Swiftly link a personalized domain

Apart from the Webflow staging subdomain (for instance, yoursite.webflow.io), you have the option to release your site on any personalized domain (for example, yourdomain.com) or subdomain (such as subdomain.yourdomain.com) that you possess. Using a personalized domain or subdomain enhances your brand, boosts SEO visibility, and simplifies the process for individuals to discover and recall your site. 

Prior to commencing: Incorporate a Site plan into your Webflow site and verify that you possess the domain you wish to link. If you intend to purchase a domain and link it directly to your Webflow site, refer to our guide on acquiring a personalized domain. 

Crucial: Configuring the root domain (such as yourdomain.com) as the default domain necessitates a distinct configuration for your DNS records. If you prefer to set the root domain as the default, you will have to manually link your personalized domain. Explore more about setting the root domain as the default on SSL hosting.

In this guide, you will learn: 

1. The process to locate and link your personalized domain
2. How to verify and release your site
3. FAQ and techniques for resolving problems

How to locate and link your personalized domain

Note: Webflow employs Entri to swiftly and seamlessly link your personalized domain to your site. If you are hesitant to authorize Entri to interact with your DNS provider, or if you require a specific configuration for your DNS records, you can manually link your personalized domain to your site. 

‍Crucial: SSL is activated by default on all Webflow sites generated after November 14th, 2018. If you wish to deactivate SSL on your site, you will need to manually link your personalized domain, as the DNS records necessary to direct your domain to your site vary depending on whether SSL is enabled or disabled. It is highly recommended not to deactivate SSL. Discover more about activating and deactivating SSL. 

To locate and link your personalized domain: 

1. Access Site settings > Publishing tab > Production 
2. Select Add a custom domain
3. Opt for Rapidly link domain
4. Press Continue
5. Input the domain you wish to link with Webflow (for example, yourdomain.com)
6. Click Continue
7. Search for and designate your DNS provider (i.e., the provider from which you bought your domain) 
8. Follow the instructions to log in with your DNS provider and authorize the connection to Entri 
9. Hit Close window to finalize the connection and return to Site settings
10. Click Done

Note: If you are moving your domain to Webflow from another hosting service, you may need to confirm that you wish to update/replace your DNS records.

These steps connect both the root domain (e.g., yourdomain.com) and the www subdomain (e.g., www.yourdomain.com) to your site. If you cannot locate your DNS provider in the above steps, you will need to manually link your personalized domain. 

Crucial: It is recommended to set a default domain to prevent SEO repercussions resulting from duplicate content. When you link a personalized domain using the Rapidly link domain option, your default domain is automatically set to the www subdomain (e.g., www.yourdomain.com). If you wish to utilize the root domain (e.g., yourdomain.com) as the default, you will need to manually link your personalized domain, as this necessitates a distinct configuration for your DNS records. Discover more about setting the root domain as the default domain on SSL hosting. 

Note: DNS alterations may take up to 48 hours to propagate in all geolocations as the DNS cache expires, although this typically occurs within a few hours.

How to verify and release your site

Before you can launch your site on your personalized domain, you need to confirm ownership of any personalized domains you have linked to Webflow. When you link a personalized domain using the Rapidly link domain approach, Webflow automatically adds a TXT record to your DNS settings containing a one-time verification code to validate that you own the linked domain. 

To finalize the verification process and release your site from Site settings: 

1. Tap on Verify domain
2. Wait for the confirmation message “Custom domain verified”
3. Click Publish to access the publishing menu
4. Review the domain(s) to which you want to launch your site
5. Press Publish to selected domains

Note: If your personalized domain was transferred between sites in your Workspace during a hosting transfer, there is no need to re-verify the domain before publishing.

Crucial: If you add a new domain or subdomain after setting a default domain, the new domain or subdomain will not display in the publish menu. To address this, proceed to Site settings > Publishing tab > Production and select Make default adjacent to the default domain. Subsequently, launch your site on the new domain or subdomain, then set the default domain once again. 

Learn more about launching your site.

FAQ and techniques for resolving problems

Does Webflow impose any restrictions on top-level domains (TLDs)? 

Webflow imposes no constraints on top-level domains (TLDs) as long as the domain is publicly visible in DNS and you can link the domain to domain nameservers (NS records) and generate A and CNAME records. 

I affiliated my personalized domain with Webflow but my site is not live yet. What’s happening? 

Although most DNS providers strive to update your DNS records promptly, various factors affect the duration for your site to be accessible on your personalized domain, including TTL (time to live) and internet service providers. DNS changes might take up to 48 hours to completely disseminate in all geolocations, although typically this occurs within a few hours, so it might just require some patience for the site to go “live.” 

You can double-check the accuracy of your DNS records and monitor the propagation status using a tool like whatsmydns. Clearing your browser cache could also aid in ensuring that you are loading the most recent version of your domain.

If your site fails to surface on your personalized domain after 48 hours, troubleshoot your DNS settings or reach out to your domain provider’s support desk. If your DNS settings are correct but you encounter issues with your launched site, kindly contact Webflow’s customer support team.

Why is my fresh domain absent from the publishing menu? 

If you introduce a new domain or subdomain once you have already established a default domain, the recent domain or subdomain will not be visible in the publishing menu. To rectify this, navigate to Site settings > Publishing tab > Production and select the “Make default” button next to the previous default domain. Subsequently, launch your site on the new domain or subdomain and redefine the default domain.

What causes a “too many redirects” issue on my website? 

Ensure that the primary domain is configured as the www subdomain (for example, www.yourdomain.com). Configuring the root domain as the primary one without adjusting DNS settings can result in unexpected actions, such as redirect loops leading to the “too many redirects” error, inhibiting visitors and web crawlers from accessing your website. Discover more about designating the root domain as the primary domain on SSL hosting. 

Can I link multiple domains to my website? 

It is possible to attach up to 50 personalized domains to a website simultaneously. If you desire to utilize more than 50 domains, we suggest utilizing a domain forwarding mechanism. 

Utilizing numerous domains can also aid in redirecting old domains to a new one. To achieve this, connect all domains (both old and new!) to your website and establish the new domain as the primary option. This guarantees that all linked domains redirect to the fresh domain. Learn additional details on setting a primary domain. 

Why is it necessary to establish a primary domain? 

Configuring a primary domain helps avert penalties from search engines like Google for duplicated content on the internet. Furthermore, not designating a primary domain or setting the root domain as the primary can result in unforeseen consequences such as loading challenges in certain regions and difficulties with web crawling due to excessive redirections.

Is my website accessible on all connected domains? 

Upon publishing your website, it becomes accessible on all affiliated domains and subdomains that are checked in the publishing menu. If a primary domain is set, the site will be published on that domain, and all other domains will redirect to the primary URL. If you prefer not to publish the website on all connected domains, you can open the publishing menu and deselect any domains you wish to exclude. 

Can I assign different pages to distinct domains or subdomains? 

It is not feasible to allocate specific pages to particular domains or subdomains. If you require varying pages on separate domains or subdomains, you must establish distinct websites for each page. Additionally, each site will necessitate an individual Site plan, along with the inclusion of specific custom domain(s) or subdomain(s) on each site. 

Is SSL activated for my website? 

SSL comes pre-enabled for websites established after November 14th, 2018. For websites created prior to this date, you can activate SSL by accessing Site settings > Publishing tab > Advanced publishing options, toggling Enable SSL to “on,” and then selecting Save changes.

Note: Whenever you enable or disable SSL on a Webflow-hosted website, ensure to update your DNS records. Following SSL changes, reconnect your customized domain by adhering to the aforementioned steps (for enabled SSL). Alternately, manually update your DNS records following SSL modifications to guarantee the proper functioning of your published website. Learn more about DNS records for SSL and non-SSL hosting. 

Is it possible to deactivate SSL? 

While it is feasible to turn off SSL, we strongly discourage doing so. Websites without SSL may be flagged as “not secure” on certain web browsers, potentially deterring visitors. Delve deeper into the processes involved in activating and deactivating SSL. 

For security reasons, SSL cannot be disabled on websites with User access, Ecommerce functionality, or Logic operations enabled. 

Note: Whenever you enable or disable SSL on a Webflow-hosted website, ensure to update your DNS records. For disabling SSL, manual modification of DNS records is required. Learn more about DNS records for SSL and non-SSL hosting. 

Does Webflow accommodate Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) with unique characters?

In manual domain connection, Webflow supports Internationalized Domain Names with distinct characters in Punycode format. Utilize tools like Verisign for converting your domain to Punycode; however, bear in mind that this method may not always be successful.

Webflow facilitates Internationalized Domain Names with special characters when Quick connecting a customized domain or Procuring a brand-new custom domain.