How do I connect a custom domain to my VeloCMS blog?
Add your subdomain in /admin/settings, point a CNAME at proxy.velocms.org, and Cloudflare auto-provisions the SSL cert in 1-5 minutes.
To connect a custom domain to your VeloCMS blog, simply navigate to the /admin/settings page in your dashboard, enter your preferred web address, and point a CNAME record from your domain registrar directly to proxy.velocms.org. Keep in mind that custom domains require an active Pro, Business, or Agency plan — if your blog is in the limited free state (no active subscription), it stays on your *.velocms.org subdomain, with attribution, until you subscribe.
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Your blog on a velocms-dot-org subdomain is fine to start — but sooner or later you want it on your own name, the bare one, no www out front. That's the apex domain, and it's usually the fiddly part. Let me connect a real domain, root and all, step by step.
It all lives in one screen. Under Admin, then Setup, then Custom Domain — this is a paid-plan feature — I type in the domain I bought, bright-and-early-dot-com. VeloCMS takes it from there and lays out exactly what to do next, in plain steps.
Here's the choice most tutorials skip: subdomain or apex. A subdomain like www is the easy one. The apex — the bare bright-and-early-dot-com — is trickier, and VeloCMS has a tab for exactly that. It hands you different DNS records depending on which you pick. No guessing.
Each record is right there, copy-ready — the type, the name, the value. I copy them, hop over to wherever I bought the domain, and paste them into the DNS settings. That's the whole 'technical' part: copy from here, paste over there. Works with any registrar.
Back in VeloCMS, I hit Verify. It checks the records are live — DNS can take a little while to spread — and once they are, it issues the HTTPS certificate for you, automatically. No separate SSL step, no command line. Green padlock, handled.
And that's it — the blog now answers at bright-and-early-dot-com, the root domain, over HTTPS, with the old subdomain still redirecting so no link breaks. Your name, your address, no developer, no hosting panel. Just the domain you already owned, finally pointing home.
Your blog, on your own domain, root and all. Custom domains come with the paid plans — start at velocms dot org.
What kind of web addresses are currently supported?
Right now, you can link up any standard subdomain to give your AI-first Next.js blog that polished, professional vibe. Think along the lines of www.yourwebsite.com or something more specialized like blog.yourbrand.com. Naked apex domains (just yourwebsite.com, no prefix) are supported too — the domain wizard in /admin/setup/custom-domain detects your registrar and hands you the exact ANAME, ALIAS, or CNAME-flattening record it needs (or plain A records where none of those exist), so you don't have to guess. Here is a quick, actionable tip for you regardless: log into your domain provider and set up a basic URL redirect that forwards your naked domain straight over to your "www" address as a fallback. That way, if a reader forgets to type the prefix, they still land exactly where they need to be without encountering an error page.
Where do I find my DNS records and get verified?
The entire setup process happens directly inside your VeloCMS admin dashboard. You absolutely do not need to go sign up for your own Cloudflare account to make this work, because we handle all that heavy lifting under the hood! Once you type your chosen subdomain into the settings panel, our system generates a specific target for you. You just need to jump over to wherever you bought your web address (like Namecheap, GoDaddy, or Hover) and create a new CNAME record pointing directly to proxy.velocms.org. After saving that tweak at your registrar, bounce back over to your VeloCMS tab and click the "Verify Now" button. Hitting that button forces our servers to refresh your status immediately. While DNS propagation used to be a notorious headache that took an entire weekend, our modern architecture usually clears the whole process in a speedy one to five minutes.
Do I need to worry about security or manual SSL certificates?
You can completely cross SSL configuration off your technical to-do list! Because VeloCMS utilizes an enterprise-grade Cloudflare for SaaS architecture in the background, robust security is baked right into the connection from day one. The exact second your DNS changes finish propagating across the internet, Cloudflare automatically provisions and attaches a brand new Let's Encrypt SSL certificate to your blog. There is no need to generate confusing encryption keys, copy-paste weird text blobs, or set calendar reminders to renew your certificate next year. It genuinely just works behind the scenes, ensuring your readers see that comforting little padlock icon in their browser right out of the gate.
What happens if I change my mind and disconnect the address?
Sometimes your digital strategy shifts (maybe you decide to completely rebrand or launch a totally different project!), and unlinking an old address is just as painless as setting it up. If you decide to sever the connection from your admin settings, your hard work won't suddenly disappear into the void. Instead, the CMS smoothly catches the fall and instantly reverts your entire blog back to its original .velocms.org subdomain. Your PocketBase database stays completely intact, all your AI-generated posts remain safely published, and you can easily map a brand-new custom address whenever inspiration strikes.
Running a modern publication shouldn't require a degree in server management. We designed this routing flow to be as frictionless as possible so you can get back to doing what actually matters: publishing great content. If you happen to run into any stubborn DNS hiccups along the way, just double-check that your registrar hasn't accidentally added extra periods to your CNAME target!