Most owners hear "connect your website" and picture a developer, a staging site, and a week of downtime. This is not that. Connecting your site to SEO Autopilot means changing one DNS record so traffic passes through our edge, where we serve an upgraded version of your HTML. Your existing site, host, and CMS stay exactly as they are. Here is what the record looks like and how to add it.

DNS records - example.com TTL in seconds TYPE NAME / HOST VALUE TTL CNAME www edge.ranklocaltoday.com 3600 TXT _rlt-verify rlt-verify=a1b9f4c2e7 3600 Connected CNAME resolved to the Autopilot edge Domain ownership verified via TXT SSL certificate provisioned - https live Serving upgraded HTML - no rebuild Root domain (example.com)? Use ALIAS/ANAME or the A record we provide - some providers block CNAME at the root. Propagation Usually minutes. Lower TTL to 3600 first so changes update faster.
What your DNS panel looks like once connected: one CNAME pointing at our edge, one TXT record proving you own the domain, and a green Connected status with SSL live. Record names and values shown are illustrative - the exact ones are generated for your domain.

How to connect your site to SEO Autopilot step by step

  1. Open Autopilot > Connect site and type in your domain (for example example.com) to generate your unique connection target.
  2. In your DNS provider, add the CNAME record we show you - Type CNAME, Name (host) as directed, Value pointing at the Autopilot edge, TTL 3600.
  3. Add the TXT verification record we provide so we can confirm you own the domain before anything goes live.
  4. Save your DNS changes and click Verify - propagation is usually minutes, but can take up to a few hours.
  5. Wait for the green Connected status and automatic SSL certificate to finish provisioning.
  6. Review the upgraded pages we serve at the edge - your original site and CMS stay exactly as they are, with no rebuild required.

Why one DNS record instead of a plugin or rebuild

Plugins live inside your CMS, so they break when you update a theme, and they only work if your site runs on a platform that supports them. A rebuild means moving your content somewhere new, which is slow and risky. Pointing a DNS record at our edge sidesteps both. Your requests travel through us first, we serve an upgraded copy of the HTML (cleaner titles, better structured data, faster-loading markup), then hand the visitor the result. The origin site behind it does not change, which is why this works whether you are on WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, a custom build, or something your last agency left behind.

Finding the CNAME field in common DNS providers

The record is the same everywhere; only the menu wording differs. In GoDaddy it is under DNS > Manage Zones > Add. In Cloudflare it is the DNS tab, Add record - and if you use Cloudflare's orange-cloud proxy, set the record to "DNS only" (grey cloud) so it resolves straight to our edge. In Namecheap it is Advanced DNS > Add New Record. For the Host/Name field, "www" means the record applies to www.yourdomain.com; an "@" symbol means the root domain. If your provider will not accept a CNAME on the root, use the ALIAS/ANAME or A-record option we hand you instead.

What "verify" is actually checking

Two things have to be true before we serve anything. First, your CNAME must resolve to our edge - that is what routes traffic through us. Second, the TXT record must match the token we generated - that is how we prove you, not a stranger, control the domain. We check both before flipping the status to Connected, and we only provision the SSL certificate after ownership passes. If Verify fails, it is almost always propagation lag or a record saved under the wrong host name. Give it an hour and re-check the exact Name and Value against what the panel shows.

Ready to connect your site?

Open Autopilot, paste your domain, and copy the exact records for your provider. Most owners are connected in about five minutes.

Open SEO Autopilot →Book a free call →

FAQ

Will this change break my existing website?

No. We serve upgraded HTML at the edge, in front of your existing site. Your CMS, hosting, and page content stay exactly where they are - we do not touch your files or force a rebuild.

What is the difference between a CNAME and an A record here?

A CNAME points a hostname at another hostname (our edge), while an A record points at a fixed IP address. We use a CNAME so the connection keeps working even if our underlying infrastructure changes. For a root domain that cannot take a CNAME, we will give you an alternative such as an ALIAS/ANAME or A record.

How long does DNS propagation take?

Usually a few minutes, but it can take up to 24-48 hours in some cases depending on your provider and the record's TTL. Lowering TTL to 3600 (one hour) before you make changes helps things update faster.

Do I need to buy or install an SSL certificate?

No. Once your DNS is verified, SSL is provisioned automatically for the connected domain, so visitors get a secure https padlock without you buying or uploading a certificate.

Can I disconnect later?

Yes. Because the only thing you changed is one DNS record, you can revert to your previous setup at any time by removing or repointing that record. There is no lock-in baked into your site's code.