. Here is how to use it:
- Open a browser on your computer or phone and go to dinevate.com
- Log in with your restaurant account.
- Go to your Merchant Dashboard.
- Look for the Domain banner on your dashboard — it will say something like "Connect Your Domain to Dinevate".
- Click "Connect Your Domain".
- Enter your domain name (for example:
myrestaurant.com). Do not include "www" or "https" — just the plain name. - Choose your domain provider from the list (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, etc.).
- The dashboard will show you step-by-step instructions specific to your provider.
- Follow those instructions (we explain each provider below too, in case you need more detail).
- Come back to the dashboard and click "Verify Domain" to check if it is connected.
Tip: If you do not know where you bought your domain, try logging into GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Google Domains — one of them probably has it. You can also search your email for "domain registration" or "domain purchase" to find the receipt.
Provider-Specific Instructions
No matter which provider you use, the goal is the same: change your nameservers to these two addresses:
ns1.vercel-dns.comns2.vercel-dns.com
Here is how to do it for each provider:
GoDaddy
- Log in to your GoDaddy account at godaddy.com
- Go to "My Products" and find your domain.
- Click "DNS" or "Manage DNS" next to your domain.
- Scroll down to find the "Nameservers" section.
- Click "Change" and select "Enter my own nameservers (advanced)".
- Delete whatever is already there and enter:
ns1.vercel-dns.comns2.vercel-dns.com
- Click "Save".
Namecheap
- Log in to your Namecheap account at namecheap.com
- Go to "Domain List" in the left sidebar.
- Click "Manage" next to your domain.
- Find the "Nameservers" section.
- Select "Custom DNS" from the dropdown menu.
- Enter:
ns1.vercel-dns.comns2.vercel-dns.com
- Click the green checkmark to save.
Google Domains
- Log in to Google Domains at domains.google.com
- Select your domain from the list.
- Click "DNS" in the left menu.
- Select the "Custom name servers" tab.
- Click "Switch to custom name servers".
- Add:
ns1.vercel-dns.comns2.vercel-dns.com
- Click "Save".
Squarespace
- Log in to your Squarespace account at squarespace.com
- Click "Domains" in the left sidebar.
- Click on your domain name.
- Click "DNS Settings" or "Advanced DNS Settings".
- Find "Nameservers" and click "Edit".
- Enter:
ns1.vercel-dns.comns2.vercel-dns.com
- Click "Save".
Cloudflare
Cloudflare works a little differently because it uses a proxy system. If your domain is on Cloudflare, please contact Dinevate support and we will help you set it up. Open a support case through your Merchant Dashboard (go to Support Center in the sidebar) and let us know your domain is on Cloudflare. We will take care of it for you.
Other Providers
If your provider is not listed above, the steps are very similar:
- Log in to your domain provider's website.
- Find your domain settings or domain management area.
- Look for a section called "Nameservers", "DNS", or "Domain Settings".
- Change the nameservers to custom or external.
- Enter:
ns1.vercel-dns.comns2.vercel-dns.com
- Save your changes.
If you cannot find the nameserver settings, try searching your provider's help center for "change nameservers" — every provider has instructions for this. You can also open a support case through your Dinevate Merchant Dashboard and our team will walk you through it.
After You Change Your Nameservers
Once you have updated your nameservers, here is what to expect:
- Wait 24 to 48 hours. It takes time for the internet to update everywhere. This is called "propagation." During this time, some people might see your old site and some might see your new Dinevate site. This is normal.
- Go back to your Merchant Dashboard on dinevate.com.
- Click "Verify Domain" on the domain banner or in your domain settings.
- If everything is set up correctly, your status will change to "Connected".
Be patient. Sometimes it takes a few hours, sometimes it takes the full 48 hours. If it has been more than 48 hours and your domain still is not connected, open a support case and we will check it for you.
What Happens Behind the Scenes
Once your domain is connected, Dinevate automatically does a few things for you:
- Sets up secure HTTPS — Your website will have a secure padlock icon in the browser. Customers will see that your site is safe.
- Enables Apple Pay and Google Pay — Your domain gets registered with payment providers so customers can use these fast checkout options on your site.
- Registers with Google — We submit your site to Google Search Console so your restaurant starts showing up in Google search results. This helps new customers find you.
You do not need to do anything for any of this. It all happens automatically after your domain is connected.
Troubleshooting
"It has been 48 hours and my domain still shows my old website"
- Double-check that you entered the nameservers correctly:
ns1.vercel-dns.comandns2.vercel-dns.com - Make sure you saved your changes at your domain provider.
- Try clearing your browser cache or opening your site in a private/incognito window.
- If it still does not work, open a support case through your Merchant Dashboard.
"I do not know where I bought my domain"
- Check your email for "domain registration" or "domain renewal" messages.
- Try logging into common providers: GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, Squarespace.
- You can also look up your domain at who.is — it sometimes shows the registrar name.
"I use Cloudflare"
Cloudflare requires special setup because of how their proxy system works. Open a support case through your Merchant Dashboard and tell us your domain is on Cloudflare. Our team will handle it for you.
"I am not comfortable doing this myself"
That is completely fine. Open a support case through your Merchant Dashboard, tell us your domain name and where you bought it, and share your login details for that provider. We will set it up for you. Many of our restaurant owners prefer this option, and we are happy to do it.
"My domain shows a security warning"
This usually fixes itself within a few hours after the nameservers are updated. The SSL certificate (the security part) is generated automatically once the domain is fully connected. If the warning persists for more than 24 hours, open a support case.