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Custom Domain

This documentation explains using custom domains with your Hostless applications. A custom domain allows you to use your own domain name (e.g., yourcompany.com) instead of the default Hostless URL assigned to your application. This can improve brand recognition and provide a more professional user experience.

Benefits of Using Custom Domains​

  • Improved Branding: A custom domain reinforces your brand identity and provides a more polished user experience.
  • Memorability: Custom domains are often easier to remember than complex Hostless-generated URLs.
  • SEO Benefits (Potential): In some cases, using a custom domain might offer slight Search Engine Optimization (SEO) advantages.

Requirements for Using a Custom Domain​

  • Ownership of the Domain: You must own the domain name you want to use with your Hostless application. This typically involves registering the domain through a domain registrar.
  • DNS Management Access: You'll need access to the DNS management console for your domain to create the necessary DNS record.

Adding a Custom Domain to Your Hostless Application​

Hostless typically provides a user interface or API to configure a custom domain for your application. The general steps involve:

  • Access Custom Domain Settings: Locate the section within Hostless dedicated to custom domain configuration for your application.
  • Provide Your Domain Name: Enter the domain name you want to use (e.g., yourcompany.com, subdomain.yourcompany.com).

Creating the CNAME Record:​

Once you provide your domain name in Hostless, you'll typically receive instructions for creating a specific DNS record type: CNAME. Here's what you need to do:

  • Access Your Domain's DNS Management: Log in to the DNS management console for your domain registrar or DNS hosting provider.
  • Create a CNAME Record: Locate the section for managing DNS records for your domain. Create a new CNAME record with the following details:
  • Record Name: This often depends on your Hostless configuration. It might be a wildcard record (*) or a specific subdomain (e.g., www). Refer to Hostless instructions for the exact name.
  • Target: Set the target of the CNAME record to the value provided by Hostless, typically in the format gateway.hostless.cloud.
  • Propagation Time: Allow some time (usually up to 24 hours) for the changes you made to your domain's DNS records to propagate across the internet. Once propagation is complete, your Hostless application should be accessible using your custom domain.

Removing a Custom Domain​

If you no longer want to use a custom domain with your Hostless application, you can typically remove it through the Hostless user interface or API. This process involves:

  1. Accessing Custom Domain Settings: Locate the section within Hostless dedicated to custom domain configuration for your application.
  2. Remove Domain: Look for an option to remove the currently associated custom domain.

Update DNS (Optional): You might need to manually delete the CNAME record you created for your custom domain within your domain management console.