Custom domains
Give your project a real web address
⏱ Est. ~4 min
01 · Read
Your app is live at something like my-app.onrender.com. It works perfectly, but what if you wanted myapp.com?
A custom domain makes your project look professional, easier to remember, and signals that you mean business. The good news: setting one up is straightforward, and it costs about $10-15 a year.
💡 Picture thisYour .onrender.com URL is like an address on a numbered street — it works, but it's hard to remember and impersonal. A custom domain is like naming the building — 'The Grand Hotel' is easier to remember than '247 West 43rd Street'.
02 · Read
Here's what you need to know about custom domains before setting one up.
Key points
- You buy a domain from a registrar (Namecheap, Google Domains, Cloudflare)
- You configure DNS to point the domain at your hosting service
- Your hosting service handles HTTPS certificates automatically
- This is optional — your .onrender.com URL works perfectly for learning and portfolio projects
03 · Step-through
How custom domains work. Understanding these steps will clear up the most common questions beginners have about the web.
1. Buy a domain
Pick a registrar (Namecheap and Cloudflare are popular) and search for an available name. Common extensions like .com, .dev, .io cost $10-$15 per year. Avoid premium domains that cost hundreds — you don't need them.
2. Add the domain to Render
In your Render dashboard, go to Settings → Custom Domain and enter your domain name. Render will give you a target address to use in the next step.
3. Configure DNS
At your registrar, add a CNAME record pointing your domain at your Render URL. A CNAME record is like a forwarding address — it tells the internet "when someone hits myapp.com, send them to my-app.onrender.com".
4. Wait for DNS to propagate
DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to spread globally, but usually it's just a few minutes. Be patient — if it doesn't work immediately, try again in an hour. Render sets up HTTPS automatically once the domain is connected.
04 · Fill in the blank
To point a custom domain at your app, you create a _____ record in DNS.
05 · Quiz
What does DNS do?
- Hosts your website files
- Protects against hacking
- Translates a domain name into a server address
- Speeds up your website
Other lessons in this chapter
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