How to connect your own domain

Want visitors to see yourbusiness.com instead of yoursite.playcode.io? This guide walks you through it step by step. No technical knowledge needed - just follow along.

Before you start: You need a Pro account and a published project. Custom domains are a Pro feature.

First: which kind of project are you connecting?

Playcode has two ways to publish, and the DNS setup is slightly different for each. Pick the one that matches your project:

Not sure? Look at the URL your project shows when published. If it ends in .playcode.io, you have a static site (Pages). If it ends in .playcode.ai, you have a cloud app.

Where to buy a domain (if you don't have one yet)

We recommend Cloudflare Registrar. It is the easiest option for Playcode users:

• Cheapest prices - Cloudflare sells domains at cost, no markup
• CNAME flattening - works perfectly with root domains (more on this below)
• Simple DNS management - everything in one place
• No upsells - just a clean, reliable service

Other popular options: Namecheap, Google Domains, GoDaddy. They all work with Playcode, but Cloudflare makes the DNS setup easiest.

Important for everyone: Do the DNS step BEFORE adding the domain in Playcode. It makes everything go smoother.

Static sites - DNS setup

For Pages projects (*.playcode.io), all sites share one Playcode server. You'll point your domain at app.playcode.io.

Option A: CNAME record (recommended)

This is the best option. Use it if your domain provider supports it.

About root domains and CNAME: Technically, the DNS standard does not allow CNAME records on root domains (yourbusiness.com without www). However, Cloudflare supports this through a feature called "CNAME flattening" - it just works. Most other providers (GoDaddy, Namecheap) do not support CNAME on root domains. If your provider does not support it, use Option B below.

Option B: A record (if CNAME doesn't work for root domain)

If your domain provider does not allow CNAME on the root domain, use an A record instead. This points your domain directly to our server's IP address.

Note about A records: A records point to a specific IP address. If we ever need to change our server IP in the future, you would need to update this record. CNAME (Option A) does not have this problem because it points to a name, not an IP. This is why CNAME is always preferred when your provider supports it.

Tip: If you are using GoDaddy or Namecheap and want to use your root domain, the easiest solution is to transfer your domain to Cloudflare (it is simple and usually takes a few minutes). Then you can use CNAME for everything.

Cloud apps - DNS setup

For Cloud projects (*.playcode.ai), point your domain at Playcode's Cloud custom-domain IP. Do not CNAME your domain to your project subdomain. The project subdomain is only the default Playcode URL; custom domains route through the dedicated custom-domain edge.

Cloud custom-domain IP: 188.40.16.17. This is the stable production IP for Cloud app custom domains.

A record for root domain

Use this if you want yourbusiness.com to open your Cloud app.

A record for www

Add this too if you want www.yourbusiness.com to open the same Cloud app.

Cloudflare users: set these records to DNS only (gray cloud). If Cloudflare proxying is on, Cloudflare will try to serve the certificate instead of Playcode's Cloud edge.

Provider-specific instructions

These steps assume you've already picked the right target from above (app.playcode.io for static sites, or 188.40.16.17 for Cloud apps). Replace <target> with whichever applies to you.

Step 2: Add domain in Playcode

Wait 5-10 minutes after changing DNS, then:

1. Open your project in Playcode
2. Click Publish in the top right corner
3. Scroll down to Custom Domain
4. Click Attach
5. Type your domain name exactly as you set it up:
   • yourbusiness.com - if you configured the root domain
   • www.yourbusiness.com - if you configured the www subdomain
6. Click Attach

Common mistake: Only enter the domain name. Do not enter your project name, and do not add https:// in front.

• Correct: yourbusiness.com
• Wrong: https://yourbusiness.com
• Wrong: my-project-name

Step 3: Wait for SSL (automatic)

After adding your domain, Playcode does two things automatically:

1. HTTP access - your site works immediately at http://yourbusiness.com
2. SSL certificate - HTTPS is generated automatically. Cloud apps usually take under a minute; static sites take 1-2 hours (sometimes up to 24 hours). No action needed from you.

Once SSL is ready, your site works securely at https://yourbusiness.com.

Something not working?

Site not loading at all

• DNS changes can take up to 30 minutes to spread. Wait and try again.
• Double-check that your DNS record points to the right target for your project type (app.playcode.io for static sites, 188.40.16.17 for cloud apps).
• Make sure you entered the domain correctly in Playcode (no typos, no https://).

HTTPS not working after the expected time

• Cloudflare users: Make sure the proxy is OFF (gray cloud, not orange).
• Check that HTTP works first (http://yourbusiness.com). SSL is generated after HTTP works.
• For Cloud apps, make sure both root and www use A records to 188.40.16.17.

"Domain not valid" error

• Enter just the domain: yourbusiness.com or www.yourbusiness.com
• Do not enter your project name, random words, or URLs with https://

Quick summary

Still stuck? Chat with us using the chat button in the bottom right corner. We'll help you get your domain connected.