TimeTuna

Custom domain not working

You set up a custom domain but it does not connect, the page does not load, or your browser warns about an invalid certificate.

Symptom

  • The Domain tab shows a record as missing, or shows a record you added under "What we found instead".
  • The custom domain returns "DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN" or similar.
  • The page loads on HTTP but HTTPS shows a certificate error.

Why it happens

  • The whole domain went into your provider's Name field. Most providers add the domain for you, so typing book.yourcompany.com there creates the record at book.yourcompany.com.yourcompany.com.
  • A TXT record from an earlier attempt is still there with an old value. Each time a domain is connected it gets a fresh verification value.
  • Cloudflare's proxy is on (orange cloud), so your record answers with Cloudflare addresses instead of ours.
  • An existing A or CNAME record on the same name conflicts with the new record.
  • You added a CNAME at the root domain, where most providers reject it. Root domains need an A record.
  • DNS has not finished propagating (usually minutes, occasionally up to an hour).

How to fix

  1. Open the booking page editor and go to the Domain tab. Each record we need is listed with its live status: a black check means it is in place, a dashed circle means it is still missing, and an amber marker means something else is at that name.
  2. Where a record shows What we found at ... instead, that line is the real answer your DNS is giving right now. Change the record so it matches the Type, Name and Value shown above it.
  3. Copy the Name exactly as shown. For book.yourcompany.com the Name is just book. If your provider insists on a full name, enter book.yourcompany.com and check afterwards that the record did not become book.yourcompany.com.yourcompany.com.
  4. Delete leftover _vercel TXT records from earlier attempts, then add the one the editor shows now.
  5. If your DNS is behind Cloudflare, switch the record's proxy to DNS only (grey cloud). We cannot see through the proxy to verify the domain.
  6. Leave the Domain tab open. It re-checks every 20 seconds on its own and confirms as soon as the domain is live, so there is nothing to keep clicking.

To check the same thing from your own machine:

shell
dig +short CNAME book.yourcompany.com
# expected: custom.timetuna.com.

dig +short A yourcompany.com          # root domains only
# expected: 76.76.21.21

dig +short TXT _vercel.yourcompany.com
# expected: the value shown in the Domain tab, and no older ones
DNS is global and slow
Different resolvers cache DNS at different rates. Even after your change is correct, some visitors may see the old record for up to your previous TTL value (often 1 hour).
If the page already loads, you are done
The Domain tab confirms your domain by fetching it and checking that it serves your booking page. If it says connected, guests can book, whatever your DNS provider's own dashboard says.

Still not working?

Open with the full domain name and a screenshot of the Domain tab. The per-record status in that screenshot tells us straight away what to look at.