--- title: "Connect a Custom Domain" label: "Custom domain" description: "Replace your default Cavuno subdomain with a custom domain you control." publishedAt: 2025-12-31 updatedAt: 2026-10-12 order: 4 status: "published" faqs: - question: How long does DNS propagation take? answer: "DNS changes typically take a few minutes to a few hours. In rare cases, full propagation across all global DNS servers can take up to 48 hours. The speed depends on your registrar and the TTL values on your existing records." - question: Can I use a subdomain like jobs.mycompany.com? answer: "Yes. Subdomains like jobs.yourcompany.com or careers.yourcompany.com are a popular choice because they let you run your job board under your main company brand without affecting your root domain's DNS. Use a CNAME record to connect a subdomain." - question: Do I need to buy an SSL certificate? answer: "No. Cavuno automatically provisions and renews SSL certificates for all custom domains at no extra cost. Your domain serves over HTTPS within minutes of verification." - question: Should I use a subdomain or a root domain? answer: "If you already have a company website, a subdomain such as jobs.yourcompany.com keeps its existing routes intact. A standalone board can use its own root domain. Choose from brand and DNS ownership needs; Google does not promise a generic ranking advantage for either option." - question: Can I apply DNS records without copying them by hand? answer: "Yes, when your DNS host supports Domain Connect. If Cavuno detects a supported provider for your domain, the manage dialog offers a one-click link that opens your provider and applies the required records. Manual setup still works for every other host." - question: Should I choose Cavuno hosts my board or I run my own frontend? answer: "Choose Cavuno hosts my board unless your domain already serves a site you built and deployed yourself with the @cavuno/board SDK. A self-hosted domain keeps its DNS at your hosting provider, and once it verifies, your Cavuno addresses and other custom domains redirect to it. If you pick the wrong option, you can switch back from the domain's setup panel." - question: My custom domain works, but why does Google still show Cavuno? answer: "An active custom domain changes live routing, while Google may still show a result saved from an earlier crawl. Make the custom domain primary in Settings → Domains, confirm its canonical URL and sitemap use that hostname, and inspect the custom-domain homepage in the matching Search Console property. Test the live URL and request indexing if the page is available. Google decides when to crawl and update a result, so there is no guaranteed deadline." --- A custom domain replaces your default Cavuno address with something you own, such as `jobs.yourcompany.com` or `remotejobs.io`. It gives you control of the public hostname and keeps board links under your brand. Search engines evaluate the content and technical signals on either a custom domain or Cavuno subdomain; connecting one does not guarantee stronger rankings. Every board starts with a free Cavuno subdomain that works immediately. To change only that address, follow [Change your Cavuno subdomain](/docs/board-setup/change-cavuno-subdomain). You can connect a custom domain whenever you're ready. There's no deadline, and switching later won't break anything. ## Before you begin You need a domain you own and access to its DNS provider. If you're using a subdomain like `jobs.yourcompany.com`, make sure you can add DNS records for the parent domain. ## Connect your domain 1. Go to **Settings** in the sidebar and click the **Domains** tab 2. Click **Connect domain** 3. If Cavuno asks who hosts your board, select **Cavuno hosts my board** and click **Continue**. See [Choose who hosts your board](#choose-who-hosts-your-board) 4. Enter the full hostname where your board should live (for example, `jobs.acme.com` or `remotejobs.io`) 5. Click **Add domain** Cavuno adds the domain and shows you the DNS records you need to configure. The domain appears in your list with a **Pending** status until DNS is verified. ## Choose who hosts your board A board is either hosted by Cavuno or served by a frontend you run yourself with the `@cavuno/board` SDK. When the board hasn't made that choice yet, **Connect domain** first asks who hosts your board: - **Cavuno hosts my board**: you point the domain's DNS at Cavuno, and Cavuno serves your board on it. This is the right choice for most boards, including boards built with the AI website builder. - **I run my own frontend**: the domain already serves a site you built and deployed with the SDK. Its DNS stays with your hosting provider, and you add one TXT record to prove you own the domain. Cavuno then opens the TXT setup panel. Follow [Launch a self-hosted frontend](/docs/sdk/production/self-hosted-frontend). Only choose **I run my own frontend** if the domain already serves your own SDK site. Cavuno does not serve a self-hosted domain, so visitors would reach whatever your hosting provider serves there. The question appears only when all of these are true: - you have permission to manage API keys (the same permission that shows **Settings → SDK**); - the board has a publishable key; - the board has no self-hosted frontend yet; and - the board has no active Cavuno-hosted custom domain. Otherwise **Connect domain** opens straight on the domain form and adds a Cavuno-hosted domain. ### Domains on a self-hosted board Once a board's self-hosted domain is active, the board's Cavuno addresses and every other custom domain on the board redirect to it. The domain form on **Settings → Domains** says so, and any domain you connect there afterwards also redirects to the self-hosted domain. ### Move a live domain to self-hosting If an **Active** Cavuno-hosted domain should move to your own frontend, click **Manage** beside it, open the **⋯** menu at the bottom of the panel, and choose **Move to self-hosting…**. This opens **Settings → SDK**, where you set up the frontend and repoint DNS first. Cavuno does not switch a live domain in place, because it would stop serving the domain while its DNS still points at Cavuno. The full procedure is in [Launch a self-hosted frontend](/docs/sdk/production/self-hosted-frontend#add-the-frontend-in-cavuno). ## Configure your DNS records 1. Open the three-dot menu next to your domain 2. Click **Manage** to see the exact DNS records you need ### One-click setup with Domain Connect If Cavuno can detect that your domain's DNS is managed by a Domain Connect-capable provider, the manage dialog says so and includes a **Click here** link to apply the required records at that provider automatically. 1. Click the link in the manage dialog 2. Sign in at your DNS provider if prompted and approve the template 3. Return to Cavuno and use **Refresh status** when the provider confirms the records You can still add the records manually from the same dialog if you prefer. Providers without Domain Connect only show the manual checklist. ### Manual setup Log in to your domain registrar and add the records shown in the **Manage** dialog. Use the values currently shown there even if an older email, screenshot, or registrar guide shows different values. **For a subdomain** (like `jobs.yourcompany.com`): add a **CNAME** record pointing your subdomain to the target value shown in the management dialog. **For a root domain** (like `yourjobboard.com`): add an **A** record pointing `@` to the IP address shown in the management dialog. You may also see an optional **CNAME** record for `www` that forwards www traffic to your board. If a **TXT** record for domain verification is shown, add it exactly as displayed. The record name and value must match precisely. Disable any registrar **Domain forwarding**, **URL forwarding**, or **URL redirect** rule for the same hostname. Those rules can intercept requests before they reach the DNS records Cavuno asks you to add. This is separate from the DNS records Cavuno manages for the primary domain. Set the TTL to 3600 (or Auto if your registrar offers that option). Lower TTL values mean faster propagation if you need to make changes later. The management dialog shows a status indicator next to each record: **Valid** means the record is correctly configured, **Missing** means it hasn't been detected yet, and **Mismatch** means the record exists but points to the wrong value. ## Verify your domain DNS changes typically propagate within a few minutes to a few hours, though it can take up to 48 hours in rare cases. Once you've added your records: 1. Open the three-dot menu next to your domain 2. Click **Refresh status** You don't need to keep clicking refresh. Check back after a few minutes if the first attempt still shows **Awaiting DNS**. Once everything resolves correctly, the status changes to **Active** and your domain starts serving your job board over HTTPS automatically. ## Set a primary domain If you connect multiple domains, you can choose which one Cavuno uses as the canonical domain for job links, emails, and SEO meta tags. 1. Open the three-dot menu next to an active domain 2. Click **Set as primary** This option only appears for domains with **Active** status. Your primary domain is used in Cavuno's job-alert links, canonical metadata, and [Google for Jobs](/docs/job-board-seo/google-for-jobs) structured data. Google decides which URL to show in search results, but a consistent primary URL reduces conflicting signals. Every other active domain on your board, on both the root domain and `www`, permanently redirects to the primary domain, keeping the path and query string. To move your board to a new domain and keep the old one redirecting, follow [Move your board to a new domain](/docs/board-setup/change-domain). ## If Google still shows the old Cavuno address or branding First separate the live website from Google's saved search result. If the custom domain opens your board and the Domains page marks it **Active**, live routing works. Google's result can still reflect an earlier crawl of the Cavuno address, title, or description. 1. In **Settings** → **Domains**, confirm the custom domain is **Active** and marked **Primary** 2. Open the public homepage on that hostname and confirm it has the intended page title and branding 3. Confirm the canonical URL and `sitemap.xml` use the primary hostname; see [Technical SEO](/docs/job-board-seo/technical-seo) 4. In Google Search Console, select or add a property that contains the exact custom hostname. A URL-prefix property must match the protocol and hostname; a Domain property can cover its subdomains 5. Inspect the full custom-domain homepage URL. Run **Test live URL**, then use **Request indexing** if the page is available to Google 6. Submit the sitemap from the custom hostname in that same property The indexed result and the live test can differ until Google crawls the page again. A request asks Google to recrawl the URL but does not guarantee when or whether the displayed result will change. For more checks, see [Troubleshooting](/docs/troubleshooting#google-still-shows-the-old-domain-or-branding). ## Cloudflare users If you manage your DNS through Cloudflare, make sure the proxy status on your CNAME record is set to **DNS only** (the cloud icon should be grey, not orange). Cloudflare's proxy is incompatible with Cavuno's hosting and will cause verification to fail. Cavuno detects this automatically and shows a warning if a CDN proxy is detected. ## Troubleshooting **Domain stuck on Pending or Awaiting DNS:** Double-check that your DNS records match exactly what the management dialog shows. Use a tool like [dnschecker.org](https://dnschecker.org) to verify your records are visible globally. If it's been more than 48 hours, there may be a configuration issue. Reach out to support. **DNS records look correct but the domain opens somewhere else:** Check the registrar for Domain forwarding, URL forwarding, or URL redirect rules on the same hostname and disable them. Then compare every DNS record with the current values under **Settings** → **Domains** → **Manage**. **SSL certificate errors after verification:** Cavuno provisions SSL certificates automatically once your domain is verified. If you see certificate warnings, wait 10–15 minutes and try again in an incognito window. Cached certificate data in your browser can cause false errors. **Domain added as Cavuno-hosted, but it serves your own SDK site:** If the domain has not gone live yet, click **Manage**, open the **⋯** menu at the bottom of the panel, and choose **Switch to self-hosted**. The confirmation lists any other domains that will redirect once it verifies. See [Launch a self-hosted frontend](/docs/sdk/production/self-hosted-frontend#i-added-the-domain-as-a-cavuno-hosted-domain). **Domain added as self-hosted by mistake:** In the setup panel that opens after you choose **I run my own frontend**, open the **⋯** menu at the bottom and choose **Switch to Cavuno-hosted**. The panel then shows the DNS records to point the domain at Cavuno. If you have already closed the panel, use **Revert to Cavuno Cloud** in **Settings → SDK** instead. **"Domain already in use" error:** This domain is connected to another Cavuno board. If you own the domain and need to move it, contact support. ## Next steps After the domain is **Active** and primary, you can use your own credentials for [Google sign-in](/docs/board-setup/google-oauth-setup) or [LinkedIn sign-in](/docs/board-setup/linkedin-oauth-setup) so the consent screen shows your domain, then [connect Google Search Console](/docs/analytics/connect-search-console) for the new hostname.