Before you start
Carrd's custom domain doc says the feature requires Pro Standard or higher, and that you must register the domain before using it. It names Cloudflare, Namecheap and Porkbun as example registrars. Pro Lite does not include custom domains. Pro Standard is $19 a year for 10 sites. [1][2][6]
- Confirm the Carrd account is on Pro Standard, Pro Plus or a larger version of either.
- Log in to the place that hosts your domain's DNS (often the registrar, sometimes Cloudflare).
- Write down any existing MX and TXT records for email, and leave them alone; Carrd only asks for A and CNAME records.
- Decide whether visitors should see domain.ext or www.domain.ext.
The steps in Carrd
Steps from Carrd's custom domain doc, accessed 30 October 2026. The doc includes provider-specific instructions for Cloudflare, Enom, Gandi, GoDaddy, iWantMyName, Namecheap, Name.com, Porkbun and Squarespace, and links external guides for others. [1]
- Open the site and click Publish.
- Set Action to "Publish to a custom domain".
- Enter the domain exactly as it should appear in the address bar: domain.ext or www.domain.ext. Carrd forwards the other version to the one you pick.
- Scroll to the DNS records Carrd displays for this site and copy them.
- Add them at your DNS provider, then return to Carrd and click Publish Changes.
- Wait for the domain to finish initializing; Carrd says this can take up to an hour.
The DNS records
Carrd shows the exact IP addresses in the publish panel; the public doc uses a placeholder, so copy them from your own Carrd dashboard rather than from a tutorial. Carrd's troubleshooting doc says a domain expects two A records for @ and one CNAME for www; a subdomain uses A records with the subdomain as the host. [1][3][5]
| Type | Host / Name | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | @ (apex) | First IP address shown in Carrd | Replace any other A record for @ |
| A | @ (apex) | Second IP address shown in Carrd | Troubleshooting doc expects two |
| CNAME | www | domain.ext (your bare domain) | Lets www reach the same site |
| AAAA | @ | Remove | Carrd says these are not needed |
| A (subdomain only) | subdomain name | IP address shown in Carrd | For a site on shop.domain.ext and similar |
Apex vs www
Carrd publishes to whichever form you type and forwards the other, so either works as long as both records exist. Carrd's troubleshooting doc says a site that works on domain.ext but not www.domain.ext (or the reverse) usually means a DNS record is missing. [1][3]
Pick one form and use it everywhere: on business cards, social profiles and in your email signature. That avoids a redirect on every visit from printed material.
How long it takes, and the SSL wait
Carrd says DNS changes may take up to an hour to propagate, and a brand-new domain or subdomain usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes to go live. Its SSL doc says a certificate is issued automatically once the DNS records are in place and fully propagated, which can sometimes take up to an hour. Carrd's plan doc says custom domains get SSL via Let's Encrypt. [3][4][2]
If the domain still shows "(initializing)" after an hour, or the site still shows "Not Secure" after about an hour, Carrd's advice is to recheck the records and then get in touch with support; if the certificate was issued before DNS was fully in place, support can issue a new one covering both forms of the domain. [3]
Troubleshooting table
All fixes from Carrd's sites troubleshooting doc, accessed 30 October 2026. [3]
| Record or setting | Symptom | Fix from Carrd's docs |
|---|---|---|
| A records for @ | Site not loading, loads inconsistently, or stuck on "(initializing)" | Check both A records point to the Carrd IPs; remove conflicting records |
| AAAA for @ | Inconsistent loading | Remove AAAA (IPv6) records for @ |
| CNAME for www | Works on domain.ext but not www (or the reverse) | Add the missing A or CNAME record |
| Parking, redirection, forwarding, masking | Site not loading, or mobile shows the desktop layout | Turn off domain parking, URL redirection, forwarding and especially masking at the provider |
| SSL issued too early | "Not Secure" on www but not the bare domain (or the reverse) | Contact Carrd support to issue a new certificate covering both |
| Cloudflare SSL mode | Redirect loop | Set Cloudflare SSL to Full (Strict) |
| New domain | "Not Found" right after publishing | Wait 10 to 15 minutes; contact support if still failing after a few hours |
Final checks after it goes live
- Open domain.ext and www.domain.ext in a private window; both should reach the site on the version you chose, with no security warning.
- Open the site on a phone over mobile data, not just home Wi-Fi.
- Send a test email to an address on the domain to confirm mail still arrives, if you use email on it.
- Submit any forms on the page and confirm the submission arrives.
- Update links in social bios and email signatures to the final address.
Questions before you decide
Which Carrd plan allows a custom domain?
Pro Standard or higher. Carrd's plan doc lists custom domain URLs with SSL as a Pro Standard feature; Pro Lite does not include them.
How long does a Carrd custom domain take to work?
Carrd says initialization can take up to an hour, a new domain usually goes live in about 10 to 15 minutes, and SSL is usually issued within an hour once DNS has propagated.
Do I need to change my MX records to connect Carrd?
No. Carrd's doc asks only for A records for @ and a CNAME for www. Leave email records as they are.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Carrd docs: using a custom domain Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Carrd docs: Pro plans Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Carrd docs: sites troubleshooting Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Carrd docs: setting up SSL Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Carrd docs: using a custom subdomain Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Carrd Pro plan comparison and pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.