Custom domain guide
How to connect a GoDaddy domain to Render
The exact records to add at GoDaddy, written the way its form asks for them, for both www and the bare domain.
Checked 16 October 2026
In short
The records you'll add
- Type
- A
- Name
- Value
- Type
- CNAME
- Name
- Value
Replace the capitals with your own value from the host's dashboard.
| Type | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| A | ||
| CNAME | Replace the capitals with your own value from the host's dashboard. |
Step by step
Set it up
- 1
Add the domain in Render first
In Render, go to Service→Settings→Custom Domains→Add Custom Domain and enter your domain (for example www.example.com). Adding the bare domain also adds www and redirects it to the bare domain.
Each workspace includes custom domains (2 on Hobby, more on paid plans).
- 2
Open the DNS records at GoDaddy
Sign in, then go to Domain Portfolio→your domain→DNS
The domain has to use GoDaddy's nameservers.
- 3
Clear what's in the way
A new GoDaddy domain usually has an A record for @ showing "Parked" and a CNAME for www. Edit those rather than adding a second record with the same name.
- 4
Add the record for www
Click Add New Record and add:
- Type
- CNAME
- Name
- Value
Replace the capitals with your own value from the host's dashboard.
Type Name Value CNAME Replace the capitals with your own value from the host's dashboard.
- 5
Point the bare domain
GoDaddy has no ALIAS record type, so the bare domain uses Render's address as A records.
- Type
- A
- Name
- Value
Type Name Value A - 6
Wait, then check
Changes at GoDaddy take effect within an hour, sometimes up to 48 hours. Once Render sees the records, it issues the certificate for https by itself. Use the check below to see what the world sees.
Check your domain
Once the records are in, see whether the world can see them pointing at Render.
Changes can take from a few minutes to a day to show up everywhere.
Good to know
Common snags
- Remove any AAAA records for the domain while you set it up: Render uses IPv4 only.
- There's no ALIAS record type. For a host that needs one at the bare domain, use www and set up Forwarding from the bare domain to it.
- With Domain Protection on, GoDaddy asks you to verify your identity before saving.
Still not working?
Questions
Before you start
Should I use www or the bare domain with Render?
Adding the bare domain also adds www and redirects it to the bare domain. www always works with a single CNAME; the bare domain depends on what GoDaddy offers, covered in step 5.
Why does my site show a certificate error?
The certificate is issued once Render sees your records, which can take a while after DNS changes. If it stays, check for old records on the same name (parking pages, AAAA records) and, at Cloudflare, that the record is set to DNS only.
Will this affect my email?
No. Email uses MX records, which these steps don't touch. Only change the records for @ and www.
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