Connect a domain you already own
Updated August 7, 2026 · 6 min
Open the Domains card
On your site's dashboard, the Domains card lists your free subdomain — always shown as "Live" — plus a row for every custom domain you've connected. Connecting your own domain is included on the Starter and Pro plans; on Publish, the card shows an "Upgrade" prompt in place of the Add/Buy buttons. Once you're on a plan that includes it, those buttons stay disabled with a "Publish your site first" note underneath until your site is actually published.
Click Add domain
Click "Add domain" to open a dialog titled "Connect a domain you own." Type the domain — no https://, no path, just the hostname, something like shop.yourbusiness.com or yourbusiness.com itself — and click "Add domain" to continue. The dialog then swaps to show the DNS records you need to add.
Add the DNS records at your registrar
Every domain gets a TXT record first — host "_dp-verify.yourdomain.com," a value starting with "dp-verify=" — that proves you own it before anything else happens. Alongside it: connecting a whole domain (like yourbusiness.com) adds an A record at the "@" host pointing at our edge IP, and that one record covers www.yourbusiness.com automatically, with no separate record needed. Connecting a subdomain instead (like shop.yourbusiness.com) adds a CNAME record pointing at our sites host instead of an A record. Once you've added them, click "Records added — start checking" to kick off the first check right away, or "I'll do this later" to close the dialog and let the automatic check find them on its own.
Already pointing at another website? Remove the old records
If this domain currently shows an older website — a previous host, another website builder, or a "parked" page from your registrar — its DNS already has records sending visitors there, and adding new ones does not remove them. In your registrar's DNS settings, find any OTHER A or AAAA records on the "@" host (or any CNAME on the exact host you're connecting) and delete them, so the records you just added are the only ones left for those hosts. Keeping both doesn't split things politely: some visitors reach the old site while others reach the new one, and verification can flag the domain "Action needed." Removing the old records is what actually moves the domain — the old site stops answering at this address, which is exactly the point. If you're not sure which records belong to the old website, your registrar's support can tell you which ones are safe to delete.
Watch out
Only delete the old A / AAAA / CNAME records that point at the previous website. Don’t touch the records you just added, the “_dp-verify” TXT record, or your MX records — MX is what keeps your email working, and connecting your domain here never requires changing it.Watch the status
Each domain shows a status pill next to its name: "Waiting for DNS" while it looks for your records, "Securing…" once they're found and a certificate is being issued, and "Live" once it's actually serving your site. If a check fails, the pill switches to "Action needed," the reason appears underneath the domain name, and a "Re-check" button appears so you can try again after fixing your DNS.
How long it takes
Most DNS changes are picked up within minutes to a few hours, but registrars vary. The system keeps checking automatically in the background — often, then less often — for up to 72 hours before it gives up and marks a domain "Action needed." Clicking "Re-check" prompts an immediate check instead of waiting for the next automatic pass, but it's rate-limited: clicking it too many times in an hour shows "Too many checks right now — please wait a bit and try again."
Tip
If a domain is stuck on “Waiting for DNS,” double-check the record values against what your registrar actually saved — registrars sometimes append your domain name automatically, which turns a correct host value into a wrong one.Your subdomain keeps working
Your free subdomain never stops working, even after you connect a custom domain — it stays listed as "Live" the whole time. The first custom domain that goes live automatically becomes your site's primary domain, meaning it's the address used in canonical links and the one your dashboard shows going forward, though the subdomain still resolves if anyone visits it directly.
Frequently asked
How long does connecting a domain actually take?
Most registrars pick up DNS changes within minutes to a couple of hours, though some take longer. Messiah keeps checking automatically for up to 72 hours before marking a domain "Action needed," so you don't have to keep clicking Re-check yourself.
Do I need a separate record for www?
Not when you connect a whole domain, like yourbusiness.com — the A record you're given covers www.yourbusiness.com automatically. Connecting a subdomain, like shop.yourbusiness.com, only covers that exact hostname.
My domain already points to an old website — will connecting it here break something?
You'll need to delete the old A (and AAAA or CNAME) records at your registrar so only the new ones remain — that takes the old site offline at this domain, which is what moving it means. Your email keeps working as long as you leave your MX records alone. If you can't tell which records belong to the old website, ask your registrar's support before deleting anything.
What does "Action needed" mean?
It means the automatic checks ran for 72 hours without finding valid DNS records, or a check found something wrong with them — the specific reason is shown under the domain name. Fix the records at your registrar, then click "Re-check" to try again.