Google Domains won't redirect `http` to `https` when Bluehost handles the DNS and website

Question

I have a website hosted on bluehost, but using a domain from Google domains. I am trying to force it to always redirect http://example.io -> https://example.io from the google domains site.

However, when I add the redirect, I get the following error:

This synthetic record has an error and will not function correctly:
We had a temporary issue creating your SSL certificate. We will automatically keep trying to resolve this issue.

We have it setup to redirect permanently using SSL:

We are using bluehost name servers. Are we missing something here?

Answer 1

Once you use point the NS (name server) records to Bluehost, Google domains has no way of implementing the redirect. The steps for implementing the redirect are:

1. Add a DNS entry for the host being redirected pointing to the web server that will do the redirect.
2. Configure the web server to redirect requests for that domain to the desired location.
3. Obtain an SSL certificate for the host name. This step may involve setting DNS records as proof of control over the host name.

When Google domains in not controlling your DNS, it can't complete steps 1 and 3. You will need to implement the redirects elsewhere.

It sounds like your website is on https://example.io. If that is the case, you will need to implement the redirect on your web server hosted at Bluehost. You can't use DNS to point HTTP to one server and HTTPS to another server.