Google AppEngine: how to add your domain

In this blog post I will explain how you can add your own domain to a Google AppEngine Application. I will start from scratch just to show you how it works.
1. First of all, make sure you are signed in into Google AppEngine. Navigate to the Dashboard and create a new Application:

2. Create a new application by clicking on “Create Application”. On the next dialog, you need to specify some data about the application. This is the application identifier, a description and how the application will be accessed. We’ll select the “open for all” option, as we want our application to be generally available. Once this step is completed, you will see the “application created” page.

3. Next, we will navigate to the overview again and select our newly created application. Navigate down until you reach the section “Administration”. Select “Application Settings”.

4. In the “Application Settings” Dialog for Google AppEngine, scroll down until you reach the section “Domain Setup”. Click on “Add Domain”.  You are now redirected to a page where you can configure your domain.

5. To use Google AppEngine with your domain, you need to setup a Google Apps Account. Google Apps Standard is free and that is basically what I am also using. If you already have your Google Apps Account, you can skip the next steps until step 10. Click next on the first dialogs until you reach the domain verification page. On this page, select your domain host and authentify against it.


 
6. You might be asked about your domain registrar. Most of the time, it simply says “take me to …” for your domain registrar but it might also ask you for your registrar’s name in case you couldn’t be identified.

7. Log in to your domain registrar.

8. Authorise Google Apps to identify with your registrar

9. The domain verification and associated update of domain settings might take a while (up to 48hrs). However, you can now go back to the Dialog where it says “add Domain”.

10. Enter the domain name in the text box and click “Add”. You are now redirected to Google Apps, where your permission is required to use this domain. Simply click on “Agree” on the Terms.
11. Now you are on the page with the domain administration. Click on “add new URL”

12. Normally, you can only add some subdomains. However, this might not be that smart all time so I would recommend adding something like a top-level domain for it.  You can do this by adding “www” on the dialog.
13. Now you have to do some manual steps with your domain registrar – e.g. Godaddy. Google explains what you have to do so simply follow these steps.
14. You are ready to host your AppEngine Application on your domain now! Have fun!