How do I fix a custom domain that will not verify?

Verification reads one Domain Name System (DNS) TXT (text) record. Check that it exists on the right name, has the exact value shown in the card, and has propagated.

Checklist

  1. Name. For status.example.com the TXT record belongs on status-statusraptor.example.com, not on status.example.com. The name is the first label of your hostname, then -statusraptor, then the rest.

  2. Value. Exactly statusraptor-verify=<token>, with the token from the card. Some DNS providers add quotes or split long values. Check how yours displays it.

  3. Propagation. Query the record from your machine:

    dig TXT status-statusraptor.example.com

    If it is empty, wait a few minutes and try again.

  4. Token. If you removed and re-added the domain, or changed the hostname, the token changed. Copy the new one.

  5. Select Verify again.

Questions

The domain is verified but the page does not load.

Check the CNAME (canonical name) record: your hostname must point at the host shown in the card. A CNAME is not allowed on a bare domain such as example.com, so use a subdomain.

The browser warns about the certificate.

The certificate is issued on the first Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) request, which can take a few seconds. Reload after a moment.

Adding the domain is rejected.

A hostname can belong to one active service only. Remove it from the other service first, and check that it is a valid hostname such as status.example.com.