Connect a Custom Domain to a Listing

Already own a domain like 114adamslane.com? You can point it at any listing in eMARCOTT so the listing serves at https://114adamslane.com. You keep the domain at your existing registrar — eMARCOTT just routes the traffic.

What you'll need

• A domain you've already registered at any registrar (Namecheap, GoDaddy, eNom, HostGator, Cloudflare, etc.)
• Login access to wherever your DNS is managed (see next section — it may not be the same place you bought the domain)
• The listing already generated in eMARCOTT (a generated branded website must exist before you can attach a domain)

Important: where is your DNS actually managed?

This is the #1 source of confusion. Where you bought the domain (the registrar) is often not the same place that controls its DNS records. To know where to add the records, check the nameservers on the domain at your registrar.

• If the nameservers look like dns1.registrar-servers.com or similar (matching the registrar itself), then DNS is managed at the registrar— that's where you add the records.
• If the nameservers point somewhere else — for example hgns1.hostgator.com (HostGator hosting), ns1.bluehost.com, ns-cloudflare.com, ns1.digitalocean.com — then DNS is managed at that other provider, not at the registrar. Adding records at the registrar will do nothing.

Real example: if your domain is registered at eNom but its nameservers point to hgns1.hostgator.com and hgns2.hostgator.com, you need to log in to your HostGator cPanel → Zone Editor(or DNS Manager) and add the records there. Adding them at eNom's Host Records page would have no effect until you change the nameservers back to eNom's.

The records you need to add

eMARCOTT will show you these in the Connect a domain you already own modal when you click the link. You add three records at your DNS provider:

The first two records (the CNAMEs to cname.vercel-dns.com) are the same for every customer. The third (verification) is unique to your domain — the connect modal will show the exact host and value.

What if "CNAME at @" isn't accepted?

Some older registrars don't allow a CNAME on the root (@) and will refuse to save the first row. If that happens, replace that one row with an A record instead:

Keep the www CNAME and the verification record as normal.

Step-by-step

1. In eMARCOTT, open the listing → scroll to the Custom Domain section.
2. Click Already own a domain? Connect it →
3. Type the domain (no https://, no trailing slash — just your-domain.com). Click Connect.
4. eMARCOTT will show the DNS records. Keep this modal open in a separate tab while you work in your DNS panel.
5. Log in to wherever your DNS is managed (see the section above — could be the registrar, could be a hosting company). Find the DNS / Zone Editor / Host Records section.
6. Add the three records exactly as shown. Use the Copy icon next to each value to avoid typos.
7. Save the DNS changes at your provider.
8. Back in eMARCOTT, click Verify now. If DNS hasn't propagated yet, wait a few minutes and click again. eMARCOTT also re-checks automatically every 30 seconds while the modal is open, and every 15 minutes in the background — you can close the modal and come back.
9. When verification succeeds, the status flips to Connected and the listing serves at https://your-domain.comover HTTPS. You'll also get an email confirming it's live.

Per-provider quick references

These are where to find the DNS editor at the most common providers. The fields are always the same three (Type, Host/Name, Value) even though the layout differs.

HostGator (cPanel)

1. Log in to your HostGator account → cPanel.
2. Under Domains, click Zone Editor.
3. Find the domain → click Manage.
4. Click + Add Record → pick the type (CNAME for the first two rows, TXT for verification if Vercel asked for TXT).
5. Enter Name and Record (HostGator's "Record" field = the Value column above).
6. Save. Repeat for each row.

eNom (only if your nameservers actually point at eNom)

1. Log in to eNom → click the domain → Host Records.
2. You'll see rows for @, www, *, plus an empty A row. Edit the existing @ and www CNAME rows to point at cname.vercel-dns.com. Leave * alone unless you need wildcards.
3. Add a new row for the _vercel.your-domain.com verification record (type = whatever Vercel asked for, usually TXT).
4. Save.

Namecheap

1. Domain List → Manage next to the domain → Advanced DNS.
2. Click Add New Record → CNAME → Host = @ → Target = cname.vercel-dns.com.
3. Repeat for Host = www.
4. Add the verification record.

GoDaddy

1. My Products → next to the domain, click DNS.
2. Add → CNAME → Name = @ → Value = cname.vercel-dns.com.
3. Repeat for Name = www.
4. Add the verification record.

Cloudflare

1. Select the domain → DNS tab.
2. Add record → CNAME → Name = @ → Target = cname.vercel-dns.com.
3. Turn the orange cloud OFF (DNS only)for both CNAME rows. If the orange cloud is on, Cloudflare proxies the traffic and the connection won't verify.
4. Repeat for Name = www.
5. Add the verification record (orange cloud off there too).

Troubleshooting

Status says "Connected" but the link doesn't load

The most common cause: the DNS records were changed or removed at your provider after the domain originally verified. Some other causes: nameservers were switched mid-flight, or a Cloudflare proxy was turned back on.

What to do:log in to your DNS provider, confirm the three records are still present and identical to what eMARCOTT showed. If they're missing, add them back.

"Verify now" keeps saying not yet ready

• Most common:DNS hasn't propagated yet. Typical wait is 5–30 minutes; some ISPs and TLDs can take up to a few hours.
• Records added at the wrong place(see the nameserver section above). If nameservers point to a hosting company, edits at the registrar don't apply.
• Typo in the value field. The CNAME target must be exactly cname.vercel-dns.com with no trailing dot, no extra characters, no extra subdomain.
• Cloudflare proxy on. If you're using Cloudflare, both CNAME rows must be DNS only (grey cloud), not proxied (orange cloud).
• Conflicting old A record. If you have an existing A record at @pointing elsewhere (e.g. a parking page), delete it. Two conflicting records for the same host won't work.

I want to swap to a different domain

Click Remove on the current domain (this disconnects it from the listing — the domain itself stays at your registrar, you can use it elsewhere). Then click Already own a domain? Connect it → and enter the new one.

The domain stopped working months later

Same as "Connected but the link doesn't load" above — check your DNS provider to make sure the three records are still there. Common reasons they disappear: account migration at the registrar, switching DNS providers, or a wholesale "reset records" action in cPanel.

Related

• Gallery Management — the overview of what a listing is and how to generate the website that the domain points at.
• FAQ — common questions across the platform.