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How to Add a Custom Domain to Your AI-Generated Website

Getting your AI-generated site online is step one. Step two, when you're ready to take it seriously, is putting it on your own domain — yourname.com instead of yourname.hostilo.page. A custom domain looks professional, builds trust, and is something you actually own. Here's how to connect one, without needing to be a DNS expert.

What you need first

Two things: a site that's already live, and a domain name you've bought from a registrar (like Namecheap, GoDaddy, Cloudflare, or any other). If you don't have a domain yet, you buy one from any registrar — it usually costs around ten to fifteen dollars a year.

You'll also need a host that supports custom domains. On Hostilo this is part of the PRO plan, which also removes branding and raises your project limit.

How domain connection actually works

When you connect a domain, two things need to happen behind the scenes. First, the host has to confirm that you actually own the domain — otherwise anyone could claim a domain that isn't theirs. Second, your domain needs to be told where to send visitors. Both are handled by one small DNS record at your registrar (plus, sometimes, a verification record shown in your dashboard). It sounds technical, but it's really just copying a value into a form.

Step-by-step

1. Add the domain in your dashboard

Open your site in the Hostilo editor and switch to the Settings tab. In the Custom domain section, enter your domain and click Connect. The status shows Verifying, together with the DNS records to add.

2. Add a CNAME record at your DNS provider

At your registrar's (or DNS provider's) settings, add one record that points your domain at Hostilo:

Type:  CNAME
Host:  www   (or the subdomain you entered)
Value: domains.hostilo.app

Also add the TXT record from the dashboard: name _hostilo.example.com, value hostilo-verify=… (a code unique to your site). It proves the domain is yours: without it Hostilo does not connect the domain, so nobody else can attach your domain to their site. One record covers www and the root domain. If the dashboard shows a second TXT record (its name starts with _cf-custom-hostname), add it exactly as shown too. Remove any old A or AAAA records for the same name, and do not point your domain to an IP address or to hostilo.app — that address serves the Hostilo website itself, not customer domains.

3. What about the root domain (without www)?

DNS does not allow a regular CNAME on the root domain (example.com), so the root domain works only if your DNS provider supports CNAME flattening (also called ALIAS or ANAME). The easiest way to get it is to move your domain's DNS to Cloudflare — the free plan is enough:

1. Add the domain in Cloudflare, copy your mail records,
   and change the nameservers at your registrar.
2. Type: CNAME   Host: @     Value: domains.hostilo.app   (grey cloud, DNS only)
3. In the Hostilo dashboard enter the domain without www: example.com
4. Type: CNAME   Host: www   Value: domains.hostilo.app   (orange cloud)
   + Cloudflare redirect rule from the template "Redirect from WWW to root"

If you'd rather keep your current DNS provider and it has no flattening, connect www.example.com instead and set a redirect from example.com to www.example.com at your registrar.

4. Check and activate

Go back to your dashboard and click Check & activate. Once the CNAME is in place, your domain flips to Active.

What about HTTPS?

Hostilo runs custom domains on Cloudflare. As soon as the CNAME record is detected, an SSL certificate is issued automatically, so your site loads securely over HTTPS with the padlock icon. You don't have to buy or configure anything — it just happens.

If your domain is stuck on "Verifying"

The most common reason is that the CNAME record hasn't been detected yet. Double-check that the record type is CNAME, that the value is exactly domains.hostilo.app, and that there is no old A or AAAA record left for the same name. Make sure the TXT record _hostilo from the dashboard is added too: without it the domain stays on Verifying. Then give DNS time to propagate and click check again.

Frequently asked questions

Do I lose my subdomain when I add a custom domain? No. Your original name.hostilo.page address keeps working. The custom domain is added on top.

Can I use a domain I bought anywhere? Yes. Any domain from any registrar works — you just add the DNS records at whoever you bought it from.

Do I need to pay for an SSL certificate? No. HTTPS is issued automatically and free once your domain is verified.

What happens to my domain if my plan expires? Your domain stays linked to your project. If a paid plan lapses, the site on the custom domain pauses, but renewing restores everything with no DNS changes needed.