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How to connect a custom domain to your creator site: two DNS records, step by step

Connect your own domain to your creator site: add two CNAME records, forward the bare domain and avoid common mistakes. $25/month billed annually (UK £25).

WithMe Team·11 November 2026

To connect a custom domain to your WithMe hub, buy the domain from any registrar, open More → Custom domain in your dashboard, type the domain in, and add the two CNAME records the app shows you where you bought it. WithMe checks the records, secures the domain with HTTPS and switches it on, usually within an hour. Your storefront then opens on www.yourname.com, and you can forward the bare yourname.com to it at your registrar.

WithMe is $25 per month billed annually (UK £25), with a 14-day trial and 0% WithMe commission. Stripe and PayPal fees still apply. More than 8,000 creators use it. Custom domains are part of the paid plan, so during the free trial you either wait for the trial to end or end it early from the custom domain screen.

Where should you buy your domain?

Anywhere you like. GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare and most other registrars all work, because the set-up only needs two standard CNAME records. WithMe does not sell domains, so you buy it yourself and stay the registrant: the domain is in your name, not ours.

Pick a short .com or your country's domain (for example .co.uk) that matches your name or brand. A domain that points at an old website works too. Connecting it moves the www address to your hub, so plan the switch for a day when you can update your links.

Which two DNS records do you add?

Both records are CNAMEs, and the app shows the exact host and value for each with a Copy button. You do not need to change your nameservers or your email records.

Record 1, the validation record. It proves you own the domain so we can issue the HTTPS certificate that makes the padlock appear. The host starts with an underscore and looks like a random string; copy it exactly.
Record 2, the www record. Host www, pointing at the value shown in the app. This is the record that sends visitors to your storefront.

Most providers add your domain to the host for you, so you type only the part shown, such as www. If your provider asks for the full name, add .yourname.com on the end. Each record shows Found or Not found yet in the app, so you can see which one still needs work.

How do you connect a domain in WithMe?

Open More → Custom domain in your WithMe dashboard. It works on desktop and on your phone.
If you are on the free trial, choose monthly or annual billing and click End trial and pay. The screen shows what is due today before you agree.
Type your main domain, such as yourname.com, and click Continue. Do not add www: it is set up for you.
Wait a few seconds while the app prepares your records, then copy Record 1 and Record 2 into your domain provider's DNS settings.
Come back to the dialog. It checks automatically every 15 seconds while it is open, and you can click Check now. You can also close it: the checks carry on without you.
When both records are found, WithMe secures your domain with HTTPS and checks that your storefront shows on www.yourname.com. You see a message when it is live.
Optional: forward the bare domain (yourname.com) to www.yourname.com over HTTPS at your registrar, so people who type it without www still reach you.

How do you make yourname.com work without www?

Your storefront lives on www.yourname.com. The bare domain, yourname.com on its own, cannot be a CNAME, and many registrars have no alternative record type for it. So the simplest fix is forwarding: a permanent (301) redirect from yourname.com to www.yourname.com over HTTPS, set up at your registrar.

It is optional. Your storefront works on www without it, and the custom domain screen shows whether the bare domain forwards correctly, forwards somewhere else, or is not set up. Where to find it:

GoDaddy: open the domain's settings, find Forwarding, forward to www.yourname.com over HTTPS and choose Permanent (301). Then check Record 2 again, because GoDaddy can change the www record when you turn forwarding on.
Namecheap: Domain List → Manage → Advanced DNS → Add New Record, choose URL Redirect Record, host @, value www.yourname.com over HTTPS, and Permanent (301). Remove any A or CNAME record on @ that conflicts with it.
Cloudflare: create a Redirect Rule from yourname.com to www.yourname.com over HTTPS with status 301, and make it match http:// as well as https:// (or turn on Always Use HTTPS). Redirects only run on proxied records, so the bare domain needs a proxied (orange cloud) record, while the www CNAME for WithMe stays DNS only.

When you share your link, use the www address. It always keeps the full link working, including links to a single product.

How long does it take?

Adding the two records takes most creators about fifteen minutes. After that, WithMe usually has the domain live within an hour: a few minutes to see the records, a few minutes to issue the certificate, then up to 30 minutes to switch the domain on and about 3 minutes to confirm your storefront is showing.

DNS changes can take up to a few hours to show, depending on your provider. You have 72 hours to add both records. If they are not found in that time, the request stops and you click Start again to get fresh records.

What are the most common mistakes?

Typing the full name into a provider that adds the domain itself. GoDaddy and many others turn www.yourname.com into www.yourname.com.yourname.com. The app spots this and tells you to change the host to just the part shown.
Stray spaces or a missing character when pasting. Use the Copy buttons, paste once, and check there is no space at the start or end of the host or value.
An old platform still holding the domain. If www already points at Squarespace, Wix or another host, edit that record rather than adding a second one. The app shows where Record 2 points today and asks you to change it to the value shown.
Cloudflare's proxy on the www record. With the orange cloud on, the record looks like an IP address and cannot be checked. Switch www to DNS only.
CAA records. Some domains have CAA records that limit which companies may issue certificates for them, often added by a previous web developer. They can stop your certificate being issued. If your domain has them and the set-up stalls, contact support.
Turning on forwarding and losing the www record. Some providers, GoDaddy included, rewrite www when you set up forwarding. Check Record 2 is still there afterwards.

Do you need a paid plan to use a custom domain?

Yes. Custom domains need an active paid plan. If you are on the free trial, the custom domain screen says so and offers End trial and pay, with a choice of monthly or annual billing and the amount due today. Once the payment goes through, you can connect your domain straight away.

Until then your hub is live at withme.so/yourname from the first day of the trial, so you can build and sell before the domain is connected.

Can you remove or change the domain later?

Yes. Remove the domain from the custom domain screen and your storefront stops opening on it within a few minutes. Your WithMe page, products and customers are not affected, and you can then delete the two CNAME records at your provider. You can also connect another domain from the same screen.

What is not included?

WithMe does not sell or register domains, and it does not host email for your domain. Subdomains such as shop.yourname.com are not supported: enter the main domain and www is set up for you. You can set up one domain at a time, and try up to five different new domains a day. The bare domain needs forwarding at your registrar; WithMe cannot set that up for you.

How much does a custom domain cost on WithMe?

The custom domain itself is included in the WithMe plan: $25 per month billed annually (UK £25), with 0% WithMe commission. Stripe and PayPal fees still apply. You pay your registrar for the domain, which is usually a small yearly fee. The 14-day trial lets you build your hub first; connecting the domain needs the paid plan.

Custom domain questions

Can I connect my domain during the free trial?

Not while the trial is running. Custom domains are part of the paid plan. The custom domain screen lets you end the trial and pay early, and then you can connect the domain straight away.

Why does my storefront use www.yourname.com and not yourname.com?

A bare domain cannot point at a service with a CNAME, and most registrars have no alternative for it. The www address carries your storefront, and a 301 forward at your registrar sends yourname.com to it.

How long does it take for my domain to go live?

Usually within an hour of both records being found. DNS changes can take up to a few hours to show, and you have 72 hours to add the records before you need to start again.

Will connecting my domain affect my email?

No. You only add two CNAME records, one of them on www. Your MX records, which handle email, stay as they are. Do not change your nameservers.

Can I use a subdomain like shop.yourname.com?

No. Enter your main domain, such as yourname.com or yourname.co.uk, and WithMe sets up www.yourname.com for you.

Start your 14-day trial at https://www.withme.so/become-a-creator.