Lanlan.docs

Connect a custom domain

Put your site on your own address, like rosiebakes.com — one you already own, or a new one bought through Lanlan.

Every site starts on a free address like rosie-bakes.lanlan.site. A custom domain is an address of your own, like rosiebakes.com. Your free address keeps working either way.

What you need

  • A Pro site. Custom domains are part of Pro, at $15 a month for that site. Connecting a domain you already own costs nothing extra. Plans and billing.
  • To be the site's owner. People you've invited can't connect or change the domain.
  • If you already own the domain: access to where you bought it (your domain registrar, such as GoDaddy, Namecheap or Cloudflare).

A site can have one custom domain.

Option 1: Buy a new domain through Lanlan

  1. Ask Lanlan: "Is rosiebakes.com available?" — or open the Domain page and choose Register a new domain.
  2. Lanlan shows the price. Domains are sold at the registrar's own price, with no markup: a .com starts at about $12 a year, and other endings vary.
  3. Confirm and pay. If the site isn't Pro yet, you can upgrade it in the same checkout.

The domain is connected for you, including the www. version, usually within 5–10 minutes. It's registered with Cloudflare Registrar, with your personal details kept private in the public domain records.

Renewing. Before the domain's yearly renewal, you get an email with a link to pay the renewal price, 45 days and again 14 days ahead. If it's still unpaid 5 days before it expires, automatic renewal pauses and you get a final reminder — pay it to keep the domain. You can turn automatic renewal off on the Domain page. To move the domain to another registrar, use Email me the transfer code on the Domain page.

Option 2: Connect a domain you already own

  1. Ask Lanlan: "Connect rosiebakes.com to this site." — or open the Domain page and choose Connect a domain you own.
  2. Lanlan gives you a short list of DNS records to add at your registrar. DNS records are the settings that tell the internet where your domain points. You'll add between one and four records, depending on the domain and your registrar. Copy them exactly.
  3. Before adding them, delete any old records for the same names (usually @ and www) that point somewhere else.
  4. Come back to the Domain page and watch the status. Press Test your domain to check.

Most domains work within 5–10 minutes. DNS changes can sometimes take up to 24 hours to spread, and the secure padlock (HTTPS) is added automatically once the domain points to Lanlan.

The status on the Domain page

  • Live — your domain is working.
  • Pending DNS — Lanlan can't see your new records yet. Check they match exactly, then wait.
  • Routing pending or SSL pending — nearly there; the connection or padlock is being set up.
  • Error — something doesn't match. Compare your records with the list again, or ask Lanlan for help.

To disconnect a domain, press Disconnect custom domain on the Domain page.

If the site stops being Pro

Your own domain is part of Pro. If you cancel a site's Pro plan — or a payment fails and isn't fixed within three days — the site goes back to Free and its custom domain is disconnected. The site keeps working at its .lanlan.site address. Make the site Pro again and reconnect the domain from the Domain page.

A domain you bought through Lanlan stays yours either way. If you cancel all your Pro sites, its automatic renewal pauses; pay the renewal when the reminder email arrives and it switches back on.

What to try next

If you get stuck

Ask Lanlan. In Tell Lanlan, "I can't figure out how to…" almost always gets you unstuck. For anything Lanlan can't help with, email support.