Custom domain guide
How to connect a Name.com domain to GitHub Pages
The exact records to add at Name.com, 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
- ANAME
- Host
- leave empty
- Answer
Replace the capitals with your own value from the host's dashboard.
- Type
- CNAME
- Host
- Answer
Replace the capitals with your own value from the host's dashboard.
Your user or organization name, without the repository name
| Type | Host | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| ANAME | leave empty | Replace the capitals with your own value from the host's dashboard. |
| CNAME | Replace the capitals with your own value from the host's dashboard. Your user or organization name, without the repository name |
Step by step
Set it up
- 1
Add the domain in GitHub Pages first
In GitHub Pages, go to Repository→Settings→Pages→Custom domain and enter your domain (for example www.example.com). With records for both www and the bare domain, GitHub Pages redirects one to the other. GitHub recommends making www the main address.
Custom domains are free.
- 2
Open the DNS records at Name.com
Sign in, then go to My Domains→your domain→Manage DNS Records
The domain has to use Name.com's nameservers.
- 3
Clear what's in the way
Remove any URL forwarding or parking records on @ and www before adding yours.
- 4
Add the record for www
Click Add Record and add:
- Type
- CNAME
- Host
- Answer
Replace the capitals with your own value from the host's dashboard.
Your user or organization name, without the repository name
Type Host Answer CNAME Replace the capitals with your own value from the host's dashboard.
Your user or organization name, without the repository name
- 5
Point the bare domain
Name.com has an ANAME record, which can point the bare domain at a hostname. It keeps working if GitHub Pages changes its addresses.
- Type
- ANAME
- Host
- leave empty
- Answer
Replace the capitals with your own value from the host's dashboard.
Type Host Answer ANAME leave empty Replace the capitals with your own value from the host's dashboard.
- 6
Wait, then check
Changes at Name.com take effect within an hour, sometimes up to 24 hours. Once GitHub Pages 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 GitHub Pages.
Changes can take from a few minutes to a day to show up everywhere.
Good to know
Common snags
- Add the domain in the repository's Pages settings before creating the records, so nobody else can claim it.
- Never use a wildcard record (*.example.com): it lets others take over your subdomains.
- Turn on Enforce HTTPS once it becomes available, which can take up to 24 hours.
- Leave Host empty for the bare domain.
Still not working?
Questions
Before you start
Should I use www or the bare domain with GitHub Pages?
With records for both www and the bare domain, GitHub Pages redirects one to the other. GitHub recommends making www the main address. www always works with a single CNAME; the bare domain depends on what Name.com offers, covered in step 5.
Why does my site show a certificate error?
The certificate is issued once GitHub Pages 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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