How to Connect Your Namecheap Domain to Route 53

#aws #tutorial #learning

So I'm guessing you just bought your first domain and like everyone else, you went with Namecheap, like the name implies 😉. But you want to leverage this domain beyond the regular static site hosting, you want this domain to exist on a cloud provider like AWS, Azure or GCP to name a few. Well if you intend to connect your domain to AWS (Route 53) then this guide is for you.

We begin by knowing what Route 53 is, why you would want to connect your domain to Route 53 and cap off with you making the connection.

What is Route 53

Amazon Route 53 is a highly available and scalable Domain Name System (DNS) web service. Route 53 connects user requests to internet applications running on AWS or on-premises. In essence a DNS turns domain names into IP addresses, which allow browsers to get to websites and other internet resources. I wouldn’t want to bore you with the technical jargon and such, so you can read more about Route 53.

Why Route 53

So I know you must be thinking why Route 53, Namecheap also has a DNS right? Well you are right. If you don’t need the following:

Global Routing: Route end users to your site reliably with globally-dispersed Domain Name System (DNS) servers and automatic scaling.
Routing Policies: Customise your DNS routing policies to reduce latency, improve application availability, and maintain compliance.
Readiness Checks: Ensure that your resources across Availability Zones or Regions are continually audited for recovery readiness.
IP Based Routing: Fine-tune your DNS routing approach based on the Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) block that the query-originating IP address belongs to.
And much more....

In essence Route 53 goes way beyond what a basic DNS like Namecheap offers as such these are features which can help provide better product experiences for customers.

Enough talk, let's connect our domain to Route 53.

Connecting Namecheap Domain to Route 53

I would assume you have already purchased a domain from Namecheap. If you do not have one this guide would walk you through it. I would also assume you have an aws account set up and ready to go.

Note, I've blurred out sections just for security reasons.

Firstly you would sign into your AWS dashboard and navigate to Route 53 using the Search Bar.

In the Route 53 dashboard click on create hosted zone and input your domain name in the first field then click create hosted zone. Ensure you input the domain name without prefixes. So example.com not http://example.com or www.example.com

When it’s created you should get an image like this

Next you need to navigate to your Namecheap dashboard and click manage on the domain name you wish to connect.

Click the dropdown on name servers and select custom dns

Navigate back to Route 53 and copy the NS records, go back to Namecheap and enter the NS records in the Nameserver input field in order.

You then click the green checkmark to save.

And that’s it! You have successfully connected your Namecheap Domain to Route 53. However you should note that it takes 24-48 hours to fully propagate, so don’t expect it to work instantly.

You can go on to create several records like the A, CNAME, SRV, TXT and the likes on Route 53.

I’ll see you around!