Publish to an anticode.dev address, then move to your own domain
Every Anticode site can go live straight away at an address you choose under anticode.dev. On a paid plan you can also connect a domain you own: add one DNS record, Cloudflare checks you control the name and issues the certificate, and the site starts answering on your domain once both are done.
Step one: an address under anticode.dev
When you publish, you pick the first part of the address: reids-barbers.anticode.dev, for example. It can be 3 to 40 letters, numbers or single dashes. A few names that would look official, such as www, api, admin, login, support and billing, are reserved, and an address someone else already uses is refused with a message saying it's taken.
Publishing also needs a confirmed email address, so throwaway sign-ups can't host pages under Anticode's name. The address works over HTTPS from the moment the site is live, and it stays available after you add your own domain, so links you've already shared keep working.
Step two: connecting a domain you own
Custom domains are part of the paid plans (see pricing for which). Open the published project's Domains panel, type the name you want, such as www.yourcompany.com, and choose Connect. Anticode registers it with Cloudflare for SaaS and shows you exactly what to add at your DNS provider:
| Type | Name | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| CNAME | The hostname you entered | Points the name at Anticode's sites so requests arrive at your site |
| TXT | A verification name Cloudflare gives you | Shown when Cloudflare wants a separate proof that you control the domain |
Each value has a Copy button, so you don't retype long strings. Once the records are in, press Check again. The panel shows one of three states: Waiting for DNS, Live, or Couldn't verify. It usually takes a few minutes and occasionally up to a day, depending on your DNS provider.
Why it waits for both checks
Most of the friction in any AI website builder custom domain set-up is the gap between adding a record and the site working. Here, a domain only serves your site when Cloudflare reports the hostname as verified and its certificate as active. Until then, nothing is served on that name, so visitors never see a certificate warning or a half-working page. The certificate is issued and renewed for you, with TLS 1.2 as the minimum; there's nothing to buy or upload.
A few rules stop the obvious abuses. A hostname can be connected to one site only, across all of Anticode. Names under Anticode's own domains can't be claimed as someone's custom domain. IP addresses aren't accepted, and neither are entries with https:// or a path in them.
Subdomain or bare domain
The panel suggests a subdomain such as www or book, because a CNAME is the standard way to point one. A bare domain (yourcompany.com with nothing in front) can only take a CNAME-style record if your DNS provider supports CNAME flattening or ALIAS records, so check that before you try. If yours doesn't, connect www and set a redirect from the bare name at your registrar. The guide to CNAME and A records explains the difference, and connecting a custom domain walks through it at common registrars.
If verification fails
- The record has a typo or the wrong name. Some DNS providers add your domain to the name automatically, so
www.yourcompany.combecomeswww.yourcompany.com.yourcompany.com. Enter justwwwin that case. - A proxy is in the way. If your DNS provider offers its own proxy for a record, try setting this record to DNS only while it verifies.
- An old record conflicts. Remove any existing A or CNAME record for the same name before adding the new one.
- It timed out. When Cloudflare gives up, the panel says so. Fix the record, remove the domain and connect it again.
What's not included
- Buying domains. Anticode doesn't sell or register domains. Buy one from any registrar and connect it.
- Email on your domain. Connecting a domain points the website only. Mailboxes on the same domain are set up with your email provider.
- Free plan. The free plan publishes to an anticode.dev address only, and free sites carry the Made with Anticode badge.
- A set number per plan. Each paid plan connects a limited number of domains; the panel tells you when you've reached yours.
Questions people ask
Do I need to buy an SSL certificate?
No. Cloudflare issues the certificate when your domain is verified and renews it for you. Your domain only starts serving the site once the certificate is active.
Will my anticode.dev address stop working when I add a domain?
No. The site answers on both, so links you shared before keep working.
Can I connect a domain someone else already uses on Anticode?
No. Each hostname can be connected to one site only. If you own the name and it's taken, contact support.
How long does it take?
Usually a few minutes after the DNS record is in place, and sometimes up to a day. Press Check again in the Domains panel to see the current state.