To use a custom domain name/web address for your site, you must first purchase a domain name through a domain registrar and configure/update its DNS settings to point to our servers. Once the domain points to us, you can connect it to your website. This article explains the technical steps required to use a custom domain with Frame.
Before You Begin
To use a custom domain with your website, you need two things:
A domain name purchased through a registrar.
Access to the domain's DNS settings.
Common domain registrars include Namecheap, GoDaddy, Network Solutions, Register.com.
Domain pricing varies by provider and extension. Most domains cost about $20 to $30 per year, though some may cost more depending on the domain name and extension.
1. Purchase a Domain Name
If you do not already own a domain, purchase one through a domain registrar of your choice.
A domain registrar is the company that manages your domain registration and DNS settings. Once your domain has been purchased, log in to your registrar account so you can update the DNS configuration.
2. Point the Domain to Adventist Connect
Log in to your domain registrar account to update your DNS settings and point it to Adventist Connect.
We have links to instructions on how to update these settings for most of the popular domain registrars listed below.
You have two options to point your domain to our servers:
Option A: Update Nameservers (Recommended)
We recommend updating the nameservers, replace your existing values with the following four records:
Option B: Add an A Record (Advanced Users)
If you prefer to manage your own DNS records for email or other services, leave your nameservers intact. Instead, point your primary A Record to our IP address:
A Record
Host/Name:
@Points to:
160.238.31.236
You may also want to add a www CNAME record so both yourdomain.org and www.yourdomain.org resolve correctly. If you also want www add:
CNAME Record
Host/Name:
wwwPoints to:
@
Or your root domain, such asyourdomain.org, depending on your registrar.
Important Notice About AAAA Records
You must remove any AAAA records from your domain's DNS settings. If AAAA records remain on your domain, your site will not resolve properly.
Check your DNS settings and delete any AAAA records associated with the domain. Contact your domain registrar if you need help finding or removing these records.
Cloudflare Proxy and SSL Mode
If you use Cloudflare to manage your DNS and have the proxy status enabled (masked IP), you must configure your Cloudflare SSL/TLS encryption mode correctly before making the domain Primary on your Frame site.
Our platform uses Let's Encrypt to automatically generate SSL certificates. Cloudflare's SSL mode directly impacts whether this generation process succeeds.
For custom domains on Frame, the recommended Cloudflare SSL mode is: Full
Here is how each Cloudflare SSL mode affects Frame:
Flexible (Do Not Use): Traffic between the visitor and Cloudflare is secure, but traffic from Cloudflare to Frame is sent over HTTP (unsecure). Because Frame is designed to redirect traffic to HTTPS, this can create an endless redirect loop and prevent the site from loading correctly.
Full (Required for Initially Adding): This is the recommended setting for setup and SSL generation. Cloudflare will allow both HTTP and HTTPS requests between Cloudflare and Frame as needed. This flexibility allows for our system to generate your SSL certificate successfully.
Full - Strict (Do Not Use Initially): This mode forces all requests over a secure port. This setting should only be used after an SSL certificate has already been successfully generated on Frame. If this mode is enabled too early, SSL generation may fail because Cloudflare requires a valid certificate to already be present on the origin server. You can safely switch to this mode only after your SSL certificate is fully active on our platform.
Important Cloudflare Setup Notice
If a Cloudflare-proxied domain is added to your Frame site, you must set your Cloudflare SSL mode to Full before setting your primary domain in our platform. If the SSL mode is incorrect, the certificate generation will fail in the background, and, at this time, there is no automatic fallback. This will cause your site to fail to load, and you will need to contact support to manually revert the domain change.
DNS Propagation
DNS changes do not take effect immediately. After updating your nameservers or DNS records, it may take 24 to 48 hours for the changes to fully propagate/update across the internet.
To check the status of your DNS changes, you can:
3. Next Steps
After your domain is pointed correctly and the DNS changes process, you must attach the domain to your website. Review how to finish your domain setup: Add Custom Domain to Frame
Domain Registrar Instructions
Below is a list of popular domain registrars with links to instructions for updating nameservers, DNS records, and domain forwarding.
Expand the section for your provider to view the available help resources.
This is not a complete list of all registrars. If your provider is not included, refer to your registrar's support documentation or contact them for instructions on managing your domain settings.