# Mattermost First Start: Settings\>General\>Config? **URL:** \ **Category:** Troubleshooting\ **Created:** [April 9, 2019, 8:43pm UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/mattermost-first-start-settings-general-config/7032 "2019-04-09T20:43:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![steakboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@steakboy](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/steakboy)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2019, 8:43pm UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/mattermost-first-start-settings-general-config/7032/1 "2019-04-09T20:43:20Z")
I have just finished spinning up Mattermost for the first time by following this guide: > **[How to deploy Mattermost on Ubuntu 18.04](https://linuxize.com/post/how-to-deploy-mattermost-on-ubuntu-18-04/)** > > Mattermost brings all your team communication into one place and provides various features including file sharing, one-on-one and group messaging, custom emojis, video calls and more. Everything is working as expected (i have not set up SSL as i dont have a real domain, and have used “[example.com](http://example.com)” to start). In the guide it says after creating an account, and creating a team, I should navigate to Settings\>General\>Configuration and set the “Site URL.” Since I spun up Nginx with the site www.example dot com, do I need to leave this “Site URL” as example dot com? Or can I change it? And if I need to leave it the same, in the event I start a new Nginx service with www.mymattermostthatnooneelsehas dot com, and a new Mattermost DB with the same name “mymattermostthatnooneelsehas” and ACTUALLY purchase that domain; **Can I then change the Site URL to www.mymattermostthatnooneelsehas dot com** or do i have to start a new mattermost service as well with updated config files reflecting this? So my over arching question is, what is the significance of the Site URL. (Since im a new user I cannot post more than 2 links, hence the www.example DOT com.) ---
**Author:** ![amy.blais](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mattermost.com/amy.blais/32/7481_2.png) [@amy.blais](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/amy.blais)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2019, 10:35pm UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/mattermost-first-start-settings-general-config/7032/2 "2019-04-09T22:35:11Z")
Hi @steakboy, Here is our official setup guide for Ubuntu 18.04: [https://docs.mattermost.com/install/install-ubuntu-1804.html](https://docs.mattermost.com/install/install-ubuntu-1804.html). Though I haven’t gone through the guide you shared so I’m not sure how much it differs from this one. Here is more information on the Site URL: [https://docs.mattermost.com/administration/config-settings.html#site-url](https://docs.mattermost.com/administration/config-settings.html#site-url). You can change it and you don’t need to purchase a domain. Hope this helps, ---
**Author:** ![steakboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@steakboy](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/steakboy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2019, 12:11am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/mattermost-first-start-settings-general-config/7032/3 "2019-04-10T00:11:51Z")
@amyblais I began by following that install guide, but it did not cover any prerequisites. IE: UFW, SSL certificate, domain ip, etc. Which is why I switched. But after reviewing the official documentation, they do not vary at all, they are the same. As for the information on “Site URL”, I read it, and switched the site URL to a different one, but it did not do what i thought it would have from the KB. What i understood from the KB was that by changing the site URL, by then going to that newly entered website, users could get to the mattermost service. But i changed the website, and the internet browser still said “This site can’t be reached**[www.examplewebsitethatnooneelsehas.com](http://www.examplewebsitethatnooneelsehas.com)** ’s server IP address could not be found.”. Am I missunderstanding what Site URL is? Or is there additional steps i need to take to make it work as intended? ---
**Author:** ![amy.blais](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mattermost.com/amy.blais/32/7481_2.png) [@amy.blais](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/amy.blais)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2019, 4:40pm UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/mattermost-first-start-settings-general-config/7032/4 "2019-04-10T16:40:26Z")
Hi @steakboy, what Mattermost server version are you installing and do you see any log errors?