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Custom Domains

With a custom domain, your documentation site is accessible at an address you control -- for example, docs.yourcompany.com instead of the default Docsio subdomain.

Pro plan required

Custom domains are available exclusively on the Pro plan. Free plan users can publish to the default yourproject.docs.docsio.co subdomain. Upgrade to Pro to unlock custom domains.

Prerequisites​

Before setting up a custom domain, you need:

  1. A published project -- your site must be published at least once so that the underlying hosting is provisioned
  2. Access to your DNS provider -- you need to be able to add DNS records for your domain (e.g., Cloudflare, Namecheap, Route 53, Google Domains)

Setup Steps​

Step 1: Enter Your Domain​

  1. Open your project and navigate to Project Settings
  2. Scroll down to the Custom Domain section
  3. Enter your desired domain (e.g., docs.yourcompany.com)

The settings page will display DNS configuration instructions specific to your project.

Step 2: Add a CNAME Record​

Go to your DNS provider and add a CNAME record:

FieldValue
TypeCNAME
NameYour subdomain (e.g., docs)
Valueyourproject.docs.docsio.co

Replace yourproject with your actual project slug, which is shown in the setup instructions.

DNS propagation

After adding the CNAME record, wait a few minutes for DNS propagation before proceeding. Propagation times vary by DNS provider but typically take 1-5 minutes.

Step 3: Verify DNS​

Click the Verify DNS button in Project Settings. Docsio performs a CNAME lookup on your domain and checks that it points to the correct target.

  • Success -- a confirmation message appears, and the Connect Domain button becomes active
  • Failure -- an error message explains what went wrong:
    • If no CNAME record is found, the record may not have propagated yet
    • If a CNAME record points to the wrong target, the actual value is shown so you can correct it

Step 4: Connect Domain​

Once DNS is verified, click Connect Domain. Docsio adds your domain as an alias on the hosting provider. This step typically completes in a few seconds.

Step 5: SSL Provisioning​

SSL is provisioned automatically after connecting. This may take a few minutes. Once complete, your site is accessible over HTTPS at your custom domain.

Step 6: Republish​

After connecting your custom domain, republish your site to update all internal URLs and metadata to reference the new domain.

After Setup​

Once connected, your documentation site is accessible at both:

  • https://docs.yourcompany.com (your custom domain)
  • https://yourproject.docs.docsio.co (the Docsio subdomain, which continues to work)

The custom domain is used as the canonical URL in your site's metadata.

Removing a Custom Domain​

To disconnect your custom domain:

  1. Go to Project Settings > Custom Domain
  2. Click the Remove button
  3. The domain alias is removed from hosting, and your published URL reverts to the Docsio subdomain

After removing, you should also delete the CNAME record from your DNS provider to avoid pointing at a disconnected alias.

Republish after removing

After removing a custom domain, republish your site so that all URLs and metadata are updated to use the Docsio subdomain again.

Troubleshooting​

ProblemSolution
DNS verification failsConfirm the CNAME record is set correctly and wait a few minutes for propagation
Site not loading on custom domainSSL may still be provisioning. Wait 5-10 minutes and try again.
"Project must be published first"Publish your site at least once before configuring a custom domain
Wrong CNAME target shownMake sure your CNAME points to yourproject.docs.docsio.co, not the Netlify subdomain