How to Set a Domain Name in IIS Web Server

Setting up a domain name in Internet Information Services (IIS) involves configuring your web server to associate a specific domain (e.g., www.example.com) with a website hosted on your server. 

Below are the steps to set a domain name in IIS:

Prerequisites

1. IIS Installed: Ensure IIS is installed on your Windows server (e.g., via “Add Roles and Features” in Server Manager).
   
2. Domain Ownership: You must own the domain name and have access to its DNS settings (typically managed through your domain registrar like GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.).
   
3. Static IP Address: Your server should have a static public IP address (or use a dynamic DNS service if applicable).
   
4. Website Files Ready: The website content should already be uploaded to a folder on your server (e.g., C:\inetpub\wwwroot\mywebsite).

Steps to Set a Domain Name in IIS

1) Open IIS Manager

To begin, you need to access IIS Manager on your server.

• Press Win + R, type inetmgr, and hit Enter.
• The IIS Manager window will open.

If IIS is not installed, you must install it through Windows Features.

2) Select Your Website

Once IIS Manager is open:

• In the Connections pane (left side), expand the server node.
• Click on Sites to see the list of websites hosted on the server.
• Select the website to which you want to assign a domain name.

3) Edit Site Bindings

• In the Actions pane (right side), click Bindings.
• The Site Bindings window will appear.
• Click Add to create a new binding.

Here, you need to configure the hostname settings.

4) Configure Hostname

• Type: Choose http (or https if using an SSL certificate).
• IP Address: Set to All Unassigned or select the specific server IP.
• Port: Default is 80 for http and 443 for https.
• Host name: Enter your domain (e.g., example.com).
• Click OK, then Close the Site Bindings window.

At this point, IIS knows to respond to requests for your domain, but the domain itself must point to your server.

5) Update DNS Settings

Your domain must resolve to your server’s IP address. This is done through DNS settings.

For Public Domains (e.g., example.com)

• Log in to your domain registrar’s dashboard (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap).
• Find the DNS Settings or DNS Management section.
• Add an A Record pointing to your server’s public IP address.
• If using www.example.com, add a CNAME record pointing www to example.com.

Changes may take a few minutes to several hours to propagate.

For Local Domains (e.g., test.local)

If this is a local intranet setup:

• Open the hosts file on your local machine:
  C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
• Add a new line:
  127.0.0.1 test.local

Save the file, and your machine will now recognize the domain locally.

6) Restart IIS

To apply the changes:

• In IIS Manager, click on the server name (top-left).
• In the Actions pane, click Restart.
• Alternatively, open Command Prompt as an administrator and run:
  iisreset

7) Test the Domain

Now, open a browser and enter your domain:

• If everything is set up correctly, your website should load.
• If not, clear your DNS cache by running:
  ipconfig /flushdns
• Check for errors in the IIS logs at:
  C:\inetpub\logs\LogFiles

Troubleshooting Tips

• Firewall: Ensure ports 80 (HTTP) and/or 443 (HTTPS) are open in your server’s firewall.
  
• DNS Check: Use a tool like nslookup or ping example.com to verify the domain resolves to your server’s IP.
  
• Host Header Issues: If multiple sites are hosted on the same IP, ensure the “Host Name” field in the binding is correctly set to differentiate them.

Common Issues and Fixes

That’s it! Your domain should now be set up in IIS. Let me know if you need help with any specific part of the process!