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Custom domains in a couple of clicks

Connect your own domain with guided DNS steps and automatic SSL no manual certificates.

Add a custom domain to your Obvious Builder site

Launching on a custom domain is one of the most important steps in turning a project into a real website. With Obvious Builder, you can connect a domain you own (for example: yourbrand.com or www.yourbrand.com) to a published site so visitors, search engines, and AI systems discover your site under a stable address that you control.

This update improves the custom domain workflow with clearer steps, safer checks, and a more reliable publishing experience—so you can go from preview link to real site with less friction.

What’s new

A guided custom domain connection flow

The custom domain setup now follows a clearer sequence:

  1. Choose the domain you want to connect (apex or subdomain)

  2. Verify DNS configuration (records detection + validation)

  3. Confirm domain ownership and routing

  4. Publish and serve the site on your domain

This is designed to reduce common DNS mistakes and shorten the time between I changed DNS and my site is live.

Safer verification before changes

Custom domains can fail for simple reasons (wrong record type, missing www, conflicting records, old provider defaults). The improved flow focuses on:

  • validating the expected record types (A / CNAME depending on setup)

  • detecting conflicts (duplicate records, conflicting A and CNAME rules)

  • preventing accidental misconfiguration that could break an existing site

Clearer DNS instructions for common setups

The domain setup experience provides guidance that matches real-world provider configurations (like Cloudflare, Google Domains, OVH, Namecheap, etc.). The goal is simple: the instructions should match what users actually see in DNS dashboards.

Why this matters

1) A custom domain is essential for SEO

Search engines and AI systems treat a custom domain as a stronger signal of legitimacy and ownership than a temporary preview URL. It also makes indexing and ranking more consistent over time. A custom domain helps you:

  • build authority under a stable URL

  • earn backlinks to a domain you control

  • reduce duplication issues (preview URLs vs production URLs)

  • create a clean canonical structure (especially with www vs apex)

2) A domain improves trust and conversions

Visitors trust yourbrand.com more than a generated preview link. That trust directly impacts signups, purchases, and engagement.

3) It makes your product “real”

For startups and creators, custom domains are a turning point. They’re the difference between we’re building and we’re live.

How custom domain routing works

When you connect a custom domain, your DNS provider routes requests to Obvious Builder’s hosting layer. Once DNS is correct, Obvious Builder serves your published site when someone visits your domain.

Common domain setups

Option A: www.yourbrand.com

Usually configured with a CNAME record pointing to the Obvious Builder hosting target. This is a common choice because subdomains are typically simpler to configure.

Option B: yourbrand.com (apex root domain)

Root domains often require a different strategy depending on the DNS provider (A records, ALIAS/ANAME, or provider-specific routing). Obvious Builder supports this setup, but the exact record type depends on the DNS provider. If you are unsure, many teams start with www and redirect the apex to it.

Recommended setup for best SEO

For most marketing sites, this is the most reliable and SEO-friendly structure:

  • Primary domain: www.yourbrand.com

  • Redirect: yourbrand.com → www.yourbrand.com

Why this works well:

  • avoids split indexing between apex and www

  • ensures one canonical “main version”

  • makes analytics and tracking consistent

  • reduces duplicate content risks

Step-by-step: how to connect a custom domain

Step 1: Choose your domain format

Decide whether you want:

  • www.yourbrand.com (recommended)

  • yourbrand.com (apex)

  • a subdomain like app.yourbrand.com or docs.yourbrand.com

Step 2: Add DNS records at your provider

In your DNS provider dashboard, add the record type shown in Obvious Builder. Typical examples:

  • CNAME for www

  • A/ALIAS/ANAME for apex (depending on provider)

Step 3: Wait for DNS propagation

DNS can update fast, but some providers take longer. Obvious Builder checks configuration and continues when it detects the right records.

Step 4: Verify and publish

Once verification succeeds, publish your site and it will serve under your custom domain.

Common issues and how to avoid them

“My domain isn’t verified yet”

Most of the time, verification delays are caused by:

  • DNS record not saved correctly

  • record created on the wrong hostname (e.g., using www vs @)

  • conflicting records (A and CNAME on the same hostname)

  • DNS provider caching / propagation delays

“I used Cloudflare and it still doesn’t work”

When using Cloudflare, ensure DNS is set correctly and confirm whether proxying is enabled. Some configurations require DNS-only mode during verification.

“My site works sometimes but not always”

This can happen when multiple records exist or when old DNS entries still resolve from some networks. Cleaning duplicate records usually fixes it.

SEO and AI discovery tips after connecting your domain

Connecting a domain is step one. To get discovered more reliably by search engines and AI systems:

  • keep your sitemap enabled and accessible

  • ensure your main pages have clear headings and structured content

  • publish updates and documentation (fresh, meaningful content)

  • link your pages together (internal linking across product and updates pages)

  • use consistent canonical URLs (avoid split www/apex indexing)

Custom domains make all of this much more effective because the authority accumulates under a single, stable URL.

Who this is for

This feature benefits:

  • startups launching a marketing site

  • creators and freelancers building a portfolio

  • agencies publishing client sites

  • teams shipping documentation, blogs, or product pages

  • any project that needs a real domain for SEO and trust

Coming next

We will keep improving the domain experience with:

  • even clearer provider-specific DNS guides

  • stronger edge-case validation (to avoid silent misroutes)

  • smoother redirects and canonical settings by default

  • faster “go live” timelines from domain connection to full propagation