DNS Setup Guide
Connect your custom domain to your Brennan Builds website by adding one CNAME record with your DNS provider. It's a quick job!
Step 1: add the domain in your portal
Open your order under your orders and choose Set up custom domain. Enter the domain you own and we register it on your site.
Please do this before you touch DNS! The records below only reach your site once the domain is registered. Your portal shows the exact records for your domain, which is more precise than anything on this page.
Step 2: add the DNS record at your registrar
Add a CNAME record pointing your subdomain to:
cname.vercel-dns.comChoose your DNS provider below and we'll walk you through it.
GoDaddy
- Log in to your GoDaddy account and go to My Products.
- Find your domain and click DNS or Manage DNS.
- Click Add under the Records section.
- Select CNAME as the record type.
- Enter your subdomain (e.g. www) as the Name and cname.vercel-dns.com as the Value.
- Set TTL to 1 Hour (or the lowest available).
- Click Save.
Namecheap
- Log in to Namecheap and go to Domain List.
- Click Manage next to your domain.
- Go to the Advanced DNS tab.
- Click Add New Record.
- Select CNAME Record as the type.
- Enter your subdomain (e.g. www) as the Host and cname.vercel-dns.com as the Target.
- Set TTL to Automatic.
- Click the green checkmark to save.
Cloudflare
- Log in to your Cloudflare dashboard and select your domain.
- Go to DNS > Records.
- Click Add Record.
- Select CNAME as the type.
- Enter your subdomain (e.g. www) as the Name and cname.vercel-dns.com as the Target.
- Toggle the Proxy Status to DNS only (gray cloud) for initial setup.
- Click Save.
Any other registrar
- Log in and open the DNS or Advanced DNS settings for your domain.
- Add a new record and choose CNAME as the type.
- The host (or name) is your subdomain, e.g. www. The value (or target) is cname.vercel-dns.com.
- Leave TTL at the default, or set the lowest offered so the change is visible sooner.
- Save the record.
- The exact records for your domain are shown in your portal under Set up custom domain. That's the copy to trust if the wording here doesn't match your registrar.
Verify your domain connection
Once you've added the CNAME record, here's how you check that it's working.
- Open your terminal and run:
dig www.yourdomain.com CNAME +short - You should see
cname.vercel-dns.com.in the response. - Back in your portal, open Set up custom domain and click Refresh status. That is the check that matters. It asks the platform directly and marks your domain verified.
- Once it reads verified, visit your domain in a browser and you should see your Brennan Builds site. That's the whole thing done!
- SSL certificates are handled for you automatically. If you see a certificate warning, just wait a few minutes and try again.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does DNS propagation take?
DNS changes typically propagate within 1–4 hours, but can take up to 48 hours in rare cases. Most changes are visible within 30 minutes, so you usually see it very fast!
What is a CNAME record?
A CNAME (Canonical Name) record maps a subdomain (like www.yourdomain.com) to another domain name. It tells DNS to look up the IP address of the target domain instead. That's all it does!
Can I use a root domain (e.g. yourdomain.com without www)?
CNAME records can't be set on root domains per the DNS specification. Most providers offer an ALIAS or ANAME record for root domains, or you can set up a redirect from the root domain to www. Either one works great!
My domain still shows the old site after updating DNS. What do I do?
Clear your browser cache and try loading the page in an incognito/private window. DNS changes can also be cached by your ISP. Open Set up custom domain in your portal and click Refresh status. That asks the platform directly. If it still isn't verified after 48 hours, ask from the Help page in your portal. We're very happy to look at it with you!
Do I need to change my nameservers?
No. You only need to add a CNAME record. Your nameservers can stay right where they are with your current DNS provider!
Will my email be affected?
No. Adding a CNAME record for your subdomain (e.g. www) doesn't affect your email MX records or any other DNS records. Your email keeps working exactly as it does today!