To connect a custom domain in Framer, open your project settings, go to the Domains tab, add your domain, and copy the two DNS records Framer gives you (an A record and a CNAME for the www subdomain) into your registrar. Framer verifies the records, issues an SSL certificate automatically, and your site goes live on your own domain within minutes to a few hours.
Key takeaways
- A custom domain replaces the default
.framer.websiteURL and is required for any serious brand or business site. - Framer points your domain using an A record for the root and a CNAME for the www subdomain, both copied into your registrar’s DNS panel.
- SSL certificates are provisioned automatically once DNS verifies, so you never touch certificate files.
- DNS changes propagate in minutes for some registrars and up to 48 hours for others, depending on TTL settings.
- Common mistakes include leaving proxy settings on, forgetting the www record, and not removing old conflicting records.
- A paid Framer site plan is required to connect a custom domain, since the free tier only allows the default subdomain.
Why your domain matters more than you think
Your domain is the first impression most people get of your business. A free subdomain like yourbrand.framer.website works fine for a quick test, but it signals “side project” the moment a prospect sees it in their browser bar. A custom domain like yourbrand.com builds trust, supports your email and marketing, and gives you full ownership of your web presence.
Beyond perception, a custom domain matters for search. Google treats your domain as the canonical home of your content, and ranking equity accrues to that domain over time. If you launch on a Framer subdomain and later move to a custom domain, you risk losing some of that early authority during the transition. Setting up your domain correctly from the start avoids that headache entirely.
Framer makes this process far simpler than older platforms did. There are no nameserver swaps required, no manual certificate uploads, and no plugin installations. You add a domain, copy two records, and Framer handles verification and security for you.
What you need before you start
Before you begin, make sure you have three things in place. First, a registered domain name from a registrar such as Google Domains, Namecheap, GoDaddy, Cloudflare, or Porkbun. Second, login access to that registrar so you can edit DNS records. Third, a paid Framer site plan, since custom domains are not available on the free tier.
It helps to know the difference between your domain registrar and your DNS host. Most of the time they are the same company, but if you bought your domain in one place and pointed its nameservers somewhere else (Cloudflare is a common example), you edit DNS records wherever the nameservers currently point. If your DNS is managed by Cloudflare, you make changes in Cloudflare’s dashboard, not at the original registrar.
Choosing the right domain
If you have not bought a domain yet, keep it short, easy to spell, and aligned with your brand. A .com remains the strongest choice for most businesses because it is the default people type. Avoid hyphens and numbers where possible, since they create confusion when spoken aloud. Once you have your domain, you are ready to connect it to Framer.
Step-by-step: connecting your domain in Framer
The full walkthrough below covers every step, but if you want a deeper reference with screenshots and registrar-specific notes, our complete Framer custom domain guide goes even further into edge cases.
Step 1: Open your domain settings
Inside your Framer project, click the settings icon and select the Domains tab. Click “Add a custom domain” and type your domain name exactly as you own it, for example yourbrand.com. Do not include https:// or any path, just the bare domain.
Step 2: Copy the DNS records
Framer immediately shows you the records you need to add. For the root domain, you get an A record pointing to a Framer IP address. For the www subdomain, you get a CNAME record pointing to a Framer hostname. Keep this Framer tab open so you can copy values exactly, because a single typo in an IP address or hostname will break verification.
Step 3: Add the records at your DNS host
Log into your registrar or DNS host and find the DNS management panel. Create a new A record with the host set to @ (which represents the root) and the value set to the Framer IP. Then create a CNAME record with the host set to www and the value set to the Framer hostname. Save both records.
If older A, CNAME, or AAAA records already exist for @ or www, delete them first. Conflicting records are the single most common reason a domain fails to verify. Two A records on the same host will fight each other, and your site may load intermittently or not at all.
Step 4: Wait for verification
Return to Framer and click verify or refresh. DNS changes can be near-instant or take up to 48 hours depending on your registrar’s TTL (time to live) setting. Most modern registrars propagate within minutes. Once Framer detects the records, it issues an SSL certificate automatically and your domain shows a green “Connected” status.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
The most frequent error is leaving a proxy or CDN layer enabled. If you use Cloudflare, set the proxy status to “DNS only” (the gray cloud) for the records pointing to Framer. The orange cloud proxy interferes with Framer’s certificate provisioning and can cause SSL errors or redirect loops.
The second mistake is forgetting the www record. Some people add only the root A record and then wonder why www.yourbrand.com shows an error. Both records work together. The A record handles the bare domain and the CNAME handles the www version, with Framer redirecting one to the other based on your preferred primary domain setting.
A third mistake is impatience. People add records, see an error after thirty seconds, and assume something is broken. DNS propagation is not instant. Give it time, and if it still fails after a few hours, double-check every character of the values you entered against what Framer displayed.
Finally, watch out for registrar quirks. Some registrars automatically append your domain to CNAME values, so entering the full Framer hostname results in a doubled, broken value. If verification fails and your values look correct, check whether your registrar added your domain to the end of the CNAME.
Handling email and existing records
If you already use your domain for email through Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or another provider, do not delete your MX records. MX records handle email routing and are completely separate from the A and CNAME records that handle your website. Only touch the A and CNAME records for @ and www, and leave MX, TXT, and other records alone.
How this works inside Framer specifically
Framer’s hosting is built on a global content delivery network, which means once your domain is connected, your site is served from edge locations close to your visitors. This is part of why Framer sites load quickly without any manual configuration. You are not managing a server, a database, or a caching layer. The platform handles all of it.
Framer also lets you set a primary domain. If you want yourbrand.com to be the canonical version and have www.yourbrand.com redirect to it, you choose that in the Domains tab. This matters for SEO because it prevents duplicate content across two versions of your site. Pick one and let Framer redirect the other.
Once your domain is live, you can extend your site further with plugins for analytics, forms, and integrations. Our roundup of the best Framer plugins walks through tools that add real functionality on top of your now-live domain. And if you are building a client or agency site, the best Framer templates for agencies give you a polished starting point that pairs well with a custom domain.
Subdomains, redirects, and advanced setups
Many businesses run more than one domain or want a marketing site on a subdomain. Framer supports connecting a subdomain such as app.yourbrand.com or blog.yourbrand.com using a single CNAME record pointing to the Framer hostname, without needing the root A record. This is useful when your main domain already points elsewhere and you only want Framer to serve a specific subdomain. Add the subdomain in the Domains tab exactly as you want it, then create the CNAME at your DNS host.
Redirects are another common need. If you are moving from an old site, you may want old URLs to forward to new ones so you do not lose visitors or links. Framer lets you configure redirects inside the project so that retired pages send visitors and search engines to the correct destination. Setting these up at launch protects any existing search equity and keeps bookmarks working. Plan your redirect map before you switch the domain over, listing every important old URL and where it should now point.
If you operate in multiple regions, you might connect several country-specific domains to variations of your site. Framer can host each domain, and you manage them all from the same project settings. Just remember that each domain needs its own DNS records, and each should declare a clear primary version to avoid duplicate content issues in search.
What changes after your domain is connected
Once your custom domain is live, a few things shift in how you work. Publishing now pushes updates to your real domain, so it is worth previewing changes before you publish to avoid showing unfinished work to live visitors. Framer’s preview mode lets you review the site privately before it goes public, which becomes more important the moment real traffic is arriving on your branded URL.
Your analytics and tracking should also be pointed at the live domain. If you set up analytics during development on the Framer subdomain, confirm the tracking still fires correctly on the custom domain. Any third-party tools, embedded forms, or integrations that whitelist a domain need to be updated to recognize your new address, or they may silently stop working.
Finally, your domain becomes part of your broader marketing. Email signatures, social profiles, business cards, and ad campaigns should all point to the custom domain rather than the old subdomain. Consistency here reinforces your brand and ensures every channel sends people to the same professional address. Treat the domain connection as the moment your site officially becomes the front door to your business.
Verifying everything works
After your domain connects, do a final check. Visit both yourbrand.com and www.yourbrand.com in an incognito window. Confirm the padlock icon appears, indicating SSL is active. Click through a few internal pages to make sure links resolve to your custom domain and not the old Framer subdomain. If you publish updates, confirm they appear on the live domain rather than a staging URL.
It is also worth submitting your site to Google Search Console once the domain is live. This tells Google your custom domain is the canonical home of your content and speeds up indexing of your pages. Connecting your domain is the foundation, and everything else, from analytics to search visibility, builds on top of it.
Skip the setup and launch on a domain that converts
We design and build fast, high-converting Framer sites and handle every technical detail, including domain setup, SSL, and SEO foundations, so you launch without the guesswork.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a paid plan to connect a custom domain in Framer?
Yes. Custom domains require a paid Framer site plan. The free tier only supports the default .framer.website subdomain. Once you upgrade to a site plan, the Domains tab unlocks and you can connect your own domain.
How long does it take for my domain to go live?
It varies by registrar. DNS changes can propagate in a few minutes or take up to 48 hours depending on your TTL settings. Most modern registrars verify within minutes. Once Framer detects the records, SSL is issued automatically and your site goes live.
Why is my domain failing to verify in Framer?
The most common causes are conflicting old DNS records, a proxy or CDN layer left enabled, a typo in the IP or hostname, or a registrar that doubled your CNAME value by appending your domain. Delete conflicting records, set proxies to DNS-only, and verify every character matches what Framer displayed.
Will connecting a domain affect my existing email?
No, as long as you only edit the A and CNAME records for the root and www. Email is routed by MX records, which are separate. Leave your MX, TXT, and other records untouched and your email will continue working normally.