Have a project on Vercel but still using the *.vercel.app domain? It’s time to upgrade to a custom domain! In this tutorial, we’ll set up a custom domain using Cloudflare as DNS manager—a powerful combination for website performance and security.

Why Custom Domain?

Before we start, here’s why custom domains are important:

Professionalism — projectname.com is more credible than projectname.vercel.app
Branding — Your own domain = strong brand identity
SEO — Search engines favor custom domains
Professional email — Can set up hello@projectname.com
Full control — You own it, you control it

Step 1: Buy a Domain

First, you need a domain. Some recommended registrars:

Option 1: Namecheap

Affordable prices for popular TLDs (.com, .dev, .io)
Free WhoisGuard (privacy protection)
User-friendly interface

Option 2: Google Domains

Simple pricing, no hidden fees
Easy integration with Google services
Clean interface

Option 3: Cloudflare Registrar

At-cost pricing (no markup)
Directly integrated with Cloudflare DNS
No renewal price increases

Pro tip: If you buy a domain at Cloudflare Registrar, step 2 can be skipped since DNS is already automatically on Cloudflare.

Step 2: Setup Cloudflare DNS

Cloudflare will be our DNS manager. This makes websites faster and more secure.

2.1 Create Cloudflare Account

Go to cloudflare.com
Click Sign Up and create an account
Choose the Free plan (sufficient for most use cases)

2.2 Add Domain

In the dashboard, click Add a Site
Enter your domain (example: projectname.com)
Select Free plan, then click Continue
Cloudflare will scan existing DNS records

2.3 Update Nameserver

Cloudflare will give you 2 nameservers, for example:

ada.ns.cloudflare.com
bob.ns.cloudflare.com

Go to the registrar where you bought your domain, then change the nameservers to those provided by Cloudflare.

At Namecheap:

Login → Domain List
Click Manage on your domain
In the Nameservers section, select Custom DNS
Enter Cloudflare nameservers

At Google Domains:

Login → Select domain
Click DNS → Custom name servers
Enter Cloudflare nameservers

DNS propagation usually takes 5-30 minutes, but can take up to 24 hours.

Step 3: Connect Domain to Vercel

Now we connect the domain to your Vercel project.

3.1 Add Domain in Vercel

Open vercel.com and login
Select the project you want to connect
Go to Settings → Domains
Click Add and enter your domain
Vercel will display DNS instructions

3.2 Add DNS Records in Cloudflare

Vercel usually asks you to add one of these:

Option A - A Record (recommended for apex domain):

Type	Name	Content
A	@	76.76.21.21

Option B - CNAME Record (for www or subdomain):

Type	Name	Content
CNAME	www	cname.vercel-dns.com

How to add in Cloudflare:

Go to your domain dashboard
Click the DNS tab → Records
Click Add record
Fill according to the table above
Important: Set proxy status to DNS only (gray cloud icon)

3.3 Why Must Proxy Be Off?

Vercel already has its own CDN and SSL. If Cloudflare proxy is active (orange cloud), issues can occur:

SSL conflict
Redirect loop
Performance issues

So for the main domain, turn off Cloudflare proxy.

Step 4: SSL Configuration

Vercel automatically generates a free SSL certificate via Let’s Encrypt. But we need to ensure correct settings.

4.1 Vercel SSL

In Vercel dashboard → Settings → Domains
Make sure the domain has Valid Configuration status
SSL certificate will auto-generate within a few minutes

4.2 Cloudflare SSL Settings

Since proxy is off, SSL is fully handled by Vercel. But if you enable proxy for other subdomains:

Go to SSL/TLS in Cloudflare
Set mode to Full (strict)
This prevents mixed content and SSL errors

Step 5: Redirect www to non-www (or vice versa)

Choose one version as the primary domain. Usually developers prefer non-www (projectname.com).

5.1 Setup in Vercel

In Settings → Domains, add both versions:
- projectname.com
- www.projectname.com
Click one and select Set as Primary
The other version will auto-redirect to primary

5.2 DNS Records for Both

In Cloudflare, add:

Type	Name	Content	Proxy
A	@	76.76.21.21	Off
CNAME	www	cname.vercel-dns.com	Off

Step 6: Setup Multiple Domains

Have more than one domain for one project? Easy.

6.1 Add All Domains in Vercel

Settings → Domains → Add
Add each domain (example: projectname.io, projectname.dev)
Set one as primary, the rest as redirects

6.2 DNS Setup for Each Domain

Repeat Step 3.2 for each domain in their respective Cloudflare.

Step 7: Setup Subdomain

Want to create blog.projectname.com or api.projectname.com? Here’s how.

7.1 In Vercel

You have 2 options:

Option A - Subdomain for the same project:

Settings → Domains → Add
Enter blog.projectname.com
Will point to the same project

Option B - Subdomain for different project:

Open another project in Vercel
Add subdomain in Settings → Domains

7.2 In Cloudflare

Add CNAME record:

Type	Name	Content	Proxy
CNAME	blog	cname.vercel-dns.com	Off
CNAME	api	cname.vercel-dns.com	Off

Step 8: CDN Optimization

Although Vercel already has Edge Network, there are some additional optimizations.

8.1 Vercel Edge Network

Vercel projects are automatically deployed to global edge locations. For Asia, usually served from Singapore.

8.2 Enable Cloudflare Features (For Subdomains with Proxy On)

If there’s a subdomain with proxy active, enable:

Speed → Optimization
- Auto Minify (HTML, CSS, JS)
- Brotli compression
Caching → Configuration
- Browser Cache TTL: 1 month
- Set caching rules for static assets
Speed → Image Optimization (Pro plan)
- Polish: Lossless or Lossy
- WebP conversion

8.3 Page Rules (Legacy) or Rules

Create rule for static assets:

URL: *projectname.com/assets/*
Setting: Cache Level = Cache Everything
Edge Cache TTL: 1 month

Step 9: Troubleshooting DNS Issues

Sometimes there are problems. Here’s how to debug.

9.1 “DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN”

Cause: DNS hasn’t propagated or record is wrong.

Solution:

Check nameserver is updated at registrar
Wait for propagation (check at whatsmydns.net)
Verify DNS records in Cloudflare

9.2 “Too Many Redirects” or “ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS”

Cause: SSL conflict between Cloudflare and Vercel.

Solution:

Turn off Cloudflare proxy (set to DNS only)
Or set SSL mode to Full (strict)
Clear browser cache and cookies

9.3 “Invalid Configuration” in Vercel

Cause: DNS records don’t match.

Solution:

Make sure A record points to 76.76.21.21
Or CNAME points to cname.vercel-dns.com
Delete conflicting records
Wait a few minutes and refresh Vercel dashboard

9.4 SSL Certificate Not Generated

Cause: DNS hasn’t propagated or CAA record blocking.

Solution:

Make sure there’s no CAA record blocking Let’s Encrypt
Or add CAA record that allows:

Type	Name	Content
CAA	@	0 issue “letsencrypt.org”

9.5 Check DNS Propagation

Use these tools to verify:

whatsmydns.net — Global DNS propagation
dnschecker.org — Multiple DNS check
Terminal: dig projectname.com +short or nslookup projectname.com

Quick Checklist

Before going live, make sure:

Domain is purchased and active
Nameserver pointing to Cloudflare
DNS records added correctly
Cloudflare proxy off for main domain
Domain valid in Vercel dashboard
SSL certificate generated
www ↔ non-www redirect is set up
Test access from browser (clear cache first)

Conclusion

Setting up custom domain on Vercel with Cloudflare does require several steps, but the result is worth it. You get:

Professional custom domain
Powerful DNS management
Free and auto-renewing SSL
Global CDN for optimal performance
DDoS protection from Cloudflare (even with proxy off, basic protection still exists)

If you have questions or get stuck on any step, feel free to reach out. Happy deploying! 🚀