When social media platforms change their algorithms, make decisions that conflict with your values, or get shut down, it can leave users like yourself in a tough spot. Sometimes, your only choices are to stick around anyway (if the service is still live), or lose your hard-earned following and content.
Enter Bluesky, a Twitter-like platform that lets you control your social media footprint. It's built with an open source and federated architecture (more on what this means for you in a bit). Plus, it also allows you to add a custom domain as your handle, allowing you to create a cohesive identity between your website and your Bluesky profile. In this post, we'll show you how to connect your WordPress.com domain to Bluesky, so you can start building your forever brand.
What's so special about Bluesky?
Bluesky entered the chat in 2024. Its layout feels like an older version of Twitter, but under the hood, you'll find something innovative: it's built using the AT Protocol, a decentralized social media framework that simplifies switching between platforms without losing your followers and controlling what you see in your feed.
The idea is simple but revolutionary: any social media app that chooses to build on the AT Protocol is "interoperable," meaning that you can pick up and move your data from any AT-based app to another without losing your content, contacts, or connections. By using the AT Protocol, apps acknowledge that they must constantly earn their users' trust.
There's also something pleasantly "old internet" about Bluesky. With strong moderation controls and a cozy community feel, it makes social media fun.
Make it official: Why You should use your custom domain on Bluesky
Unfortunately, it can be easy for people (or bots) to impersonate you online – with a similar username and a scraped profile photo, fake accounts can quickly wreak havoc by sending DMs, spamming, or stealing your content. So whether you're a growing brand or just really good at zingy one-liners, it's in your best interest to verify your identity.
Some platforms introduced a "blue check" or similar process to verify real users, with some using a pay-to-play model for verification (for double the fun, Tumblr has a BOGO offer for Important Blue Internet Checkmarks).
Bluesky's verification system doesn't require platform approval: it simply matches your personalized handle to your custom website domain. This gives you twofold benefits: you can drive more organic traffic to your website from social media, while making it crystal clear that your social media account is the bonafide channel for you and your brand.
How to Connect Your WordPress Domain to Bluesky
To certify that you're the true owner of your domain, you need to add a text record to your domain's DNS records. This is essentially a digital certificate that tells Bluesky that you are the real owner of your domain. You need to login to wherever your domain is managed to add this record, which ensures only someone with the "keys" to the DNS can authenticate it.
If your domain name is managed through WordPress.com, you can watch our Bluesky Verification video below or follow these simple directions to add the Bluesky text record to your nameservers:
Step 1: Go to your "Settings" in Bluesky, select "Account," and then "Handle":
Step 2: Click the "I have my own domain" button at the bottom of the popup and enter your domain name in the box (ie: name.com):
Bluesky will now generate the information you'll need to add to your Domain Nameservers. Keep this page handy!
Step 3: In a new tab, go to WordPress.com. If you have multiple sites, hover over the domain you'd like to use and select the "WP Admin" button:
Step 4: In the WordPress Admin Panel, go to "Upgrades" and then "Domains":
Step 5: Click the three dots on the domain you are using on Bluesky and navigate to "Manage DNS":
Step 6: Click the "+ Add Record" button at the top of the screen:
Step 7: Copy over the information from Bluesky into your new text record: First, change the record type from "A" to "TXT" in the dropdown. Then, copy the host ( _atproto) and add it to the subdomain field, which is called "Name" in WordPress.com. Lastly, copy the custom value from your Bluesky page, and add it to the "Text" field:
Step 8: Once you add the DNS record in WordPress.com, toggle back to your Bluesky page and click "Verify DNS Record." DNS records can take a while to update, but WordPress.com is generally speedy – mine took just seconds to confirm!
Step 9: Once you're verified, don't forget to click the blue button again to confirm the update:
Rejoice! You're now a bonafide IT superstar. Enjoy the organic traffic to your website and rest assured that folks know that your social media account is the official account for your (personal or professional) brand.
Need a custom domain? We've got you covered!
Don't have a custom domain just yet? Here at WordPress.com, we believe everyone should have their own address on the web that they fully own and control.
To that end, we offer some of the most affordable domains in the biz, averaging around just $13 a year for popular .com, .org, and .net addresses. WordPress.com's DNS is also blazing fast, so you can be sure your domain will load quickly.
If you own a domain through another provider, consider making a transfer to WordPress to simplify your stack. To make the switch, check out our domain transfer guide. If you need hosting for your WordPress website, all paid plans on WordPress.com come with a free domain name for a year.
Ready to make it official? Buy a custom domain directly through WordPress.com and connect it to Bluesky today:
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