The Viking StackKnowledge Base

Connect a custom domain

How to add a custom domain in Settings > Domains, set the right DNS records, and get SSL working for a root domain or subdomain.

5 min readintermediateUpdated September 9, 2026

By default, a new funnel or website lives on a Viking Stack subdomain. Connecting your own domain — yourbusiness.com instead of a shared subdomain — makes your site look professional and keeps your branding consistent everywhere you send traffic. This covers adding the domain, setting DNS records correctly, and getting SSL (the padlock/HTTPS) working.

Before you start

You'll need:

  • A domain name you already own, registered with any domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, Cloudflare Registrar, etc.).
  • Access to that registrar's DNS settings — usually a "DNS Management" or "DNS Records" page in your registrar account.
  • About 15 minutes to an hour of patience after saving DNS records, since changes take time to propagate across the internet.

Tip: You don't need to buy a new domain through The Viking Stack. Any domain you already own, from any registrar, can be connected.

Root domain vs. subdomain

  • A root domain is the bare domain: yourbusiness.com.
  • A subdomain is anything in front of the root: www.yourbusiness.com, offer.yourbusiness.com, app.yourbusiness.com.

You can point your main website at the root domain and use subdomains for specific funnels or campaigns (launch.yourbusiness.com), all without conflicting with each other. Each one is added and verified separately.

Adding a domain

  1. Go to Settings > Domains in your account.
  2. Click Add Domain.
  3. Enter the domain or subdomain exactly as you want it to appear (e.g., www.yourbusiness.com or offer.yourbusiness.com).
  4. The system generates the DNS record(s) you need to add — usually a CNAME record, sometimes paired with an A record depending on whether you're connecting a root domain or a subdomain.
  5. Leave this screen open (or copy the record values) — you'll need them in the next step.

Screenshot coming soon

Settings > Domains page with Add Domain button and a generated CNAME record value

Setting the DNS records

  1. Log in to your domain registrar (wherever you bought the domain) and find its DNS management page.
  2. For a subdomain, add the CNAME record exactly as shown: host/name is the subdomain part (e.g., offer), and the value/target is what The Viking Stack provided.
  3. For a root domain, you'll typically need both an A record (pointing the bare domain to an IP address) and a CNAME record for the www version, if you're using one.
  4. Remove or update any old A or CNAME records using the same host name — leftover records from a previous website builder or hosting provider are the single most common reason a domain fails to connect. Only one record should exist per host name.
  5. Save the DNS changes at your registrar.

Warning: If your domain's DNS is managed through Cloudflare, turn off the orange-cloud proxy for this record and set it to DNS Only (grey cloud). Cloudflare's proxy can conflict with SSL certificate issuance and cause the domain to fail verification or show a certificate error to visitors.

SSL certificates

You don't need to buy or install an SSL certificate separately. Once your DNS record is correctly in place and has propagated, The Viking Stack automatically issues an SSL certificate for the domain — this typically completes within a few minutes to about ten minutes after DNS verification succeeds. Until it does, visitors may see a browser warning, so don't share the URL publicly until the padlock is confirmed working.

Verifying the connection

  1. DNS changes can take anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours to fully propagate, occasionally longer depending on your registrar and previous DNS settings.
  2. Go back to Settings > Domains and check the status next to the domain you added.
  3. If it shows unverified after an hour or more, double-check the exact record type, host, and value against what the registrar actually saved — a typo or an extra leftover record is almost always the cause.
  4. Once verified, assign the domain to the specific funnel or website you want it to serve, and to the specific step or page you want as the domain's homepage.
  5. Visit the domain in a browser (in an incognito/private window to avoid cached results) and confirm the page loads with a valid padlock/HTTPS.

Using the domain with a funnel or website

Adding and verifying a domain doesn't automatically attach it to anything — you still need to:

  1. Open the funnel or website you want the domain to serve.
  2. In its settings, choose the domain you just connected.
  3. Set which page or step should load at the domain's root path.
  4. Publish.

Note: You can only assign a given domain (or subdomain) to one funnel or website at a time. If you want your root domain for a website and a subdomain for a specific funnel, connect and assign them separately.

What done looks like

Your domain is fully set up when:

  • Settings > Domains shows the domain as verified.
  • The domain loads your intended funnel or website with a valid HTTPS padlock, with no browser security warning.
  • Old DNS records that used to point elsewhere have been removed, not left in place alongside the new ones.
  • If you're using both a root domain and www, both versions load correctly (most setups redirect one to the other automatically).

Frequently asked questions

How long does DNS propagation actually take?

Usually 15 minutes to a few hours. In rare cases, especially with certain registrars or previous misconfiguration, it can take up to 24–48 hours. If it's been longer than that, recheck your DNS records for typos or conflicting entries rather than continuing to wait.

Can I use a domain I bought somewhere else, or does it have to be bought through The Viking Stack?

Any domain you own, from any registrar, can be connected. You never need to transfer or move the domain's registration to use it.

What happens to my old default subdomain once I connect a custom domain?

It usually keeps working as a fallback URL. It's good practice to make sure any ads, business cards, or bookmarks get updated to the new custom domain once it's verified and working.

Why does my domain show a certificate error even though it says "verified"?

This is almost always a Cloudflare proxy (orange cloud) left enabled on the DNS record, or a leftover conflicting DNS record. Set the record to DNS Only and remove duplicates, then wait for SSL to reissue.