Domain Setup & Web Hosting Launch

Prep Class Curriculum

Getting ready to launch your family's game! The Prep Class ensures your computer environment is configured, your web hosting space is active, and your custom domain name points to your code.

Our preparatory class runs as an active, hands-on workshop designed for parents and children. We skip the dry theory and immediately guide you through creating your hosting project, purchasing a domain, and verifying SSL certificates to establish secure HTTPS connections.

• Module 1
  Developer Tools & Local Setup
  Installing VS Code, Node.js, and git. Understanding what the terminal command center is and how code files are organized on a local disk.
• Module 2
  Project Hosting & Firebase Deployment
  Creating a free-tier Google Firebase developer project. Deploying a static web landing page using Firebase CLI commands and learning about static file servers.
• Module 3
  Domain Registration & DNS Configuration
  Acquiring a domain name on GoDaddy or similar registrars. Learning how to configure DNS records (A Records, CNAME aliases) to map human-readable domains (e.g. www.yourgame.com) to Firebase web servers.
• Module 4
  SSL Ownership & Cryptographic Verification
  Adding verification TXT records to prove ownership. Generating a free SSL/TLS certificate on Firebase Hosting to ensure the website displays a secure lock icon.

Hands-On Lab: Custom DNS Settings

This lab demonstrates how to hook up your own custom domain name (e.g. bought on GoDaddy) to Google Firebase Hosting, matching the curriculum taught in the Prep Class.

1 Locate Custom Domain in Firebase Console

Log in to your Google Firebase Console, select your active project, navigate to **Hosting**, and click **Add Custom Domain**. Enter your domain name here.

Step 1: Adding a custom domain in the Firebase Hosting panel.

2 Retrieve IP Setup Values

Firebase will calculate the required DNS records for you. You need to configure a CNAME record for subdomains or A Records pointing to Google's load balancer IP addresses.

Step 2: Copying the load balancer IP addresses provided by Firebase.

3 Add DNS Records on GoDaddy

Go to GoDaddy (or your domain registrar), open the DNS Management panel for your domain, and add the A records using the IPs provided by Firebase. Set Host to `@` (root) and TTL to 1 hour.

Step 3: Staging A records in GoDaddy DNS records management table.

4 Setup TXT Record for SSL Ownership Verification

To provision an SSL certificate (HTTPS), Firebase asks you to verify domain ownership. Go back to Firebase, copy the verification TXT value, and add it in GoDaddy as a **TXT Record**.

Step 4: Copying ownership verification values from Firebase.

Step 4b: Entering the TXT record values in GoDaddy's DNS settings panel.

5 Wait for Propagation & Verification

Once you click save in GoDaddy, DNS servers across the globe will propagate the records. Go back to Firebase and click **Verify**. It will confirm ownership and start generating the SSL certificate.

Step 5: Staging verification records on the DNS provider.

Step 5b: Verification successful! Domain is connected and pending SSL provisioning.