Introduction
If you managed a website through Google Domains before its shutdown, you’ve probably come across the term “synthetic records” in your DNS settings. It sounded technical and slightly mysterious — and for good reason. Synthetic records were one of Google Domains’ most useful features, quietly automating DNS configurations that would otherwise require manual, error-prone setup.
This article breaks down exactly what Google Domains synthetic records were, how they functioned, why they mattered for everyday website owners, and — since Google Domains no longer exists as a standalone service — what has replaced them now that domains have moved to Squarespace.
What Are Google Domains Synthetic Records?
A synthetic record was not a single DNS record in the traditional sense (like an A record or a CNAME record). Instead, it was a bundled configuration that automatically generated and managed multiple underlying DNS records on your behalf, based on a simple setting you chose in the Google Domains dashboard.
In plain terms: instead of manually creating five or six separate DNS entries to achieve something like email forwarding or subdomain redirection, you’d toggle one setting, and Google Domains would handle the technical configuration in the background.
This made DNS management dramatically more accessible for small business owners, bloggers, and developers who didn’t want to become DNS experts just to point a domain in the right direction.
The Three Main Types of Synthetic Records
Google Domains offered three primary categories of synthetic records, each solving a different common need.
1. Subdomain and Domain Forwarding
This was the most widely used synthetic record type. It let you redirect a root domain or subdomain to another URL without manually configuring A records or CNAME records. For example, if you wanted yourdomain.com to redirect visitors to a specific landing page, or blog.yourdomain.com to point to a Medium page, a synthetic forwarding record handled it in a single step — including setting up the correct redirect behavior and, in many cases, HTTPS support.
2. Dynamic DNS (DDNS)
Dynamic DNS synthetic records solved a specific problem: most home and small-office internet connections use IP addresses that change periodically. If you were running a home server, a self-hosted application, or a personal NAS device, a static domain name pointing to a constantly shifting IP address was a real headache.
A Dynamic DNS synthetic record automatically updated your subdomain’s DNS entry whenever your IP address changed, keeping your domain reliably pointed to your home network without manual intervention. This was particularly popular among developers and hobbyists running self-hosted projects.
3. Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) Email Configuration
For anyone setting up professional email through Google Workspace, this synthetic record type automatically configured the necessary MX records, along with SPF and DKIM settings, to ensure reliable email deliverability and reduce the chance of messages landing in spam folders. Configuring these records manually was notoriously fiddly — a single typo in an MX priority value could break email delivery entirely. The synthetic record removed that risk with a single checkbox.
Why Synthetic Records Mattered
The value of synthetic records wasn’t really about the underlying technology — DNS itself didn’t change. What mattered was accessibility. Before this feature, setting up something like business email or subdomain redirection required understanding DNS record types, priority values, TTL settings, and the specific requirements of whatever service you were connecting to.
Synthetic records abstracted all of that complexity away. A small business owner setting up Google Workspace email didn’t need to know what an MX record was — they just needed to click a button. This lowered the technical barrier to entry for millions of domain owners who wanted professional-grade setups without professional-grade DNS knowledge.
What Happened to Google Domains Synthetic Records?
Here’s the critical, current-state update anyone researching this topic needs: Google Domains no longer exists as an independent product. In September 2023, Squarespace acquired Google Domains’ domain registration business, and by 2026 the full migration of accounts and domains to Squarespace’s infrastructure has been completed. Squarespace’s own help center article on the migration outlines exactly what changed for existing users.
This transition directly affected synthetic records, and the impact varies by type:
Domain and email forwarding carried over reasonably well. Squarespace’s domain management system supports domain forwarding and email forwarding as native features, so most users transitioning from Google Domains were able to replicate this functionality, even if the interface looks different.
Dynamic DNS is not supported by Squarespace. This is the most significant loss for former Google Domains users who relied on synthetic records. Any Dynamic DNS record that was active at the time of migration was converted into a static A or AAAA record pointing to whatever IP address was last recorded — meaning it stopped updating automatically. Anyone who depended on DDNS for a home server or self-hosted project needs to switch to a third-party Dynamic DNS provider to restore that functionality.
ACME TLS/SSL certificate automation is also unsupported. Existing certificates continue working until they expire, but they will not automatically renew the way they did under Google’s infrastructure.
Google Workspace MX/SPF/DKIM configuration is generally still achievable through standard DNS record management in Squarespace, though not through a single “synthetic record” toggle the way Google Domains offered — users now need to configure these records individually, following Google Workspace’s official MX record setup guide.
For anyone managing domains directly through Google Cloud rather than the old consumer Google Domains product, Google’s Cloud Domains migration FAQ is the authoritative reference for what’s supported going forward.
What to Do If You Relied on Synthetic Records
If your domain has already migrated to Squarespace and something isn’t working the way it used to, here’s a practical path forward:
- Check your current DNS records first. Log into your Squarespace domain management panel and review what records are currently active. Migrated synthetic records often persist as their underlying standard DNS records, so forwarding and email settings may still be functioning even though the “synthetic record” label is gone.
- Replace Dynamic DNS with a dedicated provider. Since Squarespace does not support DDNS, services built specifically for this purpose can fill the gap for home servers or self-hosted setups that need an updating IP address.
- Reconfigure Google Workspace records manually if needed. If your business email stopped routing correctly after migration, you’ll likely need to re-enter the MX, SPF, and DKIM records manually using Google Workspace’s official setup guide, since the one-click automation no longer applies.
- Renew SSL certificates through a new method. If you relied on Google’s automatic certificate renewal, set up a new certificate management approach — either through your hosting provider or a service like Let’s Encrypt — before your existing certificate expires.
A Broader Lesson for Domain Owners
The story of Google Domains synthetic records is a useful reminder for anyone managing a website or online business: convenience features tied to a single provider can disappear when that provider changes hands. It’s worth periodically reviewing your DNS setup, documenting exactly what records are active and why, and understanding the manual configuration behind any “one-click” feature you rely on — so that if a migration or shutdown happens, you’re not troubleshooting blind.
For most former Google Domains users, the transition to Squarespace preserved the basics — forwarding and email routing largely still work. But the more advanced automation, especially Dynamic DNS, is gone, and understanding that gap early can save a lot of frustration for anyone still catching up on what changed.
Conclusion
Google Domains synthetic records were a genuinely useful piece of engineering — quietly automating DNS complexity into simple toggles for forwarding, dynamic IP updates, and Google Workspace email setup. With Google Domains now fully absorbed into Squarespace, most of that functionality has either carried over in a different form or requires a manual or third-party replacement. If you’re still auditing your domain’s DNS settings after the migration, now is the right time to confirm exactly what’s active, what’s missing, and what needs to be rebuilt.
