Adding & Configuring a Custom Domain

Vercel provides all deployments with a vercel.app URL, which enables you to share Deployments with your Team for collaboration. However, to provide greater personalization and flexibility to your project, you can instead add a custom domain. If you don't own a domain yet, you can purchase it with Vercel.

You can manage all domain settings related to a project from Settings and then Domains in the sidebar, regardless of whether you are using apex domains or subdomains in your project. This document will guide you through both options.

Hobby teams have a limit of 50 custom domains per project.

The following steps provide an overview of how to add and configure a custom domain in Vercel:

1. Navigate to Domain Settings

   On the dashboard, pick the project to which you would like to assign your domain.

   Once you have selected your project, open Settings in the sidebar and then select Domains.

2. Add your domain

   From the Domains page, click the Add Domain button:

   

   Input the domain you wish to include in the project:

   

   If you add an apex domain (e.g. example.com) to the project, Vercel will prompt you to add the www subdomain prefix. For more information about why we recommend using a www domain, see "Redirecting www domains".

3. Using wildcard domain

   You can also use your custom domain as a wildcard domain by prefixing it with *..

   Vercel needs access to DNS challenges to issue and renew wildcard certificates. Use the nameservers method, or delegate certificate validation if you can't change your domain's nameservers.

   To add a wildcard domain, use the prefix *, for example *.acme.com.

   

   Use wildcard domains with an external DNS provider

   If you can't change your domain's nameservers, delegate the _acme-challenge subdomain to Vercel for certificate issuance and renewal. Your existing DNS provider continues to manage the rest of your DNS records, including the wildcard record that routes traffic to Vercel.

   The following steps use the acme.com DNS zone and cover both *.acme.com and *.foo.acme.com. The apex domain is acme.com; neither wildcard configures the apex domain itself.

   Use this workaround only if you can't change your domain's nameservers. Delegating the challenge can prevent other hosting providers from issuing or renewing certificates that use the same challenge name.

   1. Add your wildcard domain to your project's Settings > Domains.

   2. In your team's Domains page, select acme.com. Under DNS Records, click Enable Vercel DNS. Keep your existing nameservers configured at your registrar.

   3. At your existing DNS provider, add both NS records for the wildcard you're configuring. The names below are relative to the acme.com DNS zone:

      Wildcard domain	Type	Name	Value
      *.acme.com	NS	_acme-challenge	ns1.vercel-dns.com.
      *.acme.com	NS	_acme-challenge	ns2.vercel-dns.com.
      *.foo.acme.com	NS	_acme-challenge.foo	ns1.vercel-dns.com.
      *.foo.acme.com	NS	_acme-challenge.foo	ns2.vercel-dns.com.

      If your provider requires a full record name, use _acme-challenge.acme.com or _acme-challenge.foo.acme.com, respectively. These records delegate certificate validation; they don't route website traffic.

   4. At the same DNS provider, add the matching wildcard CNAME record to route traffic to Vercel:

      Wildcard domain	Type	Name	Value
      *.acme.com	CNAME	*	cname.vercel-dns-0.com.
      *.foo.acme.com	CNAME	*.foo	cname.vercel-dns-0.com.

   5. After the records propagate, check the domain's configuration and certificate status in your project's Settings > Domains. Keep the NS records in place so Vercel can renew the certificate automatically.

4. Configure the domain

   Once you have added your custom domain, you will need to configure the DNS records of your domain with your registrar so it can be used with your Project. The dashboard will automatically display different methods for configuring it:

   • If the domain is in use by another Vercel account, you will need to verify access to the domain, with a TXT record
   • If you're using an Apex domain (e.g. example.com), you will need to configure it with an A record
   • If you're using a Subdomain (e.g. docs.example.com), you will need to configure it with a CNAME record

   Both apex domains and subdomains can also be configured using the Nameservers method.

   Before changing nameservers, copy your existing DNS records to Vercel, including MX records for email and any verification TXT records. Changing only the website's A or CNAME record at your current DNS provider does not require moving the rest of your DNS records.

   Apex domains

   You can configure apex domains with an A record.

   

   Subdomains

   You can configure subdomains with a CNAME record. Each project has a unique CNAME record e.g. d1d4fc829fe7bc7c.vercel-dns-017.com.

   

   Vercel Nameservers

   If you choose to use a wildcard domain Vercel's nameservers will be automatically enabled for you on saving the domain settings. You will then be provided with the Vercel nameservers to copy and use with your registrar.

   

5. Verify domain access

   If the domain is in use by another Vercel account, you may be prompted to verify access to the domain. Note that this will not move the domain into your account, but will allow you to use it in your project. If you have multiple domains to verify, be aware that you can only set up one TXT record at a time, but you can modify it after the domain is transferred.

   

Once the domain has been configured and Vercel has verified it, the status of the domain will be updated within the UI to confirm that it is ready for use.

If the domain does not show a valid configuration, compare the records at your authoritative DNS provider with the values shown in the project's Domains settings.

DNS changes can take time to propagate. Use DNS verification to compare the published records, and see domain troubleshooting for configuration and certificate errors.