> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developers.kajabi.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Connect a custom domain
> Connect a custom domain to a Kajabi site by updating nameservers, configuring DNS settings, and setting up a custom email domain.
Connecting a custom domain to your Kajabi site allows you to use your own branded URL instead of the [default Kajabi subdomain](/articles/website/domains/kajabi-default-subdomain-vs-custom-domain). This guide walks you through connecting your domain via nameservers, managing DNS settings, and setting up a custom email domain.
## Purchase through a domain registrar
Before connecting a custom domain, you must first purchase and register a domain through a domain registrar. A few common domain registrars that Kajabi users have chosen are:
* [GoDaddy](https://www.godaddy.com/)
* [Domain.com](https://www.domain.com/)
* [Porkbun](https://www.porkbun.com/)
* [Name.com](https://www.name.com/)
* [Bluehost](https://www.bluehost.com/)
## Connect a custom domain to Kajabi
To connect your custom domain via nameservers, you will need to replace the existing nameservers in your domain registrar with the unique nameservers that Kajabi has created for you.
### Connect the custom domain
**Warning:** **Back up your DNS records before changing Nameservers**
If you use a webmail service (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, etc.) on your custom domain, changing your Nameservers can break your email. Before you start:
* Confirm who your webmail provider is.
* Take a screenshot of all your existing DNS records, including MX (mail server) records.
1. From the Kajabi dashboard, click **Settings**.
2. Under **Site settings**, click **Domain**.
3. Click **Set up custom domain**.
4. Select **Connect domain to Kajabi**.
5. Enter your domain into the **domain name text box**, then click **Next**.
6. The next page shows you two unique **Nameservers** that Kajabi has created for you.
7. On a separate page, log into your domain registrar account and navigate to the DNS Settings. Kajabi assigns two nameservers to your domain, show on this screen. These are your actual nameservers - copy them exactly as displayed. They will look like`jermaine.ns.cloudflare.com` and `joyce.ns.cloudflare.com`
**Note:** Always refer to the Kajabi-provided nameservers displayed in your Domain settings or setup instructions for accuracy.
8. Navigate to your Nameservers in your Domain Registrar DNS settings.
9. Remove the existing Nameservers in your domain registrar.
10. Add the two Nameservers Kajabi has provided for you to your domain registrar.
11. On the Kajabi **Domain Settings** page, click **Done,** then **verify domain**.
## DNS settings
If you have successfully connected your custom domain, you can access your Kajabi DNS settings.
To access your DNS settings in Kajabi:
1. From the Dashboard, click **Settings**.
2. Under **Site settings**, click **Domain**.
3. Click the connected **domain name**.
From here, you can view your DNS records and add the following custom records:
* A
* CNAME
* MX
* SRV
* TXT
If you've previously connected a webmail service (i.e. Google Workspace, Microsoft 365) to your custom domain, check for the MX records in your Kajabi DNS settings after connecting your domain to make sure they imported correctly. [Learn more about how to prevent an ](/articles/website/domains/how-to-test-your-domain-connection-to-prevent-a-webmail-disruption)web[mail disruption](/articles/website/domains/how-to-test-your-domain-connection-to-prevent-a-webmail-disruption).
## Limitations
* Custom domains cannot contain "kajabi" in the URL (e.g., `mybrand.kajabi.com` is not allowed). Domains that include Kajabi trademarks will be rejected.
* Each Kajabi site can have only one custom domain connected at a time.
* If the domain is not yet registered with a domain registrar, you will see the error "is not a registered domain".
* Root domains cannot use the CNAME method.
* Kajabi doesn't host a bare root/apex domain directly — connecting one via the nameserver method automatically redirects it to the `www` version (see FAQ below).
## Best practices
* Allow up to 48–72 hours for DNS propagation before assuming the change failed. If verification fails after 72 hours, contact your registrar to ensure the name servers were applied correctly
* Take screenshots of the original DNS records before changing name servers so you can recreate important records with the new DNS host
* Do not remove Kajabi's name servers prematurely once verification starts
## FAQs
### Is Kajabi a domain registrar?
No, Kajabi is not a domain registrar as we do not register domains. Kajabi is a domain host and can also be a DNS provider, but this is *only* the case if a you connect your domain using the option that changes nameservers to the pair that we provide.
### Does Kajabi provide SSL for domains?
Regardless of how the domain is connected to the Kajabi site, Kajabi provides SSL for the domain through Cloudflare.
### How long does it take for my domain to connect?
DNS propagation can take up to 48–72 hours. Kajabi verification may complete sooner once the name servers are updated globally.
### Why does my custom domain preview show mykajabi.com?
This is normal behavior when you preview from the editor — it always uses the mykajabi URL. Outside the editor, your site uses the connected custom domain. However, if the "Copy Link" option copies the `.mykajabi.com` URL, your custom domain should be reconnected.
### Does Kajabi support URL masking?
URL masking means that a domain will be forwarded to another domain, but the browser address bar will remain the same. Kajabi does not support URL masking.
### Should I use the nameserver method or a CNAME record?
Use the **nameserver method** for a root/apex domain (e.g. `yourdomain.com`) — Kajabi cannot verify a root domain through a CNAME record. Note that Kajabi doesn't serve the bare root domain directly: connecting one via nameservers automatically creates the `www` version of your domain and redirects the root domain to it, so `yourdomain.com` and `www.yourdomain.com` both work for visitors.
Use a **CNAME record** for a subdomain (e.g. `courses.yourdomain.com`), or for a root domain when you can't change nameservers (see the apex workaround below).
**Setting up a CNAME (subdomain method):**
1. From the Kajabi dashboard, go to **Settings > Site settings > Domain**.
2. Click **Set up custom domain**, then select **Create subdomain for Kajabi site**.
3. Enter your domain and subdomain (e.g. `www`), then click **Next**. Kajabi shows the exact CNAME **Host** and **Target/Value** to use — this screen is always the source of truth. The target value can differ per account, so always use what's shown on your own setup screen.
4. In your DNS provider, add a new record: **Type** CNAME, **Host/Name** the subdomain shown by Kajabi, **Target/Value** the value shown by Kajabi. Do not delete or edit any existing records.
5. **If you use Cloudflare:** set the new CNAME record's **Proxy status** to "DNS Only" (grey cloud), not "Proxied" (orange cloud). A proxied CNAME causes SSL errors or a Cloudflare Error 1014 (CNAME Cross-User Banned). If you've already set up the record and see either of those errors, check this toggle first.
6. Back in Kajabi, click **Done**, then **verify domain**.
**Warning:** Never point a Kajabi CNAME record to a third-party value such as `mailgun.org` — that target is for Kajabi's *email*-sending domain setup, not for connecting your *website* domain or subdomain. Always copy the Host and Target values shown on your Kajabi domain setup screen for the feature you're configuring.
### Can I connect a subdomain?
Yes. Use the CNAME/subdomain method described above — you do not need to change your nameservers to connect a subdomain.
### Can I connect a root (apex) domain without changing nameservers?
Not directly — Kajabi requires the nameserver method for root domains, and a root domain cannot use a CNAME record. If you can't or don't want to change nameservers, connect your `www` subdomain to Kajabi using the CNAME method above, then redirect the root domain to `www` at your registrar or DNS provider:
* Most registrars (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Porkbun, etc.) have a **URL forwarding** or **domain forwarding** setting — point `yourdomain.com` to `https://www.yourdomain.com`.
* If you use **Cloudflare**, add a **Page Rule** instead: forward `yourdomain.com/*` (Forwarding URL, 301) to `https://www.yourdomain.com/$1`, and add a second rule for `yourdomain.com/*` set to **Always Use HTTPS**.
This gets both `yourdomain.com` and `www.yourdomain.com` working without ever changing nameservers, and avoids Cloudflare Error 1014, which happens specifically when a root-domain CNAME is proxied through Cloudflare.
### What if my registrar won't let me change name servers?
**Wix domains:** Wix does not allow customers to change nameservers on Wix-registered domains. If your domain is registered through Wix, you cannot use the nameserver method. Use the CNAME/subdomain method instead: connect [www.yourdomain.com](http://www.yourdomain.com) to Kajabi via CNAME (see [Should I use the nameserver method or a CNAME record?](#should-i-use-the-nameserver-method-or-a-cname-record) above), then redirect your root domain to www using Wix's built-in domain forwarding under **Domains > Manage > Redirect domain**.
Contact your registrar's support. If they can't change name servers, you can move DNS hosting to a provider that allows name server updates or ask Kajabi support for alternatives.
### How do I confirm my domain is verified?
After clicking **Done, verify domain**, check the domain settings page in Kajabi. The status should move from Pending → Verifying → Connected. This may take 24–72 hours to verify.
To independently confirm nameserver propagation at any point during that window:
1. Go to [WhatsMyDNS](https://whatsmydns.net/) and enter your domain.
2. Select **NS** as the record type.
3. Confirm the results show the two Kajabi-provided nameservers (for example, `jermaine.ns.cloudflare.com` and `joyce.ns.cloudflare.com`) across the majority of global locations.
If the lookup still shows your registrar's nameservers, propagation is still in progress. If it shows Kajabi's nameservers globally but the status in Kajabi hasn't updated to Connected after 72 hours, try disconnecting and reconnecting.
DNS provider resources:
### GoDaddy
* [Replacing nameservers on GoDaddy](https://www.godaddy.com/help/change-nameservers-for-my-domains-664)
* [How to create a CNAME record with GoDaddy](https://www.godaddy.com/help/change-a-cname-record-19237)
### Namecheap
* [**How to Change DNS For a Domain**](https://www.namecheap.com/support/knowledgebase/article.aspx/767/10/how-to-change-dns-for-a-domain/)
* [**How to set up host records for a domain**](https://www.namecheap.com/support/knowledgebase/article.aspx/434/2237/how-do-i-set-up-host-records-for-a-domain/)
### Porkbun
* See Porkbun's [How to Change Nameservers](https://kb.porkbun.com/article/22-how-to-change-nameservers) guide.
### Bluehost
* See Bluehost's [How to Navigate the Nameservers Tab](https://www.bluehost.com/help/article/dm-domains-tab-nameservers) guide.
### Domain.com
* See [How to manage nameservers](https://www.networksolutions.com/help/article/manage-custom-nameservers).
## Domain glossary
| **Term** | **Also Known As** | **Description/Use Case** |
| :- | :- | :- |
| **Domain Name** | custom domain | A domain name is an address that people use to visit your website on the internet. Examples: [google.com](http://google.com), [kajabi.com](http://kajabi.com), [fb.com](http://fb.com) |
| **Domain Provider** | domain registrar, domain host | A domain provider is a company that registers your domain name for you. Typically, you purchase a domain on a subscription basis, and you pay a regular fee to your domain provider to keep using your domain name. |
| **Root Domain** | base domain, top-level domain and second-level domain | Is the domain name that you purchase from your domain provider. A root domain has a top-level domain (TLD) extension such as .com, .org, or .net, but it does not contain a prefix such as [www](http://www). An example of a root domain is [kajabi.com](http://kajabi.com). |
| **Subdomain** | — | Is a subset of your root domain that you add as a prefix to your root domain. For example, in the URL [member.kajabi.com](http://member.kajabi.com), [kajabi.com](http://kajabi.com) is the root domain and member is the subdomain. |
| **DNS** | DNS records, DNS settings, resource records, DNS file zone | The Domain Name System is the phonebook of the internet. DNS translates domain names to IP addresses so browsers can load Internet resources. |
| **A Record** | Address record, host record | A record maps a domain name to the IP address of the computer hosting the domain. |
| **CNAME record** | CNAME resource record, alias | Direct browser requests to an origin web server via a hostname like [www.example.com](http://www.example.com) instead of an IP address. Make sure it is pointed to a hostname with a valid IP address. |
| **MX Record** | — | This DNS record points a domain name to a mail server and is used to process emails through your custom domain. |
| **SPF Record** | — | This record is used to verify your sender custom email address. It also prevents emails from being flagged as spam or spoofing. |
| **DKIM Record** | — | This is an authentication record that signs emails with a digital signature. It allows the receiver to check that an email message was sent and authorized by the owner of that domain. |
| **SSL Certificate** | — | This is a security protocol that creates a safe connection between a server and a browser to secure your and your customers' information. |
| **Time to Live (TTL)** | — | This is the value of your domain that determines how frequently your DNS records are updated. All domain DNS records have a TTL value. For example, if a record has a TTL of 86400 seconds, then it takes up to 24 hours to go into effect. Changing a record's TTL affects how long it takes any subsequent change to happen. |
| **WHOIS** | — | [https://who.is/](https://who.is/) This is a service or tool you can use to look up information about the owner of a domain name. |
| **301 redirect** | — | Means that the page has permanently moved to a new location. |
| **302 redirect** | — | Means that the move is only temporary. |
| **Propagation** | — | DNS propagation is the delay before a domain or address change is fully recognized everywhere on the internet. |
| **Cache** | — | A computer memory with very short access time used for storage of frequently or recently used instructions or data. |