connect a custom domain to your WordPress site
the dashboard does most of the work. you'll add a domain, copy one CNAME record into your registrar, and click check. SSL issues automatically the moment DNS resolves.
Docs / Connect a custom domain
every WordPress site on Yovale ships with a free preview URL like your-site.pfcdns.com. when you're ready to go live on your own domain, you don't migrate anything — you just point a CNAME and the platform handles SSL, redirects, and the WordPress site URL update for you.
Try it
this is the real Domains tab from your dashboard, running on mock data. click through the flow — add a domain, copy the CNAME, run the check.
No domains
Add a custom domain to get started.
- 1Add the domain
open the Add Domain dialog and enter the domain you bought.
- 2Copy the CNAME
create a CNAME record at your registrar pointing to your site.
- 3Run DNS check
click Check DNS — Yovale verifies the record and issues SSL.
- 4Live on HTTPS
your domain is active and serving WordPress over HTTPS.
Step by step
The same flow described above in plain English. Use this as a reference if you get stuck.
1. open your site's Domains tab
from the dashboard, open the site you want the domain attached to, then click the Domains tab. you'll see your free preview URL listed as a Temporary domain — leave it alone, it'll keep working as a fallback.
2. add your domain
click Add Domain. enter your root domain (example.com) — Yovale automatically configures it as www.example.com because subdomains are easier to point with a CNAME than naked roots. if you want a different subdomain like shop.example.com, enter that instead.
- naked domain (example.com) → becomes www.example.com
- subdomain (shop.example.com) → stays as entered
- you can attach multiple domains to one site
3. copy the CNAME record
the domain row expands and shows the exact DNS record you need to create. copy the NAME and TARGET values into your registrar's DNS panel — Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Namecheap, Porkbun, all support CNAME records.
4. wait, then click Check DNS Status
DNS usually propagates within a few minutes. once it does, click Check DNS Status. Yovale verifies the record, issues a Cloudflare-edge SSL certificate, configures the www↔non-www redirect at nginx, and updates your WordPress site URL — all automatically.
5. (optional) set as primary domain
once the domain is active, click the star icon to set it as primary. this updates WordPress's site URL and home URL settings, which is what most plugins and themes read for canonical links.
Common questions
do I need to buy SSL separately?
no. SSL issues automatically through Cloudflare's edge the moment DNS resolves, and renews on its own. it's included on every plan.
what if my registrar doesn't support CNAME on the root domain?
most don't — that's why Yovale auto-configures naked domains as www. if you really want example.com (no www), use a registrar that supports ALIAS or ANAME records (Cloudflare, DNSimple, Porkbun) and we'll show that record instead.
how long does DNS take to propagate?
usually a few minutes. up to 24 hours is the worst case, mostly seen with TTL values set high at the registrar.
can I keep using my existing domain registrar?
yes. Yovale is your hosting platform, not your registrar. you stay with whoever sold you the domain — we just need a CNAME pointing to us.
what happens to my old preview URL after I attach a custom domain?
it keeps working. both URLs serve the same site. you can choose which one is canonical via the primary domain setting.
how do I move a domain that's already live somewhere else?
add the domain in Yovale first (it'll show as Pending DNS), then change the CNAME at your registrar. the old host keeps serving until the CNAME flips, so there's no gap. SSL on Yovale issues the moment we see DNS.