DNS Configuration for Your OJS Journal: A Technical Step-by-Step Guide

NS records, CNAME entries, proxy detection, and propagation explained

Abstract

Connecting a custom domain to an OJS installation is one of the most common technical challenges faced by new journal managers. Whether you own an independent domain (example.com), a subdomain of an existing site (journal.university.edu), or a university-allocated subdomain (myjournal.uni.ac.ir), the DNS configuration steps differ — and errors at this stage can result in days of downtime or broken SSL certificates.

This technical guide covers the three main domain scenarios. For independent domains, we explain how to transfer or delegate nameserver (NS) records to your hosting provider, and when to use a CNAME record instead. For subdomains, we detail the difference between A records (IP-based) and CNAME records (alias-based), and when each is appropriate. For university subdomains, we provide a template email to send to your IT department and explain what specific DNS changes to request.

We also cover the two most common post-configuration problems: Cloudflare's orange-cloud proxy intercepting SSL certificate issuance (and how to disable it), and ArvanCloud's equivalent proxy service for Iranian academic institutions. Each section includes verification steps using our automated DNS checker at domain.sinaweb.org/api/verify, which confirms DNS propagation, IP address accuracy, SSL validity, and HTTPS accessibility from a single API call.