# Adding a custom domain

> Bring your own domain to Genesis — the setup wizard, nameserver change, automatic SSL, and DNS management.

Source: https://knowledge.estage.com/domains/
Part of the ESTAGE knowledge base (https://knowledge.estage.com). Full corpus: https://knowledge.estage.com/llms-full.txt

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Every published project gets a Genesis address out of the box — `yourproject.genesis.estage.com`.
A **custom domain** (like `mysite.com`) replaces it as your public address: better branding,
better trust, and your SEO equity accrues to *your* domain.

It's a two-part process: first you **add the domain** to your workspace (this page), then you
[connect it to a project](/domains/connect/).

## Before you start

- You need a **registered domain** — buy one at any registrar (Namecheap, GoDaddy,
  Cloudflare, …). Genesis doesn't sell domains.
- Genesis manages your domain's DNS for you. Setup means pointing your domain's
  **nameservers** at Genesis — one change at your registrar, everything else is automatic.
- Custom domains require an **active subscription**.

## The setup wizard

Open **Domains** in your workspace and click **Add Domain**. The wizard walks you through:

### 1. Enter your domain

Type the bare domain — `mysite.com`, no `https://`, no `www`.

### 2. Change your nameservers

Genesis creates a DNS zone for your domain and shows **4 nameservers** (each with a copy
button). At your **registrar**, find the nameserver settings ("Nameservers", "DNS settings",
"Use custom nameservers") and replace the current entries with these four.

:::caution
Switching nameservers moves **all** of the domain's DNS to Genesis. If the domain already has
live services on it — most commonly **email** (MX records) — recreate those records in
Genesis's [DNS Records](#managing-dns-records) tab right after setup, or they'll stop
resolving once the switch propagates.
:::

### 3. Verify

Click **Verify Nameservers**. If the check fails, your registrar's change simply hasn't
propagated yet — typically minutes to a few hours, worst case up to 48. Come back and retry;
nothing is lost.

### 4. SSL certificate

Once verified, Genesis **automatically issues an SSL certificate** for the domain (and its
subdomains) — the validation records are created for you, nothing to do. The status shows
*"Validating certificate… usually takes 2–5 minutes"* and flips to issued; your site will be
HTTPS-only.

### 5. Activate

The final step activates the domain for traffic. After this, the domain shows **Active** with
a green status — ready to [connect to a project](/domains/connect/).

## Your domains list

The **Domains** page lists every domain you've added — status, SSL badge, and how many
projects it's connected to. Click one to open its detail view:

- **Overview** — nameservers, verification, and certificate status in one place.
- **DNS Records** — see below.
- **Connected Projects** — which projects this domain serves.

## Managing DNS records

Since Genesis runs your domain's DNS, the **DNS Records** tab is where you add anything else
the domain needs — the records Genesis itself created for your site are managed for you, so
you only touch your own:

- **Email** — your mail provider's MX (and SPF/DKIM TXT) records.
- **Verification records** for third-party services (Google Search Console TXT, etc.).
- Any custom subdomain pointing elsewhere.

## Removing a domain

Deleting a domain from your workspace removes its DNS zone, certificate, and all project
connections. The domain itself stays yours at your registrar — point its nameservers anywhere
you like afterwards.

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Likely cause |
| --- | --- |
| "Verify Nameservers" keeps failing | The registrar change hasn't propagated — wait and retry (up to 48 h). Double-check all 4 entries were saved and old ones removed. |
| Certificate stuck in validation | Almost always propagation as well. If the domain is behind Cloudflare, make sure you changed *nameservers*, not just added records under Cloudflare's proxy. |
| "Domain already registered" | The domain is verified in another Genesis account — remove it there first, or contact support. |
| Email stopped working after setup | MX records didn't survive the nameserver move — re-add your mail provider's records in the DNS Records tab. |