A social experience anchored by your domain

WordPress.com is an organization – just like others within Automatic – which is heavily invested in Open source and democratization of the web. We truly believe that everyone should be in control of their presence, their data, and even theirs social experiences. That is why we are very happy with some of the work Blue sky make.

What is Bluesky?

We're building a new foundation for social networking that gives creators platform independence, developers the freedom to build, and users a choice in their experience.

blueskyweb.xyz

Think about all the different parts attached to any of your social accounts:

• Your username – how people identify you on that platform
• Your connections/networks
• The content you have created
• Media you have uploaded
• The conversations you have had with others
• Your connections to influencers, brands and companies
• Purchases within a specific platform

Now imagine being able to take all that with you when you get frustrated with changes on a social network and rediscover the magic of one you had *almost* forgotten. 😉

This is exactly what Bluesky is trying to achieve with its AT protocoland we can't wait to see how it develops.

It is so cool! Why is it cool?

So glad you asked!

We are probably all familiar with “blue tick for civil service” is used on many social platforms. It is essentially a way for users to identify the real accounts of famous and notable people/brands/things.

Bluesky allows you to claim a domain that you own as your username/handle, and they automatically verify it by checking your domain for a simple text message. It might sound complicated, but it's actually quite simple — especially on WordPress.com.

Think of it as the type of certificate you can get, which often requires a signature from you as well as some kind of official before it is considered a verified document. It's exactly that, except instead of collecting dust, this unlocks a digital superpower: a consistent way for anyone to find the real you (potentially) anywhere on the web.

How do I add a text entry to my domain?

I'll cover some simple steps for those of you who manage your domains here on WordPress.com. If you have domains registered elsewhere on the web, you need to check the registrar's documentation. If you'd rather just get through this, you can check out the steps to transfer it.

Note: You need an invitation to join Bluesky's private beta before you can create an account and use this feature.

8 easy steps

Step 1: Navigate to the website that your domain is associated with on WordPress.com — if you only have one page, you can simply go to WordPress.com.

Step 2: Use the menu on the left to navigate to Upgrades/Domains.

Step 3: Identify the domain you want to use and click on the vertical ellipses to the right. Click on “show settings”.

Step 4: Click the arrow to the right of “DNS Records” to expand the information. Click on “Manage”.

Step 5: Click the “+ Add Record” button at the top of the screen.

Step 6: Change the record type from “A” to “TXT.”

Step 7: Add the Bluesky information to your post.

• add _atproto in the “domain name (optional)” field.
• Add Bluesky “Value” to the “Text” field.

Step 8: Click the “Add DNS Record” button.

I am always pleasantly surprised at how quickly our DNS is. In this case, I was able to verify the post in the Bluesky app less than 30 seconds after saving it on WordPress.com. Here's what the app looks like when you set it up, after it's verified, and after you've officially updated your handle.

If you've made it this far, you're at least a little interested. Let us know what piqued your interest in the comments!