Set the root domain as the default domain

Updated

Redirect your site traffic to the root domain.

Important

We’ve recently migrated our DNS records. You no longer need an alternative setup for your DNS records to set the root domain as the default. To set the root domain as the default, ensure you’ve migrated to our updated records.

How to update your DNS records

To update your DNS records, you’ll need to access your domain’s DNS settings in your domain registrar or DNS host’s dashboard.

Every DNS provider has their own process for updating DNS records. We recommend reading the documentation of your DNS provider and contacting their help desk for assistance with their interface and settings if needed.

To point your custom domain to your Webflow site:

  1. Go to Site settings > Publishing > Production (you can copy your DNS records from here)
  2. Go to the DNS settings for your custom domain (in your domain registrar or DNS host’s dashboard)
  3. Create an A record with the hostname @ and the value 198.202.211.1
  4. Create a CNAME record with the hostname www and the value cdn.webflow.com
  5. Create a TXT record with the hostname _webflow and the value shown in Site settings beginning with one-time-verification= (e.g., one-time-verification=01ab2345-cd67e-89f0-11gh-12i13456j789k)

Note

Some DNS providers prefer that you set the root domain (e.g., yourdomain.com) as the hostname instead of @. Some DNS providers prefer that you set the www subdomain (e.g., www.yourdomain.com) as the hostname instead of www. Additionally, some DNS providers require a trailing dot at the end of CNAME records (e.g., cdn.webflow.com.). We recommend that you check your DNS provider’s documentation to confirm their preferences and requirements.

How to set the default domain

To set the root domain as the default domain: 

  1. Open Site settings > Publishing > Production
  2. Click Make default next to the root domain (e.g., yourdomain.com) 

How to confirm your domain is pointing to Webflow

To verify that your DNS settings are correct, and that your domain is correctly pointing to your Webflow site, click Check status under your domain name in Site settings > Publishing > Production.

DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to fully propagate in all geolocations as the DNS cache expires, although this typically occurs within a few hours. If your site verification doesn’t work right away, you can come back later to check the status again. 

If your DNS records are live and pointing to Webflow and you’re still experiencing issues with domain verification after two days, please contact Webflow’s customer support team.

How to verify and publish your site

Before you can publish your site, you’ll need to verify ownership of your custom domain. By following the steps above to set your DNS records, you’ll create a TXT record in your DNS settings with a one-time verification code to confirm that you own the connected domain. 

To complete the verification process and publish your site from Site settings: 

  1. Click Verify domain
  2. Wait for the “Custom domain verified” confirmation message
  3. Click Publish to open the publish menu
  4. Check the domain(s) to which you want to publish your site
  5. Click Publish to selected domains

Note

If you’ve already verified your custom domain, you don’t need to re-verify the domain before publishing.

Note

If you add a new domain or subdomain to your site after you’ve already set a default domain, the new domain or subdomain won’t appear within the publish menu. To resolve this, go to Site settings > Publishing > Production and click Make default next to the default domain. Then, publish your site to the new domain or subdomain and set the default domain again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related articles