Google Cloud Domains configuration unavailable in GCP Cloud DNS and Squarespace

[martinomburajr]

I had purchased a domain with Google Domains and set the domain example.com to be hosted using GCP Cloud DNS Name Servers. Google Domains was then purchased by Squarespace who claim they have the domain, however the Name Server configuration is still in GCP and therefore I cannot manage the domain in Squarespace. I now have no ability to customize Email associated with the domain or manage the domain e.g. setup auto-renewal.

Does anyone know what I can do. I've contacted Squarespace and they said:

"While the domain migrated to Squarespace, as the domain is a resold domain purchased through Google Cloud the domain is managed entirely on their end. If you need help with managing the domain on Google Clouds end, I recommend reaching out to their support team ..." 

It seems 3 different entities (Google Domains, Squarespace and Google Cloud) have laid claim to my domain, each with their own aspects of its configuration. I have no idea what to do or who can help.

[AI]

Hey @martinomburajr 

thanks for your question. If you purchased your domain from Cloud Domains, this is where you continue managing the domain even now, after the migration of the domains to Squarespace.

If you domain was previously set to use Google Domains as DNS provider, you can change that from Cloud Domains page. There you can configure DNS provider (to either point to Cloud DNS or a set of custom name servers), auto-renewal and contact information. Do you have access to Cloud Domains page for your domain?

[martinomburajr]

Hey Al, I appreciate the response. So I do not have any access to the Domain in Google Cloud Domains or Squarespace, all I have that I can configure is the NameServers in one of my GCP projects. Beyond the DNS configuration I have no access to configure other parameters e.g. Mail, Billing etc.

Below is a list of my configured nameservers, however if you go to domains.google.com, the website doesnt have any way to log in anymore, and Squarespace isn't showing my domain despite them owning it ("whois")

[martinomburajr]

Hello, thanks!

Cloud Domains does not work anymore. The domains.google.com site does not work anymore and is only a landing page forwarding to squarespace.

In Cloud DNS I  have the domain DNS NS records set up as ns-cloud-b1.googledomains.com. etc. However that is all the configurable access I have to my domain. Features like mail management and billing are not available anywhere in Squarespace, Google Domains or Cloud

[AI]

It's not entirely true, while Google Domains is not a thing anymore Cloud Domains on the other hand very much is. The configuration that you used to be able to do from within Google Domains is now available in Cloud Domains IF the domain was purchased through Cloud Domains.

To give you the full picture of how it all works, Google Domains used to be a registrar, Cloud Domains used to be a reseller for Google Domains. You could purchase the domain through either, if you are a GCP user - from GCP through Cloud Domains and if you weren't - directly through Google Domains.

Now, when Google Domains is no more and the registrar's business was sold to Squarespace, meaning that Google Domains is not a registrar anymore and the Cloud Domains is now a reseller for Squarespace. Users who purchased the domain directly from Google Domains became direct customers of Squarespace and users who purchased their domain through Cloud Domains continue using Cloud Domains management interface.

All of this is only indirectly connected to the configuration of the dns provider, which can be (in case of Cloud Domains) one of (1) Cloud DNS, (2) custom name server, (3) still pointing to Google Domains (which is still available in read only mode).

Hope this gives a little bit of clarity on how it is all interconnected right now.

Getting back to your specific case, the Cloud Domains very much does work, it allows registering the domains, configuring them as well as managing them after the purchase. If Cloud Domains is where you purchased your domain it is still should be there and you should be able to see and manage it from the Cloud Domains management console.

Please let me know if there is anything else I can help with.

[martinomburajr]

Hey Al,

I really appreciate the insight you've provided. It's a little confusing on my end but slowly starting to piece together the pieces.

To clear things up on my end.
1. I made the purchase via the Google Domains website
2. In order to configure the domain to work with a server I had built in GCP, I created a DNS zone with the name of my domain and added the necessary NS from Google Domains (see the attached photo in a previous post)
3. In Google Domains, I was also able to manage billing and email forwarding.

I hadn't touched the domain or its configurations for a while and when I returned a few months ago, I noticed I couldnt configure anything on the Google Domains side of things, in Cloud DNS I was still able to interact with the hosted zone. No other domain management was made available.

As for Cloud domains, I have never actually interacted with it directly and when I took a look at it today, this is what i see (See attached image)

Unconfigurable domain
The domain claims to be exported. My real issue is that on squarespace it doesn't even show up. I am able to see a different domain I got via Google Domains that I didn't configure any Cloud DNS records for.

Lastly when I try " Transfer a domain" in squarespace and type in the domain I have setup the Cloud DNS record for, Squarespace claim they already manage it?

So ultimately I am unable to manage my domain on all 3 platforms

 

[AI]

Does whois say that the domain is still active?

[martinomburajr]

Hey! Yes it does.

[AI]

Well, sadly without details I cannot check much from my side. At this point there are two options you have:

• I can take a further look if you are willing to share the domain name, or
• You can open a support case with GCP and let them figure it out

[vitalii13]

Hi Al!
I have full same situation like martinomburajr,  could you check my domain "maestri.app". I will really appreciate it. 
And maybe you can say how open support case with GCP. I tried but with basic level I can't send my case only view