Custom Domains

Custom domains let you serve your Buildorado website from your own domain name — like www.yourbusiness.com — instead of a yourname.buildorado.io subdomain. Buildorado handles SSL certificate provisioning automatically, so your site is served over HTTPS with no extra configuration. Custom domains are available on paid plans.

Prerequisites

Before connecting a custom domain, you need:

• A paid Buildorado plan — Custom domains are not available on the free tier
• A published website — Your site must be published to a Buildorado subdomain first
• A domain you control — You need access to your domain registrar's DNS settings

Connecting a Custom Domain

Step 1: Enter Your Domain

1. Open your project in the website builder
2. Click the Publish button to open the deployment panel
3. Scroll down to the Custom Domain section
4. Enter your domain name (for example, www.yourbusiness.com)
5. Click Save

Buildorado provisions an SSL certificate for your domain automatically. This process starts immediately but may take a few minutes to complete.

Step 2: Configure DNS

After saving your domain, Buildorado shows you the DNS records you need to add at your domain registrar. You will need to create a CNAME record pointing your domain to your Buildorado subdomain.

If you are using a subdomain like www.yourbusiness.com, the CNAME setup is straightforward — add the record and wait for DNS propagation.

Apex (Root) Domains

If you want to use a bare domain without www (like yourbusiness.com instead of www.yourbusiness.com), the setup depends on your registrar:

• Cloudflare — Supports CNAME flattening at the apex. Add a CNAME record for @ pointing to yourname.buildorado.io.
• Namecheap — Supports ALIAS records at the apex. Use the same target.
• GoDaddy, Google Domains, and others — May not support CNAME at the apex. In this case, set up www.yourbusiness.com with a CNAME and configure a redirect from the bare domain to www through your registrar.

The most reliable approach is to use www.yourbusiness.com as your primary domain and redirect the bare domain to it. Most registrars support this redirect natively.

Step 3: Verify DNS

After adding the DNS records:

1. Return to the Custom Domain section in the publish panel
2. Click Verify
3. Buildorado checks that your CNAME record is pointing to the correct target

DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to propagate, though most changes take effect within 15 to 30 minutes. If verification fails, wait and try again.

Once verified, your SSL certificate is activated and your site is accessible at your custom domain over HTTPS.

DNS Propagation

DNS changes do not take effect instantly. When you add or modify a CNAME record, the change propagates through the global DNS system. Typical propagation times:

• Cloudflare DNS — Usually under 5 minutes
• Namecheap, Google Domains — 15 to 30 minutes
• GoDaddy — 30 minutes to a few hours
• Other registrars — Up to 48 hours in rare cases

During propagation, some users may see the old DNS records while others see the new ones. This is normal and resolves on its own.

You can check propagation status using online tools like dnschecker.org — enter your domain and look for the CNAME record pointing to yourname.buildorado.io.

SSL Certificates

Buildorado provisions SSL certificates automatically. You do not need to purchase, install, or renew certificates manually. The process:

1. When you save a custom domain, Buildorado initiates SSL provisioning
2. A free SSL certificate is issued for your domain
3. The certificate is renewed automatically before expiration

Your site is always served over HTTPS. HTTP requests are redirected to HTTPS automatically.

Troubleshooting

"DNS not verified" After Adding Records

• Wait for propagation — DNS changes can take 15 to 30 minutes. Try the verify button again after waiting.
• Check the CNAME target — Make sure the CNAME value is exactly yourname.buildorado.io (replace yourname with your actual Buildorado subdomain). Do not include https:// or a trailing slash.
• Check for conflicting records — If you have an existing A record or other DNS record for the same hostname, it may conflict with the CNAME. Remove the conflicting record first.

Site Not Loading on Custom Domain

• Verify DNS is correct — Use dnschecker.org to confirm the CNAME record is present and pointing to the right target.
• Check SSL status — SSL provisioning can take up to 15 minutes after DNS verification. If the site loads over HTTP but not HTTPS, wait a few more minutes.
• Clear browser cache — Your browser may have cached a previous DNS result. Try opening the site in an incognito/private window.

Changing or Removing a Custom Domain

To change your custom domain, enter the new domain in the Custom Domain section and save. The old domain stops working once the new one is verified.

To remove a custom domain entirely, clear the domain field and save. Your site remains accessible at its yourname.buildorado.io subdomain.