Root domain or subdomain: decide first
systeme.io treats the two cases differently. For a root domain, its help article says to enter the domain starting with www, and its approval article says a root domain added without www will not be approved. The bare domain (example.com) is then redirected to the www version at your registrar. For a subdomain, you enter subdomain.example.com directly. [1][2][3]
systeme.io also says a domain or subdomain can only be used for one website, and that if it is already used by an external site, that site will stop working after it is added to systeme.io. That single sentence is the reason most people who already have a main site should choose a subdomain. [1][2]
| Situation | What to add in systeme.io | Why |
|---|---|---|
| systeme.io is your only website | www.example.com | Root setups use www plus a redirect from the bare domain |
| Main site on Carrd, funnels on systeme.io | go.example.com (or similar) | Carrd's root setup already uses the www record |
| Main site on Framer, funnels on systeme.io | go.example.com (or similar) | Framer's apex setup also uses a www CNAME |
| Testing before launch | A spare subdomain | Avoids touching the live main site |
How many custom domains each plan allows
systeme.io's pricing page lists 1 custom domain on the Free plan. Its published plan-limits data shows 1 domain on Free, 3 on Startup, 10 on Webinar and effectively unlimited on Unlimited. Subdomains are added in the same Custom Domain screen, so assume each one uses a domain slot unless systeme.io confirms otherwise, and plan which addresses you need before adding test ones. [2][7][8]
| Plan | Monthly price | Custom domains |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1 |
| Startup | $17 | 3 |
| Webinar | $47 | 10 |
| Unlimited | $97 | Effectively unlimited (plan data lists 100,000) |
Step by step: the DNS records systeme.io asks for
Click your profile picture, then Settings, then Custom Domain, then Add domain. After you save, a popup shows two CNAME records. For a root domain, the first has the name www and points to a cloudfront.net target; the second has a long name starting with an underscore and points to an acm-validations.aws value. Subdomains get the same pair, with the subdomain in the host names. The values in systeme.io's articles are examples; copy the ones in your own account. [1][2]
For a root domain you also need the bare domain to reach www. systeme.io says to add a redirect from the bare domain to the www version at your DNS provider, notes that most registrars only forward over HTTP, and recommends a provider that supports CNAME flattening, such as Cloudflare, or root-level CNAMEs, such as Namecheap, if you need HTTPS redirection. Hostinger users can use an ALIAS record instead. [1]
- Add both CNAMEs exactly; the underscore record is the certificate validation, not optional.
- Some hosts, such as Hover, reject a trailing dot on record values; remove it if your host complains.
- If the host refuses a CNAME because of a conflict, ask the host which record conflicts before deleting anything.
- After DNS is set, choose a homepage: clear the URL path of the page, blog or store you want at the root of the domain. [5]
Running systeme.io beside a Carrd or Framer main site
Carrd's custom domain setup adds an A record for the root (@) and a CNAME for www pointing to the bare domain, on Pro Standard or higher. Framer's apex setup uses two A records on @ (31.43.160.6 and 31.43.161.6) and a www CNAME to sites.framer.app, and Framer asks you to remove other A or AAAA records on the domain. Both claim the www name that systeme.io's root setup also needs. [9][11]
A subdomain avoids the clash. Keep example.com and www.example.com on Carrd or Framer, and add go.example.com (or pay., learn.) in systeme.io with its two CNAMEs. Each name has its own records, so the main site's records stay untouched. Then point each funnel at the new domain in Funnel settings; systeme.io says the chosen domain is applied to all pages in the funnel. [2][6][9][11]
- Link from the main site's call-to-action button to the systeme.io page on the subdomain.
- If you later move the main site, the systeme.io subdomain keeps working because its records are separate.
- Carrd can also host subdomains itself with an A record, so do not reuse the same subdomain name in both tools. [10]
Checks that get the domain approved
systeme.io recommends dnschecker.org: enter the full CNAME name including your domain and look for green indicators. It says DNS records can take 24 to 48 hours to propagate fully, and that a functional, correctly configured domain should be approved within 24 hours. [1][3]
If systeme.io cannot generate the SSL certificate because of a CAA record on your domain, its CAA article says to remove the domain in systeme.io, add eight CAA records (an issue and an issuewild record for each of amazon.com, amazontrust.com, awstrust.com and amazonaws.com), confirm propagation, and add the domain again. [4]
| Symptom | Likely cause per systeme.io | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Root domain never approved | Added without www | Remove and re-add as www.example.com |
| Not approved after 48 hours | One CNAME missing or wrong target | Compare both records with the values in your account |
| CAA error on connect | CAA record blocks the certificate issuer | Add the eight CAA records listed by systeme.io |
| Status drops from Ready to use | Host rejects trailing dots | Remove the trailing dot from values |
Do not confuse this with email domain authentication
Connecting a domain for pages is separate from authenticating it for email. Email authentication is done under Settings, Emails, Domains and adds three CNAME records and a DMARC TXT record; systeme.io says it is mandatory to send emails. You can authenticate your root domain for email while your pages run on a subdomain. [12]
Questions before you decide
Why won't systeme.io approve my root domain?
systeme.io says a root domain added without www will not be approved. Add it as www.example.com, create both CNAME records it shows, and allow up to 24 to 48 hours for DNS propagation.
Can I use a custom domain on the systeme.io Free plan?
Yes. systeme.io's pricing page lists 1 custom domain on the Free plan. Its plan data shows 3 on Startup and 10 on Webinar.
Can my main site stay on Carrd while funnels run on systeme.io?
Yes, by giving systeme.io a subdomain such as go.example.com. Carrd's root setup uses the www record, and systeme.io says a domain can only be used for one website, so separate names avoid conflict.
What DNS records does systeme.io need for a subdomain?
Two CNAME records shown in your account after adding the subdomain: one for the subdomain itself pointing to a cloudfront.net target, and one underscore-prefixed record pointing to an acm-validations.aws value.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- systeme.io Help: How to connect your domain to systeme.io Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io Help: Integrating your subdomain with systeme.io Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io Help: My domain name is not approved Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io Help: Resolve the CAA error when connecting your domain Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io Help: How to define your domain's homepage Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io Help: How to change a funnel's domain name Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io published plan limits (user-plans data) Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Carrd docs: Using a custom domain Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Carrd docs: Using a custom subdomain Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Framer Help: How to connect a custom domain Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io Help: How to authenticate your domain name for email sending Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.