Custom domain guide
How to connect a Porkbun domain to Render
The exact records to add at Porkbun, 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
- ALIAS - CNAME flattening
- 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.
| Type | Host | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| ALIAS - CNAME flattening | 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. |
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 Porkbun
Sign in, then go to Account→Domain Management→Details→DNS Records
The domain has to use Porkbun's nameservers.
- 3
Clear what's in the way
New domains come with parking records for the bare domain and a wildcard (*). Delete the ones on the names you're using, or Porkbun reports that a record already exists.
- 4
Add the record for www
Click Add and add:
- Type
- CNAME
- Host
- Answer
Replace the capitals with your own value from the host's dashboard.
Type Host Answer CNAME Replace the capitals with your own value from the host's dashboard.
- 5
Point the bare domain
Porkbun has an ALIAS - CNAME flattening record, which can point the bare domain at a hostname. It keeps working if Render changes its addresses.
- Type
- ALIAS - CNAME flattening
- Host
- leave empty
- Answer
Replace the capitals with your own value from the host's dashboard.
Type Host Answer ALIAS - CNAME flattening leave empty Replace the capitals with your own value from the host's dashboard.
- 6
Wait, then check
Changes at Porkbun take effect within the 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.
- Leave Host empty for the bare domain.
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 Porkbun 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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