Every Buildly site comes with a free web address of its own, so it can go live without you buying a domain first. It is included for as long as the site exists, and it keeps working even after you connect a domain of your own.
How the address is made
You do not have to pick one. When you press Build my website, Buildly makes the address from your business name: letters are lowercased, accents are removed, and spaces and punctuation become hyphens. The address is your site’s name followed by Buildly’s own domain.
Addresses are unique across every business on Buildly. If the one made from your name is already taken, Buildly adds a number to the end, such as -2. If no address can be made from the name at all, you are asked to change the business name and try again.
The rules an address follows
- Lowercase letters, numbers and hyphens only
- It cannot start or end with a hyphen
- Some names are reserved and never given out, such as words that could be mistaken for Buildly itself or for an official page
- An address another business has just let go of is held for a while before anyone else can take it
Finding your address
Your site’s overview shows its Live address once it is published. The Domain screen lists it as your free address, included forever. Until you publish, the address shows nothing to visitors.
Can I change it?
Not from your dashboard at the moment - changing a site’s address is not switched on yet. Bear in mind that a new address would break every link people already have to the old one. If the address made from your name is a real problem for your business, tell the Buildly team.
Want your own domain?
Most businesses eventually want an address like your-business.com. You can connect one you own at any time, and the free address carries on working alongside it - see Connecting a custom domain.