A freshly provisioned RoamerHost site comes with its own *.roamerhost.com subdomain so you can go live immediately. But once you start building a brand in earnest, you normally want your own domain, such as www.yourbrand.com. This tutorial walks through the full process of connecting a custom domain and getting SSL issued automatically, so your site is served securely over HTTPS.
30-second overview
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| What you need | A domain you have bought yourself |
| What you change | The DNS settings in your registrar's control panel |
| SSL certificate | Issued and renewed automatically, no separate purchase |
| Time to take effect | DNS propagation, usually minutes to a few hours |
| Most common snag | DNS records added in the wrong place or never saved |
Before you start
Make sure you have the following ready before connecting a domain:
- You have bought a domain from a registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Gandi, Cloudflare, a Gandi reseller in Taiwan, Chunghwa Telecom, and so on).
- You can log in to that registrar's control panel and have permission to change DNS settings.
- Your RoamerHost site is up and running.
If you do not have a domain yet, you need to buy one from any registrar before you can connect it.
Step 1: Enter your domain in the dashboard
The whole process starts in the RoamerHost dashboard:
- Log in to the RoamerHost dashboard.
- Select the site you want to connect the domain to and open the "Domain" or "Connect domain" settings.
- Enter the domain you want to use (for example
www.yourbrand.comoryourbrand.com). - After you submit, the dashboard shows the DNS instructions you need to apply at your registrar: which records to add and where they should point.
Keep this page open — you will need the values it shows when you configure DNS at your registrar.
Step 2: Configure DNS at your registrar
DNS is the phone book of the internet: it tells browsers which server a domain should connect to. Following the instructions in the dashboard, add the matching records in your registrar's control panel. The two common record types are:
| Record type | Purpose | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| A | Points a domain at an IP address | Apex domain (for example yourbrand.com) |
| CNAME | Points a domain at another domain name | Subdomain (for example www.yourbrand.com) |
The steps look roughly like this:
- Log in to your registrar and find "DNS management" or "DNS settings" for the domain.
- Following the instructions in the RoamerHost dashboard, add an A record or a CNAME record.
- In the "Host/Name" field, enter the value the instructions specify (for example
wwwor@). - In the "Value/Points to" field, enter the address provided by the dashboard.
- Save the record.
Tip: registrars word their interfaces slightly differently, but they all have an "add record" form. If you are unsure, fill each field in against the dashboard instructions, or contact Support for help.
Step 3: Click "Verify" back in the dashboard
Once DNS is configured, return to the RoamerHost dashboard:
- Go back to the "Connect domain" page where you entered the domain.
- Click the "Verify" button.
- The system checks whether your DNS now points to RoamerHost correctly.
If DNS has taken effect, verification passes. If it does not, DNS is usually still propagating — wait a while and try again.
Step 4: Automatic SSL and redirects
The good news is that once verification passes, you never have to touch a certificate by hand:
- Automatic SSL: after verification, RoamerHost issues an SSL certificate for your domain through Let's Encrypt so the site is served securely over HTTPS, and the certificate renews automatically.
- Automatic redirects: once the domain is connected, the original
*.roamerhost.comaddress redirects to your new domain, so visitors never get lost.
When you type your own domain into a browser and see the padlock icon and https:// in the address bar, you are done.
Troubleshooting common DNS problems
Verification keeps failing
The most common reason is that DNS has not propagated yet. DNS changes take time to spread worldwide, usually anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, and in some cases up to 24–48 hours. Wait it out and click verify again.
Wrong or duplicate records
Check the following:
- The record type (A or CNAME) matches the dashboard instructions.
- The "Value/Points to" field is exactly right, with no stray spaces or characters.
- There are no old, conflicting records pointing somewhere else. If there are, delete them or correct their values.
Apex domain versus www
Be clear about whether you are using yourbrand.com (the apex domain) or www.yourbrand.com. They are two separate records. Set up the one you intend to use exactly as the dashboard instructs; if you want both forms to reach the site, you may need to configure both.
Using Cloudflare or another proxy
If your DNS is hosted on Cloudflare with the proxy enabled (the orange cloud), it can interfere with verification or SSL issuance. If you run into trouble, switch that record to "DNS only" (the grey cloud) and verify again.
How to check whether DNS has taken effect
Use an online DNS lookup tool (search for "DNS Checker"), enter your domain, and see whether the A or CNAME record has propagated worldwide and points to the right address.
Still stuck?
If you have followed the steps above and the domain still will not connect, do not worry — it is almost always a small DNS detail. Contact us through Support or email [email protected] with your domain name, and we will check the settings and finish the setup with you.
After the custom domain is connected, remember to open your WordPress admin and check Settings → General so the site address is updated and every link on the site uses your new domain.
A checklist for when DNS is not working
When verification fails after you have configured everything, it is usually one of these:
| Situation | How to check |
|---|---|
| You just saved the records | DNS propagation takes time; wait a while and retry |
| Records added at the wrong provider | The domain may have been transferred; confirm who actually manages it |
| Old conflicting records | Delete existing records with the same name first |
| A CDN or Cloudflare is in front | Proxy mode can hide the real record from verification |
| Wrong subdomain | www and the root domain are two separate records |
The second one is the easiest to miss: the domain you bought from registrar A may have its DNS managed by registrar B. Look at where the domain's name servers point — that is where you need to make the change.
FAQ
Q: Do I have to buy an SSL certificate separately?
No. Once verification passes, the certificate is requested and renewed automatically, so expiry is never your problem.
Q: Will the old subdomain still work after I connect a domain?
The system handles the redirect, and internal links switch over too. But external links pointing at the old address — other people's sites, social posts you already published — depend on that redirect staying in place. Do not expect them to update themselves.
Q: Can I use a www prefix?
Yes, but decide which one is primary. If both open and neither redirects to the other, you effectively have one site on two addresses, which search engines treat as duplicate content.
Q: Can I get started before I have bought a domain?
Yes. Build your content on the subdomain the system gives you and connect a domain later. The content is unaffected.
Q: Will changing domains hurt my search rankings?
There will be short-term fluctuation, which is normal. What matters is that the old address redirects correctly to the new one instead of turning into a 404. Done properly, rankings usually recover.
Sources and further reading
For WordPress specifications and best practices, the official documentation is authoritative:
- WordPress official documentation
- WordPress developer documentation—technical specs for plugins and themes
Further reading
- WordPress for Beginners: From Install to Your First Post
- WordPress Hosting FAQ: Plugins, PHP Settings and Troubleshooting
- Migrating WordPress from Shared Hosting: Six Things You Will Actually Hit
Want someone to do it for you?
When your requirements go beyond what plugins can do, someone has to touch the code. Roamer Tech takes on advanced WordPress development:
