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Lovable custom domain not working — DNS and Vercel fix guide

Lovable custom domain not working — DNS and Vercel fix guide

Last updated 17 April 2026 · 6 min read · By Hyder Shah
Emergency triage — $299Free diagnostic
Direct answer

Lovable deploys to Vercel by default. Adding a custom domain requires adding DNS records at your registrar pointing to Vercel, then configuring the domain in your Vercel project settings. Three things commonly go wrong: wrong DNS record type (A vs CNAME), DNS propagation delay (up to 48h), and SSL certificate not provisioningbecause the domain isn’t fully pointed yet.

Quick fix for Lovable custom domain not working —

Start here

Step 1 — Add domain in Vercel

Vercel Dashboard → your project → Settings → Domains → Add Domain. Enter your domain (without https://). Vercel shows you the DNS records to add.

Deeper fixes when the quick fix fails

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    Step 2 — Add DNS records at your registrar

    At your domain registrar (Namecheap, Cloudflare, GoDaddy), add the records Vercel provided. For apex domains (yoursite.com): add an A record pointing to 76.76.21.21. For www subdomains: add a CNAME pointing to cname.vercel-dns.com.

    Note:if using Cloudflare, set DNS-only (grey cloud), not proxied (orange cloud). Proxied records block Vercel’s automatic certificate issuance.

  2. 03

    Step 3 — Wait for DNS propagation

    DNS changes take 15 minutes to 48 hours to propagate. Check progress at dnschecker.org — search for your domain and verify the A or CNAME record is showing correctly globally. Vercel will auto-provision SSL once DNS is propagated.

  3. 04

    Step 4 — Force SSL in Vercel

    In Vercel project → Settings → Domains, verify your domain shows “Valid Configuration”. If SSL shows “Pending”, click Refresh. If it still fails after 48h, remove the domain and re-add it — this forces a new SSL certificate request.

After it works

Test both yourdomain.com and www.yourdomain.comin a fresh browser and in incognito. If one redirects and the other doesn’t, fix the redirect rule in Vercel’s domain settings. Update any environment variable (Site URL, OAuth redirect URL) that still references the old Vercel preview URL.

Why AI-built apps hit Lovable custom domain not working —

Lovable uses Vercel for hosting. Vercel manages SSL certificates automatically — but only after your DNS is correctly pointed. Until then, your domain shows an SSL error or “site can’t be reached”.

The most common misconfiguration is a Cloudflare-proxied record (orange cloud) blocking Vercel’s automatic certificate issuance, or an A record pointed at the wrong IP for an apex domain.

“Added my domain 3 days ago, still getting 'Site can't be reached'”
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Diagnose Lovable custom domain not working — by failure mode

Match your symptom to the most likely cause before applying a fix.

SymptomCauseFix
Domain shows SSL / certificate errorDNS records not yet propagated, cert not issuedWait + Step 3
Site can't be reached / DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAINWrong record type (A vs CNAME) or typo at registrarStep 2
Vercel says 'Invalid Configuration' next to the domainCloudflare proxying (orange cloud) or wrong apex IPStep 2 + Step 4

Related errors we fix

Still stuck with Lovable custom domain not working —?

Emergency triage · $299 · 48h turnaround
We restore service and write the root-cause report.

If your domain has been pending for days, or you need launch-day certainty, we handle the DNS and Vercel configuration end-to-end:

  • →Your domain has been stuck on 'Pending' for more than 48 hours
  • →You're on Cloudflare and can't figure out proxy vs DNS-only
  • →You have a launch deadline and need this working today
  • →You want a hardened production setup, not just a domain pointed
start the triage →
Free Rescue Diagnostic
$0
30-min call, we tell you exactly what's wrong
Emergency Triage
$299 · 48h
Domain + SSL configured and verified
Deployment & Launch
From $1,999
Full productionization with domain, env, monitoring

Lovable custom domain not working — questions

How long does a Lovable custom domain take to work?+
Usually 15 minutes to 2 hours once DNS is correctly configured. In the worst case — typically Cloudflare-proxied records or a slow registrar — it can take the full 48 hours. If you're past 48 hours with 'Pending' in Vercel, the configuration is wrong, not slow.
Do I use an A record or CNAME for a Lovable custom domain?+
Apex domains (yoursite.com with no subdomain) need an A record pointing to 76.76.21.21. Subdomains like www.yoursite.com or app.yoursite.com need a CNAME pointing to cname.vercel-dns.com. Vercel's domain settings show you the exact record to add.
Why is my Lovable domain stuck on 'Invalid Configuration' in Vercel?+
The most common cause is Cloudflare proxying (orange cloud) which hides the real DNS record from Vercel's verification. Set the record to DNS-only (grey cloud). Other causes: wrong A record IP, missing CNAME, or the domain is still using the old registrar's default nameservers.
Can I use Cloudflare with a Lovable app?+
Yes, but use DNS-only records (grey cloud). Let Vercel handle SSL. If you want Cloudflare's proxy (orange cloud), you need to disable Vercel's automatic SSL and use Cloudflare's Full (Strict) mode with a Cloudflare Origin Certificate — significantly more complex setup.
My SSL certificate keeps failing. What do I do?+
Remove the domain from Vercel entirely, wait 5 minutes, and re-add it. This forces a fresh Let's Encrypt certificate request. If it still fails, check that the CAA record at your registrar (if any) allows Let's Encrypt — it must include letsencrypt.org or be absent entirely.
How much does a deployment fix cost?+
A single-domain deploy fix runs $299 as Emergency Triage with 48-hour turnaround. Full productionization (custom domain, env vars, SSL, monitoring) is included in our Deployment & Launch package from $1,999.
Next step

Ship the fix. Keep the fix.

Emergency Triage restores service in 48 hours. Break the Fix Loop rebuilds CI so this error cannot ship again.

Emergency triage — $299Free diagnostic
About the author

Hyder Shah leads Afterbuild Labs, shipping production rescues for apps built in Lovable, Bolt.new, Cursor, Replit, v0, and Base44. our rescue methodology.

Lovable custom domain not working — experts

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