Fix: Custom Domain Not Connecting to Vercel Deployment
Quick Answer
In Vercel Dashboard > Project > Settings > Domains, check the status. If it shows DNS records needed, add these exact records to your domain registrar: A record → 76.76.21.21, CNAME www → cname.vercel-dns.com
Symptoms
- !Custom domain shows 'Domain not found' or DNS error
- !SSL certificate pending for hours
- !www version works but root domain doesn't
- !Domain was working but suddenly stopped
Step-by-Step Fix
Add the correct DNS records
Go to your domain registrar (Namecheap, GoDaddy, Cloudflare). Add: A record, name @ value 76.76.21.21. CNAME record, name www, value cname.vercel-dns.com. Remove any conflicting A records.
Wait for DNS propagation
DNS changes take 5 minutes to 48 hours to propagate. Check propagation at whatsmydns.net. Most changes take effect within 1 hour.
Check for SSL certificate
After DNS propagates, Vercel automatically provisions an SSL certificate. This takes 1-15 minutes. If it's stuck 'pending' for over an hour, remove the domain and re-add it.
Verify no conflicting records
Some registrars add default records that conflict. Remove any A, AAAA, or CNAME records for @ and www that you didn't add yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually 5-30 minutes. Maximum 48 hours. If it's been over 2 hours, double-check your DNS records for typos.
Yes, but set Cloudflare DNS to 'DNS only' (gray cloud), not 'Proxied' (orange cloud). Vercel needs to handle SSL directly.
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