Are you trying to connect a free Blogger subdomain (like blog.yourwebsite.com) using your Hostinger domain, but your main website is hosted somewhere else (like Smartbiz, Shopify, or AWS)?
If you follow standard generic tutorials, you might accidentally break your main website or run into frustrating SSL certificate errors.
In this comprehensive, step-by-step guide, we will walk you through the exact process of setting up a Blogger subdomain on a domain-only Hostinger account. We will also cover how to solve the most common and highly undocumented errors along the way.
The Golden Rule: Subdomains Are Separate Traffic Lanes
Before we begin, it is important to understand that a subdomain acts as a completely separate traffic lane from your root domain. This means your main e-commerce store or website (e.g., yourwebsite.com and www.yourwebsite.com) can stay safely connected to its current host, while your new subdomain routes visitors directly to Google Blogger.
To make this work seamlessly, we will exclusively use CNAME records and CAA records.
Step 1: Add the Custom Subdomain in Blogger
First, we need to tell Blogger what your new web address will be.
- Log into your Blogger Dashboard.
- Navigate to Settings on the left menu.
- Scroll down to the Publishing section and click Custom domain.
- Type in your full subdomain (for example, blog.yourwebsite.com). Do not use www.
- Click Save.
Normally, Blogger will throw a red error message displaying two CNAME records that you need for verification. If you see this error, copy those records, keep the page open, and follow step 2.
However, if Blogger instantly accepts your domain without giving you the codes, you have encountered the "Auto-Verify Loop."
Step 2: Add CNAME Records in Hostinger (And Skip the A-Records!)
Now it is time to route the traffic using Hostinger's DNS Zone Editor.
- Log into your Hostinger hPanel.
- Go to Domains, click Manage next to your domain, and select DNS / Nameservers.
- Add your Primary CNAME:
- Type: CNAME
- Name: blog (Only type the prefix! Do not type your full domain).
- Points to: ghs.google.com
Add your 2nd record provided by blogger 'Security CNAME', if not(auto varified) leave it (Only add one.)
🚨 CRITICAL WARNING: Standard Blogger tutorials tell you to add four "A-Records" (IP addresses starting with 216.239...). DO NOT DO THIS. Those records are strictly for users hosting their entire root domain on Blogger. If you add them, your main website or e-commerce store will crash immediately!
Step 3: Fix the CAA Record "Forbidden" SSL Error
Because your main domain is connected to a highly secure host (like Amazon AWS for Smartbiz), you likely have strict "CAA Records" on your root domain. These rules block unauthorized companies from issuing security certificates.
When Blogger tries to secure your new subdomain, it checks your root domain's rules, sees it is not authorized, and throws this error: "HTTPS SSL certificate failed to be processed as the issuance was forbidden by an explicit DNS CAA record."
Here is the exact trick to solve this in Hostinger:
In Hostinger's DNS / Nameservers, create a new record.
- Type: CAA
- Name: @ (You must apply this to the root domain. Internet DNS rules strictly prevent you from putting a CAA record on a subdomain that already has a CNAME).
- Flag: 0
- Tag: issue
- CA domain: pki.goog
Hostinger Quirk: Do NOT type quotation marks around the value. Hostinger's system adds them automatically behind the scenes. If you type them yourself, it breaks the code.
- Click Add Record.
- Repeat the exact same process for a second CAA record, but change the CA domain to letsencrypt.org.
By adding these to the root (@), you give Google global permission to secure your blog, while leaving your main website's existing Amazon security completely intact!
Step 4: Activate HTTPS and Go Live
DNS changes take a little time to travel across the global internet.
- Wait about 30 to 60 minutes.
- Go back to your Blogger Settings.
- Scroll down to the HTTPS section and turn HTTPS availability OFF.
- Wait a couple of minutes, then turn HTTPS availability back ON.
This simple "toggle reset" forces Google's bots to re-check your new DNS settings. Within a few minutes, the status will change to "Available," and your new Blogger subdomain will load perfectly with a secure padlock icon!
Conclusion
Connecting a Blogger subdomain alongside a separately hosted root domain doesn't have to be a headache. By understanding how CNAMEs route traffic, avoiding the A-record trap, and properly formatting your CAA permissions in Hostinger, you can seamlessly run two powerful platforms on one domain entirely for free. You can do this with other platforms too, will be different but all had same steps. Happy blogging!
