Custom Domain Setup
Use your own domain name instead of your .areaauthority.io address. Takes about 10 minutes.
Before You Start
- You need a Pro plan or higher (or be in your free trial)
- You need to own a domain name. If you don't have one, buy one from Namecheap, Google Domains, or GoDaddy (usually $10-15/year).
- You need access to your domain's DNS settings (the place where you bought it)
Enter your domain in the dashboard
- 1. Log into your dashboard
- 2. Click Domain in the sidebar
- 3. Type your domain (example:
yourdomain.com) - 4. Click Add Domain
Add DNS records at your domain registrar
You need to add two records to tell the internet to send visitors to your Area Authority site. Go to the website where you bought your domain and find the DNS settings or DNS management page.
Add these two records:
| Type | Name / Host | Value / Points To |
|---|---|---|
| A | @ | 137.184.157.139 |
| CNAME | www | yourdomain.com |
GoDaddy Instructions
1. Go to My Products → click DNS next to your domain
2. Under Records, click Add New Record
3. For the A record: Type = A, Name = @, Value = 137.184.157.139
4. Click Add New Record again for the CNAME: Type = CNAME, Name = www, Value = yourdomain.com
5. Click Save
Namecheap Instructions
1. Go to Domain List → click Manage next to your domain
2. Click the Advanced DNS tab
3. Click Add New Record
4. A record: Type = A Record, Host = @, Value = 137.184.157.139
5. CNAME record: Type = CNAME Record, Host = www, Value = yourdomain.com. (note the dot at the end)
6. Delete any existing A records or CNAME records for @ or www that conflict
Google Domains Instructions
1. Go to My Domains → click your domain
2. Click DNS in the left menu
3. Scroll to Custom records
4. A record: Host name = @, Type = A, Data = 137.184.157.139
5. CNAME record: Host name = www, Type = CNAME, Data = yourdomain.com.
Cloudflare Instructions
1. Go to your domain in the Cloudflare dashboard
2. Click DNS → Records
3. A record: Name = @, IPv4 = 137.184.157.139
4. CNAME record: Name = www, Target = yourdomain.com
Wait for DNS to propagate
After adding the records, you need to wait for the changes to spread across the internet. This is called "DNS propagation."
- Usually: 5 to 30 minutes
- Sometimes: Up to 48 hours (rare)
You can move on to Step 4 and try verifying. If it doesn't work yet, just wait a bit and try again.
Verify and activate
- 1. Go back to your dashboard → Domain tab
- 2. Click the Verify DNS & Activate button
- 3. We'll check if your DNS is set up correctly and automatically set up a free SSL certificate (HTTPS)
- 4. Once verified, your site will be live at your custom domain!
Troubleshooting
"DNS not pointing to us yet"
Your DNS records haven't propagated yet. Wait 15-30 minutes and try again. Make sure you added an A record (not CNAME) for the root domain (@) pointing to 137.184.157.139.
"SSL provisioning failed"
This usually means DNS just propagated and needs a moment. Wait 5 minutes and click Retry. If it keeps failing, make sure you're not using Cloudflare's proxy (orange cloud must be off).
"www" doesn't work but the main domain does
Make sure you added the CNAME record for www pointing to your main domain. Some registrars require you to add this separately.
I'm using Cloudflare and it's not working
Cloudflare's proxy (the orange cloud) must be turned OFF. Click the orange cloud icon next to both records to turn it gray (DNS only). We handle SSL certificates ourselves, so Cloudflare's proxy will cause conflicts.
I want to remove my custom domain
Go to your dashboard → Domain tab → click Remove next to your custom domain. Your site will go back to being available only at your .areaauthority.io address.
Still stuck?
Contact Support