Custom Domains
Connect your own domain to your published app. Works with any domain registrar.
Two Options
Subdomain (www.yourdomain.com) — Works with any DNS provider. Recommended for most users.
Apex/root domain (yourdomain.com) — Requires your DNS to be managed by Cloudflare (free).
On this page
Option A: Subdomain (www.domain.com)
Works with every DNS provider — Namecheap, GoDaddy, Hostinger, Porkbun, Route 53, and more. No special features required.
Steps
- In your Serenities AI dashboard, go to your app → Config tab → Custom Domain section, and enter
www.yourdomain.com - Add a TXT record at your DNS provider:
Host: _serenitiesai Type: TXT Value: (the verification token shown in your app's Custom Domain section) - Add a CNAME record:
Host: www Type: CNAME Value: sites.serenitiesai.app - Wait 5-10 minutes for DNS propagation, then click Verify Domain
Your app is now live at www.yourdomain.com. SSL certificate is provisioned automatically.
Option B: Apex Domain on Cloudflare (domain.com)
Root/apex domains (e.g., yourdomain.com without www) require your DNS to be managed by Cloudflare. Cloudflare's free plan works. Other providers' ALIAS/ANAME records do not work with our SSL system.
Why Cloudflare? Apex domains cannot have standard CNAME records (DNS spec limitation). Cloudflare solves this with CNAME flattening, which transparently resolves the CNAME to A records at the root. This is free and automatic.
Steps
- Move your DNS to Cloudflare (if not already there):
Add your domain to Cloudflare (free plan), then update your registrar's nameservers to Cloudflare's. Your domain stays at your registrar — only DNS management moves. Cloudflare setup guide
- In your Serenities AI dashboard, go to your app → Config tab → Custom Domain section, and enter
yourdomain.com - Add a TXT record in Cloudflare DNS:
Name: _serenitiesai Type: TXT Value: (the verification token shown in your app's Custom Domain section) - Add a CNAME record for the root:
Name: @ Type: CNAME Value: sites.serenitiesai.app Proxy: OFF (grey cloud) — this is critical - Wait 5-10 minutes, then click Verify Domain
Your app is now live at yourdomain.com. SSL certificate is provisioned automatically.
Redirect: root → www (non-Cloudflare providers)
If your app is at www.yourdomain.com, visitors typing yourdomain.com will see an error unless you set up a redirect. Here's how to do it at each provider:
| DNS Provider | How to redirect |
|---|---|
| Cloudflare | Rules → Redirect Rules → redirect @ to https://www.yourdomain.com. Guide |
| Namecheap | Advanced DNS → URL Redirect Record for @ → https://www.yourdomain.com. Guide |
| GoDaddy | DNS → Forwarding → Add Domain Forwarding → https://www.yourdomain.com (301 Permanent). Guide |
| Hostinger | hPanel → Redirects → Add redirect from @ to https://www.yourdomain.com. Guide |
| Porkbun | Domain → URL Forwarding → Forward root to https://www.yourdomain.com. Guide |
| Route 53 / Azure / DigitalOcean | No built-in redirect. Use redirect.pizza (free, handles HTTPS) |
Alternative: If your registrar doesn't support redirects, you can move your DNS to Cloudflare (free) and use the apex domain directly instead of the subdomain. See Option B above.
Redirect: www → apex (all providers)
If your app is at yourdomain.com (apex), visitors typing www.yourdomain.com will see an error unless you set up a redirect. Here's how to do it at each provider:
| DNS Provider | How to redirect www → apex |
|---|---|
| Cloudflare | Rules → Redirect Rules → redirect www to https://yourdomain.com. Guide (see detailed steps below) |
| Namecheap | Advanced DNS → URL Redirect Record for www → https://yourdomain.com. Guide |
| GoDaddy | DNS → Forwarding → Add Subdomain Forwarding for www → https://yourdomain.com (301 Permanent). Guide |
| Hostinger | hPanel → Redirects → Add redirect from www to https://yourdomain.com. Guide |
| Porkbun | Domain → URL Forwarding → Forward www to https://yourdomain.com. Guide |
| Route 53 / Azure / DigitalOcean | No built-in redirect. Use redirect.pizza (free, handles HTTPS) |
Cloudflare: Detailed Steps
If your DNS is on Cloudflare, follow these two steps:
Step 1: Add a www DNS record
In Cloudflare DNS, add:
Name: www
Type: CNAME
Value: sites.serenitiesai.app
Proxy: ON (orange cloud) — required for the redirect to workStep 2: Create a Redirect Rule
In Cloudflare Dashboard → Rules → Redirect Rules → Create Rule:
www.yourdomain.comType: Dynamic
Expression: concat("https://yourdomain.com", http.request.uri.path)
Status code: 301 (Permanent Redirect)
Now www.yourdomain.com/anything redirects to yourdomain.com/anything automatically.
Cloudflare users: Proxy settings matter
- The apex CNAME (@) must be grey cloud (proxy OFF) — so traffic reaches our server via SSL for SaaS
- The www CNAME must be orange cloud (proxy ON) — so the Cloudflare redirect rule can fire
- If the www record is grey cloud, the redirect rule won't work because Cloudflare doesn't process the request
Troubleshooting
Verification fails: "Could not find DNS records"
DNS records can take up to 48 hours to propagate globally, though most update within 5-10 minutes. Check your TXT record is correct using a DNS checker like dnschecker.org.
Verification fails: "resolves to different IPs"
Your CNAME record is pointing to the wrong target. Make sure it points to sites.serenitiesai.app — not your old hosting provider.
"This site can't be reached" after verification
SSL certificate provisioning can take a few minutes. Wait 2-5 minutes and refresh. If it persists, check that your CNAME proxy is OFF (grey cloud) for the main domain record.
Apex domain won't verify (non-Cloudflare DNS)
Root/apex domains only work with Cloudflare DNS. Other providers' ALIAS or ANAME records are not compatible with our SSL certificate system. Either switch your DNS to Cloudflare (free) or use a subdomain like www.yourdomain.com.
www redirect not working (Cloudflare)
Make sure the www CNAME record has proxy ON (orange cloud). Redirect rules only apply to proxied traffic. If it's grey cloud, Cloudflare doesn't process the request and the redirect rule never fires.
SSL certificate error / "Not Secure"
Our system automatically provisions SSL certificates via Cloudflare SSL for SaaS. If you see SSL errors, ensure your domain's CNAME record is pointing to sites.serenitiesai.app and wait a few minutes for the certificate to be issued.
Summary
| DNS Record | Type | Value | Proxy | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| _serenitiesai | TXT | (verification token) | N/A | Ownership verification |
| @ or www | CNAME | sites.serenitiesai.app | OFF (grey) | Serves the app |
| www (redirect only) | CNAME | sites.serenitiesai.app | ON (orange, Cloudflare only) | www → apex redirect |