# render-domains

Walks you through pointing a custom domain at a Render service: DNS records, apex and wildcard setups, TLS certificate issuance. Useful once the app is live but still sitting on onrender.com.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 362 installs · ★ 88
- Author: Render
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/render-oss/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/render-domains/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-08
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/render-domains

## What it does

The skill covers attaching a custom domain to a Render web service or static site. It lays out the order of steps: add the domain in the Dashboard, create the DNS record at your provider, hit Verify. A subdomain takes a CNAME to `<service>.onrender.com`; an apex on Cloudflare uses the same CNAME flattened, while other providers need an A record with the IP from the Dashboard. Wildcard domains get their own table, since they need three CNAMEs, including `_acme-challenge` and `_cf-custom-hostname`.

Render issues and renews certificates itself, through Let's Encrypt and Google Trust Services, and redirects all HTTP to HTTPS. The failure mode is quiet. If your domain carries CAA records, add `letsencrypt.org` and `pki.goog` to them, or certificate issuance just won't happen. Leftover AAAA records are the other common culprit: Render runs on IPv4, so clear the IPv6 entries for the domain.

There's a section on disabling the `onrender.com` subdomain once a custom domain is live. Requests to it start returning 404, and you can turn it back on whenever. In `render.yaml` domains go in the `domains` field, but that only declares the association; DNS is still configured by hand at your provider. One thing to check before you start: custom domains work on web services and static sites only, so a private service can't take one.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add render-oss/skills --skill render-domains -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/render-domains/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/render-domains/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add render-oss/skills --skill render-domains -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/render-domains/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add render-oss/skills --skill render-domains -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/render-domains/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install render-oss/skills render-domains
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/render-domains/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add render-oss/skills --skill render-domains -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/render-oss/skills --path skills/render-domains
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/render-domains/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add render-oss/skills --skill render-domains -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/render-oss/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/render-domains/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- point a custom domain at a Render service
- create the right CNAME or A record at a registrar
- set up a wildcard domain for all subdomains
- debug a TLS certificate that never gets issued
- disable the onrender.com address after moving to your own domain

## Example prompts
- add app.example.com to my Render web service and tell me which DNS records to create
- the certificate for example.com never issues, check the CAA and AAAA records
- set up a wildcard *.example.com for this service and disable onrender.com

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 6bd02a3240d9b5d4.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 6bd02a3240d9b5d4
```text
---
name: render-domains
description: >-
  Configures custom domains and TLS certificates on Render—DNS setup, CNAME
  records, apex domains, wildcard domains, and certificate troubleshooting.
  Use when the user needs to add a custom domain, configure DNS, set up
  HTTPS/TLS, troubleshoot certificate issuance, disable the onrender.com
  subdomain, or add a wildcard domain.
  Trigger terms: custom domain, DNS, CNAME, TLS, SSL, HTTPS, certificate,
  apex domain, wildcard domain, onrender.com, domain verification.
license: MIT
compatibility: Render web services and static sites
metadata:
  author: Render
  version: "1.0.0"
  category: networking
---

# Render Custom Domains

Render automatically provisions and renews TLS certificates (via Let's Encrypt and Google Trust Services) for all custom domains. All HTTP traffic is redirected to HTTPS. Custom domains work on **web services** and **static sites** only.

## When to Use

- Adding a **custom domain** to a web service or static site
- Configuring **DNS records** (CNAME, A, or ALIAS) with a provider
- Setting up a **wildcard domain** (`*.example.com`)
- Troubleshooting **certificate issuance** or **domain verification** failures
- Choosing between **apex** (`example.com`) and **www** (`www.example.com`)
- **Disabling the `onrender.com` subdomain** after adding a custom domain

## Domain Limits and Cost

Workspace plans include a limited number of custom domains. Adding domains beyond the included allowance incurs an additional cost. Confirm current allowances and charges at [Render pricing](https://render.com/pricing) or in the Dashboard.

## Setup Steps

### 1. Add domain in Dashboard

1. Go to your service's **Settings > Custom Domains**
2. Click **+ Add Custom Domain**
3. Enter your domain (e.g. `app.example.com`)
4. Click **Save**

Adding a `www` subdomain automatically adds the root domain (and vice versa) with a redirect between them.

### 2. Configure DNS

Add a DNS record with your provider pointing to your Render service:

| Domain type | Record type | Name | Value |
|-------------|-------------|------|-------|
| **Subdomain** (`app.example.com`) | CNAME | `app` | `<service>.onrender.com` |
| **Apex** (`example.com`) on Cloudflare | CNAME (flattened) | `@` | `<service>.onrender.com` |
| **Apex** on other providers | A | `@` | Use Render-provided IP (see Dashboard) |
```
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 6bd02a3240d9b5d4

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the 6bd02a3240d9b5d4 tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

First 2368 of 5779 bytes. © Render · MIT · https://github.com/render-oss/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/render-domains/SKILL.md

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