--- title: "Connecting Your Custom Domain to Your StellarSites Website" source: "https://docs.nexcess.com/sites-stores/stellarsites/connecting-your-custom-domain-to-your-stellarsite/" description: "Your StellarSites website starts with a temporary domain, but adding your own custom domain gives your site a polished, branded presence and makes it easier for…" vertical: "Sites & Stores" date: "2025-04-10" last_modified: "2026-09-11" --- # Connecting Your Custom Domain to Your StellarSites Website Your StellarSites website starts with a temporary domain, but adding your own custom domain gives your site a polished, branded presence and makes it easier for people to find and trust you online. This guide walks you through the process of pointing your domain to StellarSites—whether you want us to handle it for you or prefer to manually configure DNS settings yourself. DNS changes can take time to propagate, so don’t worry if things don’t update instantly. ## Step 1: Submit the Domain Configuration Form To begin, log into your StellarSites dashboard: - Go to the **Sites** tab. - Select your site. - Click the **Domain** tab. - Fill out the Domain Configuration Form ![Screenshot of StellarSites dashboard showing SD Refugee Tutoring site details with options for Overview, Subscription, Domain, and License Keys. It includes a temporary site URL and instructions for submitting a custom domain.](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Site-Details-_-Domain-1-png.webp)## Step 2: Choose Your Connection Method The wizard will ask: *“How would you like to configure your domain?”* You’ll see two options: Easy and Advanced. Let’s walk through both. ### EASY: Use StellarSites Nameservers This is the simplest path. You’ll update your domain to use StellarSites’ nameservers, and StellarSites takes care of DNS configuration for you for several important records (like the Alias and CNAME records related to your site’s functionality). **Note** The reason this is labeled “easy” is that what you are doing here is resetting EVERYTHING related to your domain, so that StellarSites can manage it all for you. So it’s EASY, but if you have things like email addresses already associated with your domain name, you’ll need to account for that. If you change your nameservers without accounting for the other services currently connected to your domain, you may be inadvertently removing your own ability to send and receive emails. [Reach out to the StellarSites Support team](https://my.stellarwp.com/my-account/support/) if you have any questions before changing nameservers. Here’s what you’ll need to do: 1. Log into your domain registrar (Namecheap, etc.). 2. Locate the **Nameserver Settings** or **Custom Nameservers** section. 3. Replace any existing nameservers with these: - `ns1.stellarwp.site` - `ns2.stellarwp.site` - `ns3.stellarwp.site` - `ns4.stellarwp.site` 4. Save your changes. 5. Go back to the form, confirm you’ve updated your nameservers, and click **Submit**. ![A webpage from StellarSites with the title 'Custom Domain Submission Instructions'. It includes a form to submit a domain name with options for domain configuration. Instructions for pointing a custom domain to StellarSites by updating DNS nameservers are provided, along with fields for domain details. Navigation options are visible on the left sidebar, including links to Account Details, Sites, Subscriptions, Payment Methods, Support, and Logout.](https://docs.nexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/StellarSites_Domain-Nameserver-png.webp)Once your registrar processes the update and DNS propagation finishes, StellarSites handles the rest—including SSL setup. Once it all goes through successfully (it can take up to a day), the Domain tab of your dashboard changes to allow you to manage DNS records (for things like TXT records, MX records, additional CNAME records, etc). Learn more about managing those records in [the documentation here](https://docs.nexcess.com/sites-stores/stellarsites/managing-dns-records/). ### ADVANCED: Manually Point Your Domain Prefer to manage your DNS yourself? This option’s for you. The wizard will ask a few follow-up questions: - Are you using **Cloudflare**? - Are you using a **subdomain**? Your instructions will change depending on your answers. #### **If you’re not using Cloudflare:** 1. Add an **ALIAS** or **ANAME** record for @ (your root domain) pointing to the target shown in the wizard. 2. Optionally add a **CNAME** for www pointing to the same target. **Heads up:** Some registrars (like GoDaddy or Bluehost) don’t support ALIAS or CNAME flattening. In that case: - You’ll need to point your domain to our nameservers, using the Easy method mentioned above. - Use a free DNS service such as Cloudflare. - See our FAQ for more information: [https://stellarwp.com/docs/stellarsites/first-steps/connecting-your-custom-domain-to-your-stellarsite/#h-faqs-amp-troubleshooting](https://docs.nexcess.com/sites-stores/stellarsites/connecting-your-custom-domain-to-your-stellarsite/#h-faqs-amp-troubleshooting) It may be worth it with those domains to point them to Cloudflare (which is as straightforward as any other instruction on this page) so that you can then use Apex domain CNAME records. The StellarSites support team is happy to walk you through that process. #### **If you’re using Cloudflare:** 1. Add a **CNAME** for @ pointing to the domain target. 2. Enable **proxying** (orange cloud = On). 3. Repeat for www if needed. After updating your records, return to the wizard, confirm your changes, and click **Next**. ## Step 3: Wait for DNS to Propagate and Secure Your Site After confirming your settings, DNS propagation can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours. Your StellarSites website will automatically recognize the custom domain and issue an SSL certificate once everything is resolved. No extra SSL setup required—it’s automatic. ## Managing Your DNS Records Once your domain is connected, you may need to update or adjust individual DNS records in the future (e.g. adding a subdomain, updating mail records, or changing a CNAME). You can manage your DNS records within your StellarSites dashboard’s Domain tab. For step-by-step instructions, see [Managing DNS Records](https://docs.nexcess.com/sites-stores/stellarsites/managing-dns-records/). Note that the DNS management area only appears if your DNS is handled through StellarSites. If you’ve chosen to manage the DNS records through another provider, you won’t see this option in your StellarSites dashboard. ## FAQs & Troubleshooting How long does DNS propagation take?Most changes apply in a few hours, but full global propagation can take up to 48 hours. Use[ whatsmydns.net](https://www.whatsmydns.net/) to track progress. My domain isn’t connecting. What now?Double-check: - Are your DNS records correctly entered? - Is there an old A record conflicting? - Did you disable proxying in Cloudflare? I use GoDaddy, what are my options?GoDaddy does not support ALIAS or CNAME flattening, which is required if you wish to use our Advanced method for connecting your domain to StellarSites. We recommend changing your nameservers to point to our StellarSites nameservers via the Easy method in this case. You can also choose to use a free DNS service such as Cloudflare, as they do support the ALIAS and CNAME flattening features and will work with StellarSites. Do I need an SSL certificate?Nope. StellarSites provides and auto-renews your SSL cert once DNS is set up. Can I go back to my temporary domain?Yes. Simply update your DNS to point elsewhere other than to your StellarSite, then reach out to our support and we’ll update your site to not have a custom domain for you. Can I purchase a domain from StellarWPYes, please check our [Domain Purchasing in StellarSites](https://docs.nexcess.com/sites-stores/stellarsites/how-to-purchase-a-domain/) article to learn more. **Still stuck?** Reach out through the [**Support** tab in your StellarSites dashboard](https://my.stellarwp.com/my-account/support). We’ve got your back. With your domain connected, your StellarSite website is ready to go live under your brand. You’ve got this!