Custom domain setup for Base44
Your app works on the Base44 URL but you need it on your own domain. Here's how to make that happen.
What you need to know
DNS records
You'll need to add DNS records at your domain registrar or DNS provider (Cloudflare, Namecheap, GoDaddy, etc.). Base44 will give you specific values to use, usually CNAME or A records. The tricky part is knowing which subdomain to use and whether to include the root domain.
SSL certificates
Base44 handles SSL automatically once your DNS is pointing correctly. If you're seeing certificate errors, it usually means DNS isn't fully propagated yet, or there's a conflicting record somewhere. These errors can be confusing because they often show up before DNS has finished updating.
Propagation time
DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to fully propagate. Most of the time it's under an hour, but if you're seeing inconsistent behavior—works sometimes but not others—it's probably still propagating. You can't speed this up, but you can check if your records are correct while you wait.
Common domain issues
Domain not connecting
You added the DNS records but your domain still shows an error or doesn't load your app.
Check:
- •Make sure you're adding the record to the right domain or subdomain.
- •Verify the record type (A, CNAME, TXT) matches what Base44 told you to use.
- •Check if there are conflicting records already there (old A records, redirect rules, etc.).
- •Confirm you're not behind a proxy or firewall that's blocking the connection.
If everything looks right but it's still not working after a few hours, there's probably a configuration issue on the Base44 side or with your DNS provider's settings.
SSL/HTTPS errors
Your domain loads but shows a certificate warning or refuses to connect over HTTPS.
Check:
- •Give it time—SSL certificates are issued after DNS propagates, which can take an hour or more.
- •Make sure your domain is actually pointing to Base44, not somewhere else.
- •Check if you have any forced SSL redirects or HSTS policies that might be interfering.
- •Look for mixed content warnings (HTTP resources loaded on an HTTPS page).
SSL issues are usually a waiting game, but if it's been more than 24 hours something is wrong.
Subdomain vs. root domain
You're not sure whether to use yourdomain.com or www.yourdomain.com or app.yourdomain.com.
It depends on what Base44 supports and what your DNS provider allows. Some DNS providers don't let you use CNAME records on the root domain. In that case you need an A record or a CNAME flattening service. We can help you figure out which approach works for your setup.
Redirects not working
You want yourdomain.com to redirect to www.yourdomain.com (or vice versa) but it's not happening.
This usually needs to be set up in your DNS provider or hosting settings. Base44 might handle it automatically if both records are configured correctly, but not always. We can check your redirect rules and DNS setup to see what's missing.
When to get help
If you've set up the DNS records and waited a few hours but it's still not working, something is misconfigured. DNS and SSL issues can be frustrating to debug because the errors don't always tell you what's actually wrong.
We've set up custom domains for dozens of Base44 apps. We know what Base44 expects, what different DNS providers require, and how to spot the subtle misconfigurations that cause problems. If you're stuck, tell us what's happening and we'll take a look at your setup.