Connect a domain you already own
In shortOpen Publish → Connect a domain you own, type the address and click Connect domain. For a subdomain such as www.yourbrand.com, add one CNAME record pointing to customers.monstarx.app at your DNS provider. A root domain such as yourbrand.com needs Cloudflare DNS. MonstarX issues the HTTPS certificate once the record is live.
If you already own a domain — bought from GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google, Cloudflare or anywhere else — you can show your MonstarX app on it. You keep the domain where it is. You add one DNS record (a line in your domain’s settings that says where the address should go), and MonstarX does the rest, including HTTPS.
Before you start
Section titled “Before you start”- Your app is published. See Publish your app.
- You can sign in to wherever your domain’s DNS is managed (usually the company you bought it from, or Cloudflare).
- Decide which address to use:
| Type of address | Example | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Subdomain | www.brewandbean.com, order.brewandbean.com | One CNAME record at your current DNS provider. No other changes. |
| Root domain | brewandbean.com | The domain’s DNS must be on Cloudflare (a free Cloudflare account works). |
How do I connect my domain?
Section titled “How do I connect my domain?”-
Open your project, click Publish, and under Domains click Connect a domain you own.
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Choose Root domain or Subdomain.
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In Domain to connect, type the full address, without
https://or a path — for exampleorder.brewandbean.com. Click Connect domain. -
Under Set up DNS for this address, MonstarX shows the record to add. Follow the steps for your type of address below.
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Wait for the status to change from Waiting for DNS to Issuing certificate, then Active. Click Refresh status to check. It can take a little while.
What DNS record do I add?
Section titled “What DNS record do I add?”At your current DNS provider, add this record. You do not need to change nameservers.
| Type | Name / host | Value / target |
|---|---|---|
CNAME | your full subdomain, e.g. order.brewandbean.com | customers.monstarx.app |
Some providers ask only for the part before your root domain — order instead of order.brewandbean.com.
A root domain needs Cloudflare DNS in your own Cloudflare account. You do not use MonstarX nameservers.
- Add the domain to your Cloudflare account (or open it if it is already there). Check that Cloudflare has all your existing DNS records, especially email records.
- In that domain’s Cloudflare DNS, add a
CNAMEat@pointing tocustomers.monstarx.app, and set Proxy status to DNS only (the gray cloud). Cloudflare flattens a root CNAME automatically. - If Cloudflare is not your DNS provider yet, find the two nameservers Cloudflare gives this domain on its Overview page, and replace the current nameservers at your domain registrar with exactly that pair. If DNSSEC is on, follow Cloudflare’s DNSSEC instructions.
MonstarX cannot change your DNS or registrar settings for you — it has no access to those accounts. Once DNS points at MonstarX, routing and the HTTPS certificate are handled automatically.
Make both the root and www work
Section titled “Make both the root and www work”Connecting a domain activates only the exact address you entered. Connecting brewandbean.com does not make www.brewandbean.com work, and connecting www.brewandbean.com does not make the root work.
If you connected the root and use Cloudflare DNS, make www redirect to it:
- Add a proxied (orange cloud)
CNAMEwith namewwwand targetbrewandbean.com. Keep the root domain’s own record as shown above. - In Cloudflare, open Rules → Redirect Rules and create a 301 rule. Match
http*://www.brewandbean.com/*and redirect tohttps://brewandbean.com/${2}. Enable Preserve query string. This keeps paths and query parameters when visitors switch to the root address. See Cloudflare’s www-to-root redirect guide.
If you connected www instead, use your DNS provider’s forwarding option to send the root to www, or connect the root separately using Cloudflare DNS. Domains bought through MonstarX already get both addresses.
What do the statuses mean?
Section titled “What do the statuses mean?”| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Waiting for DNS | MonstarX cannot see your record yet. Check it is saved, then wait — DNS changes can take a while to spread. |
| Issuing certificate | The record is found; the HTTPS certificate is being made. |
| Active | Your app is live on this domain with HTTPS. |
| Needs attention (or an error message) | Something is wrong. Read the message, fix the record, and click Try again or Refresh status. |
Connected domains are listed in the Publish menu, under Domains connected to this project in the Domains window, and in Settings → Domains. Click DNS steps to see the record again.
How do I stop using a domain?
Section titled “How do I stop using a domain?”Click the trash icon next to it (or the × in the Publish menu) and confirm Stop serving this project on …?. Your app stops answering on that domain; the domain itself stays yours, and your app stays online at its monstarx.app address. Remove the CNAME record at your DNS provider too.
Troubleshooting
Section titled “Troubleshooting”- “That address is a root domain. Select Root domain to connect it.” — you typed
yourbrand.comwith Subdomain selected (or the other way round). Pick the matching type. - “Enter a valid domain, such as example.com or www.example.com.” — remove
https://, spaces or anything after the domain. - “This domain is already mapped to another app.” — the address is connected to another project. Remove it there first.
- A monstarx.app address cannot be connected — those are managed by MonstarX. Change it in Your app’s address instead.
- Stuck on Waiting for DNS — check the record type is
CNAME, the value is exactlycustomers.monstarx.app, and (on Cloudflare) the cloud is gray, not orange. - A root domain at another DNS host (not Cloudflare) cannot be connected this way. Use
wwwor move the domain’s DNS to Cloudflare. - The domain shows nothing — publish the app. The Domains window reminds you: Publish your app too, so this address has something to serve.
- The root works but www does not (or the reverse) — each hostname needs its own DNS setup. Follow Make both the root and www work.
Frequently asked questions
Section titled “Frequently asked questions”Do I have to move my domain to MonstarX?
No. The domain stays with the company you bought it from. The address you connect needs one DNS record; using both the root and www needs an additional record and a redirect.
Do I need to buy an SSL certificate?
No. MonstarX issues the HTTPS certificate automatically once your DNS record is live.
Why does a root domain need Cloudflare?
Most DNS providers do not allow a CNAME record on the root of a domain in a way that works here. Cloudflare DNS does, and a free Cloudflare account is enough. Or connect www and redirect the root to it.
Can I connect more than one domain to the same app?
Yes. Connect each one; they all show your app.
Would buying a domain through MonstarX be easier?
Yes — a domain bought in MonstarX needs no DNS work at all, and both the root and www work. See Buy a domain.