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Overview

By default, all published Stardeck projects are automatically accessible at project-slug.stardeck.site where project-slug is your project’s unique identifier. Custom domains allow you to host your Stardeck projects on your own domain name (like www.your-site.com) instead of the default project-slug.stardeck.site subdomain. This guide will walk you through the entire process of setting up a custom domain.

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Prerequisites

Before you can set up a custom domain, you need:
  1. A published project - Your project must be deployed and live on Stardeck
  2. Access to your domain’s DNS settings - You’ll need to modify DNS records
  3. Organization admin access - Custom domains are managed at the organization level
If your project isn’t published yet, you’ll need to deploy it first through the Deployment tab in your project settings.

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Step 1: Add Domain to Your Organization

First, you need to add your domain to your organization’s available domains:
  1. Navigate to Organization Settings
    • Go to your Dashboard
    • Click the Settings icon in the top navigation
    • Select the Domains tab
  2. Add Your Domain
    • In the “Add New Domain” section, enter your domain name
    • Enter just the domain (e.g., example.com) - Stardeck will automatically add the www. prefix
    • Click Add Domain
Only www subdomains are supported. Stardeck will automatically add www. if not provided and help you redirect traffic from your apex domain.

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Step 2: Configure DNS Records

After adding your domain, you’ll see DNS configuration instructions. You need to add several DNS records to validate ownership and enable SSL:

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Domain & SSL Validation (TXT Records)

You’ll need to add two TXT records for validation: Domain Ownership Validation:
  • Record Type: TXT
  • Name/Host: (provided by Stardeck, usually something like _stardeck-domain-verification.www.example.com)
  • Value: (unique verification token provided by Stardeck)
SSL Certificate Validation:
  • Record Type: TXT
  • Name/Host: (provided by Stardeck for SSL validation)
  • Value: (unique SSL verification token provided by Stardeck)

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Traffic Routing (CNAME Record)

Main CNAME Record:
  • Record Type: CNAME
  • Name/Host: www.example.com (your full domain)
  • Points To: cname.stardeck.dev

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Apex Domain Redirect (Optional)

To redirect visitors from your apex domain (example.com) to your www subdomain (www.example.com):
  • Record Type: A Record + URL Redirect (varies by DNS provider)
  • Name/Host: @ (or leave blank)
  • Redirect To: www.example.com
The apex domain redirect setup varies by DNS provider. Look for “URL forwarding”, “domain redirect”, or similar features in your DNS provider’s interface.

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Step 3: Validate DNS Configuration

After adding all DNS records:
  1. Wait for propagation - DNS changes can take up to 24 hours to fully propagate
  2. Check validation status - In your organization’s Domains tab, you’ll see validation status for each step:
    • Ownership (TXT record validation)
    • SSL TXT (SSL certificate validation)
    • CNAME (traffic routing validation)
    • Redirect (apex domain redirect validation)
  3. Use validation buttons - Click the “Check” buttons next to each validation step to manually trigger validation

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Step 4: Assign Domain to Project

Once your domain is fully validated:
  1. Go to your project
  2. Open Project Settings - Click the settings icon in your project
  3. Navigate to Custom Domain tab
  4. Select your domain - Choose from your organization’s validated domains
  5. Assign domain - Click to assign the domain to your project

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Common DNS Provider Examples

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Cloudflare

  • TXT records: Add in DNS management with the exact name/host and value
  • CNAME: Point www.example.com to cname.stardeck.dev
  • Apex redirect: Use “Page Rules” or “Redirect Rules” to redirect example.com to www.example.com

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Name-cheap

  • TXT records: Add in “Advanced DNS” section
  • CNAME: Add CNAME record with host www pointing to cname.stardeck.dev
  • Apex redirect: Use “Redirect Domain” feature in domain settings

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GoDaddy

  • TXT records: Add in DNS management
  • CNAME: Add with name www and points to cname.stardeck.dev
  • Apex redirect: Use “Forwarding” in domain settings

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Troubleshooting

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DNS Not Propagating

  • DNS changes can take up to 24 hours
  • Use tools like dig or online DNS checkers to verify propagation
  • Clear your browser cache and try incognito mode

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Validation Failing

  • Double-check that TXT record names and values match exactly
  • Ensure there are no extra spaces in DNS record values
  • Some DNS providers require a trailing dot for full domain names

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CNAME Conflicts

  • Remove any existing A records for the same subdomain
  • CNAME records cannot coexist with other record types for the same name
  • Ensure you’re using www.your-domain.com and not the apex domain for the CNAME

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Still Having Issues?

If you’re still experiencing problems:
  1. Check the validation status in your organization’s Domains tab
  2. Use the “Check” buttons to manually trigger validation
  3. Contact Stardeck support through your dashboard with your domain name and error details
Need help with DNS configuration? Many DNS providers have specific guides for adding TXT and CNAME records. Check your provider’s documentation or contact their support for assistance.