Connect a custom domain

Why connect a custom domain

Instead of (or in addition to) your default *.essential.support address, you can serve your support portal at your own domain — for example support.yourcompany.com — so it feels fully native to your brand. Settings → Branding → Custom domain lets you register one custom domain, walks you through the DNS record it needs, and verifies it before making it live.

Add your domain

Click the gear icon in the top bar to open Settings.
In the left-hand navigation, click Branding, then click the Custom domain sub-tab.
Read the description at the top of the page — it names your current default address and your current canonical (actively serving) host.
Below the description, this page also states whether domains are registered automatically or need an extra manual step: “The domain is registered automatically and becomes your canonical host once it verifies,” or, if automatic registration isn’t configured, “Add the domain in the Render dashboard too (manual mode).” Note which mode applies before you continue.
If you have no custom domain yet, you’ll see a field placeholdered “support.yourcompany.com” and an Add domain button. Type your domain and click Add domain.

Domain requirements

Must be a valid hostname: letters, numbers, dots, and hyphens, containing at least one dot, up to 253 characters.
It cannot be essential.support itself, or any *.essential.support subdomain — bring your own domain, not one of ours.
It can’t already be claimed by another Essential Support workspace; you’ll see “That host is already in use.” if it is.
Only one custom domain is allowed per workspace at a time. To switch to a different domain, remove the existing one first — you’ll see “You can only add one custom domain. Remove the existing one first.” if you try to add a second.

Create the DNS record

Once added, your domain appears with a “pending” status and the DNS instructions it needs:

Open your domain’s DNS settings at your registrar or DNS provider.
Create a CNAME record using the three values shown on this page next to your domain: Type is CNAME, Name is the exact hostname you entered, and Points to is the target value Essential Support displays there — copy it exactly as shown rather than typing it from memory, since it’s specific to this deployment.
If the domain you entered looks like a bare root/apex domain (for example “yourcompany.com” with no subdomain), a warning explains that most DNS providers can’t CNAME an apex record — use a subdomain like “support.” instead, or your provider’s ALIAS/ANAME record type if it offers one.
A CAA warning is always shown too: if your domain has CAA records, add entries authorizing Render’s certificate authorities — letsencrypt.org and pki.goog — or certificate (TLS) issuance will fail silently even after your CNAME is correct.
If this site is in manual mode (see step 4 above), also add the domain in the Render dashboard yourself — the automatic registration step is skipped.

Verify and go live

After creating the DNS record, allow time for it to propagate, then click Verify next to your domain.
Once verification succeeds, the status changes to “verified”. If you were still on your default *.essential.support address, the domain is automatically promoted to your canonical (actively serving) host — no extra click needed.
If your canonical host was already something else, click Make canonical next to the verified domain to switch your portal over to it manually.
To disconnect a domain at any point, click Remove. If it was your canonical host, your portal automatically falls back to serving on your default *.essential.support subdomain.

Notes and edge cases

Verification is not instant right after you create the DNS record — propagation can take anywhere from minutes to about a day depending on your provider and TTL. Simply click Verify again once you expect it to have propagated.
If the CNAME doesn’t yet resolve correctly, clicking Verify just leaves the domain in “pending” status — nothing destructive happens, and you can retry as many times as you need.
If you’ve never added a custom domain, a Workspace subdomain section is shown at the top of this same page instead — see Change your workspace subdomain.