What is a HTML frame? Why am I getting an admin message?

If you have applied your custom domain using a HTML frame, your Aarcade theme will issue you with an admin message warning you that this is incorrect (for the reasons outlined in the following section of this article). This message can only be seen by you (the admin of your shop) and not by the public.

In this context “a HTML frame” refers to a method used at your domain registrar / web host to apply your custom domain. In other words, to correct the use of a HTML frame you need to address the set up at your domain registrar / web host controls (as explained in the following sections of this article). You do not need to change your Aarcade theme installation or settings.

You should never use HTML frames to apply a custom domain to your shop.

HTML frames allow you to show your shop inside a single web page that you have hosted at your custom domain. With this method, your URL remains unchanged (e.g. http://yourdomain.com) regardless of the page in your shop that is being displayed.

This method should never be used, for the following reasons:

• Poor SEO: Frame content is not considered part of the parent page, so your custom domain may be ignored by search engines. Frame content may not be indexed as thoroughly or may be penalised.
• Poor Usability: Frames create difficulties / issues with user navigation, scrolling and printing and will also cause blurring issues with zoom on mobile devices and prevent responsive layouts from working correctly.
• Poor Sharing: Visitors can not bookmark or share links to specific pages / products in your shop.
• Poor Compatibility: Frames can cause in-built shop dynamic functions to fault or fail. For example, product sharing tools like Facebook Like, Pinterest Pinit, etc.
• Poor Longevity: Frames are antithetical to world wide web standards and will be eventually phased out of future HTML.

The correct method for applying a custom domain

The correct method for applying a custom domain to your shop is via your DNS records. In short, you need to use the controls provided by your domain registrar to create a CNAME domain record for your shop. This is explained in our support article How do I set up a custom domain for my Big Cartel shop?