Managing Your Website Builder Site

Website Builder is a drag-and-drop website creation tool that helps you design and publish a site without coding. This article walks you through purchasing Website Builder, connecting it to your domain, launching the editor, building pages, and publishing your site to the web.

About Website Builder

Website Builder is a beginner-friendly tool that lets you assemble a site from pre-built sections, widgets, and content blocks. You can design separate desktop, tablet, and phone views so your site looks right on any device.

Website Builder is included as an add-on service in your Exact Hosting account. Once you purchase it, you connect it to a domain you own, then launch the editor to build and publish your site.

Note: Website Builder is powered by BaseKit. For in-depth design guidance, see the Website Builder partner documentation.

Before you begin

• An active Exact Hosting account. You need to be signed in to the Exact Hosting client area to purchase and manage Website Builder.
• A domain to connect. Website Builder must be linked to a domain you own. You can use a domain registered with Exact Hosting or one registered elsewhere.
• Ability to manage your domain's DNS records. You need to add A records to point your domain at the Website Builder service.

Step 1: Purchase Website Builder

Order the Website Builder service from your client area and link it to the domain you want to use.

1. Log in to the Exact Hosting client area.
2. Select Services, then click Order new services.
3. Click Website Builder, choose your package, and click Order now.
4. Enter the domain you want to link to Website Builder and click Use.
5. Review and accept the terms, then click Complete order.

Step 2: Connect your domain

Before you can launch the editor, point your domain at the Website Builder service by adding the required DNS records.

1. Log in to the Exact Hosting client area.
2. Select Services.
3. Click Active next to your Website Builder service to open the service manager.
4. Add the following DNS records to your domain:

Note: After you save the records, DNS changes can take up to 24 hours to propagate fully. Your site may not be reachable at the new domain until propagation completes.

Step 3: Launch Website Builder

Once your domain is connected, launch the editor from your service manager to start building.

1. Log in to the Exact Hosting client area.
2. Select Services.
3. Click Active next to your Website Builder service.
4. Click Log in to control panel to open the Website Builder editor.

Step 4: Get familiar with the editor

The Website Builder editor uses a left-hand toolbar to manage every part of your site. Use the following tools to design, preview, and publish.

Step 5: Add sections to a page

Sections are the building blocks of every page. Add a section anywhere on the page, then drop content into it.

1. Select Add content from the toolbar, then click Add content.
2. Click Add content here in the spot where you want the new section.
3. Choose the content type you want to add from the menu (text, image, widget, and more).
4. To move or delete a piece of content, select it and use the on-screen controls that appear.

Tip: Keep sections short and focused on one idea. Visitors scan more than they read, so clear, well-spaced sections help your message land.

Step 6: Publish your site

Publishing makes your site visible on the web. You need to publish again any time you make changes you want visitors to see.

1. Click Publish in the editor toolbar.
2. The first time you publish, you may be prompted to choose a temporary subdomain. Enter your preferred subdomain and confirm.
3. Wait a few moments for publishing to complete. Your site is now live.

Note: Blog posts publish automatically when you save them. You do not need to click Publish to make a new blog post live.

Warning: Any unpublished changes you make to existing pages will not appear on your live site until you click Publish again.

Next steps

• Explore design and theme options. Use the Design tool to customize colors, fonts, and other theme elements so your site matches your brand.
• Review the BaseKit partner documentation. Visit the Website Builder partner documentation for advanced design tutorials and feature walkthroughs.
• Check DNS propagation. If your site does not load at your custom domain right after publishing, wait for DNS to propagate fully (up to 24 hours) before troubleshooting further.

Questions? Contact Exact Hosting Support.