Custom domain isn't working
Connected your own domain but it's not loading your event? Walk through DNS records, propagation, verification, and SSL — with fixes for the most common snags.
Connected your own domain but it's not loading your event? Walk through DNS records, propagation, verification, and SSL — with fixes for the most common snags.
You connected your own domain to your event, but visiting it shows an error, a "site not found" page, or your old website instead of your event page. Almost always this comes down to one of a few DNS settings, and they're quick to fix. Let's find the cause and get your domain live.
Everything about your domain lives in one place. Open your event, then go to Settings → Domain & URLs in the dashboard sidebar. You'll find your current .rendez.us address, your QR code, and the Custom domain card with the exact DNS records to copy and your domain's current status.
Keep that card open while you work through the fixes below — the records and status there are your source of truth.
The records you add depend on the kind of domain you're connecting. This trips a lot of people up, so it's worth getting clear before you change anything.
| Your domain | Records you need |
|---|---|
A full domain (ourwedding.com) | An A record at @ (root) and a CNAME record for www |
A subdomain (rsvp.yourcompany.com) | A single CNAME record |
If you're connecting a root domain like ourwedding.com, it needs an A record at @. A common mistake is adding only a CNAME — many providers won't allow a CNAME on the root, so the domain never resolves.
Sign in to wherever you manage your domain's DNS (Cloudflare, Namecheap, GoDaddy, Google Domains, Amazon Route 53, or any other provider) and open the DNS records for your domain.
Create an A record with: - Name/Host: @ (this is your root domain) -
Value/Points to: the server IP shown on your Custom domain card -
TTL: Auto, or 300
Then add a CNAME record with:
wwwcustom.rendez.us)With both in place, ourwedding.com and www.ourwedding.com will reach your event.
If you're connecting a subdomain like rsvp.yourcompany.com, you only need one CNAME record — not an A record.
In your DNS settings, look for any record matching your subdomain (for
rsvp.yourcompany.com, the name is just rsvp).
If there's an A record sitting on that subdomain, delete it — a leftover A record can point your subdomain to the wrong place.
Create a CNAME record with: - Name/Host: just your subdomain (e.g.
rsvp) — most providers add the rest of the domain for you -
Value/Target: the CNAME target from your Custom domain card - TTL:
Auto, or 300
After you add or change a record, that change needs time to spread across the internet. This usually takes 15 to 30 minutes, but in rare cases it can take up to 48 hours.
Visit whatsmydns.net, enter your domain, and
choose the record type you added (A for a root domain, CNAME for www
or a subdomain). You'll see which DNS servers around the world have picked up
the new value.
If some locations show the right value and others don't, propagation is simply in progress. Give it another 30 minutes, then try verifying again.
If Cloudflare manages your DNS, new records default to Proxied — the orange cloud icon. That routes traffic through Cloudflare and gets in the way of verifying your domain and issuing your SSL certificate.
Go to your Cloudflare dashboard, select your domain, and open DNS → Records. Find the record you created for your event.
Click the orange cloud so it turns grey — DNS only. Save, then wait a few minutes and verify again.
Sometimes a record resolves, but not to us. Your Custom domain card will tell you this with a clear message when you verify.
Open the Custom domain card and copy the value again — the server IP
for your A record, and the CNAME target for your www or subdomain
record.
Paste it carefully and make sure there's no extra space, no trailing dot you didn't mean to add, and no leftover value from a previous setup.
Once your records are correct, your domain moves through a few stages on its own. No action is needed from you after verification — you just wait for each stage to finish.
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Pending DNS | Domain added; waiting for your DNS records |
| DNS verified | We found your records; SSL is about to start |
| SSL provisioning | Your security certificate is being generated |
| Active | Your domain is live and serving your event over HTTPS |
Back on the Domain & URLs page, select Verify DNS now next to your domain. If everything checks out, the status moves to DNS verified and we automatically start provisioning your SSL certificate.
After verification, your status moves to SSL provisioning and the
certificate is issued automatically — usually within a few minutes. Then visit
https://your-domain.com. If you see a certificate warning, the certificate
is still being installed; wait a bit and try again.
If your domain still isn't loading, run through this:
@ and a CNAME at www? For a subdomain, a single CNAME?your-event.rendez.us address?We're happy to help. Contact support with your custom domain, the output of dig A your-domain.com (or dig CNAME ... for a subdomain), and the status shown on your Domain & URLs page. We'll sort it out together.
For the full setup walkthrough from the start, see Custom domains.