Most custom domain problems come from a handful of DNS mistakes that are quick to fix once you know where to look. Start by checking what the internet actually sees for your domain, then find your situation below.
If you have not connected your domain yet, start with How to connect a custom domain to your ScaleEdges store.
Check what the internet sees
Your provider's dashboard shows what you saved, not necessarily what the rest of the internet receives. Compare the public answers with the table in Settings → Storefront → Custom domain.
The simplest method is Google Public DNS: enter the complete host name, choose the record type, then compare the answer with the value shown in ScaleEdges. You can also run these commands in a terminal on macOS or Linux. Replace yourbrand.com and shop.yourbrand.com with your own names.
# Which company runs your DNS
dig NS yourbrand.com +short
# Root domain: must return only the IP address shown in ScaleEdges
dig A yourbrand.com +short
# Must return nothing for the host connected to your store
dig AAAA yourbrand.com +short
# Subdomain: must return the value shown in ScaleEdges
dig CNAME shop.yourbrand.com +short
# Only if ScaleEdges shows a TXT record
dig TXT _vercel.yourbrand.com +short
# Certificate authorities allowed for your domain
dig CAA yourbrand.com +shortOn Windows, use nslookup -type=A yourbrand.com, replacing A with the record type you want to check.
The status stays on "Waiting for DNS"
ScaleEdges cannot see the expected records yet. Check these causes in order.
The records were added with the wrong company. Only the company that runs your nameservers can publish your records. If dig NS or Google Public DNS shows Cloudflare nameservers, for example, records added at your registrar have no effect. Add them with the company shown by the NS lookup.
The domain name is duplicated. Most providers add your domain to the name automatically. If you entered shop.yourbrand.com in the Name or Host field, the record may have been created as shop.yourbrand.com.yourbrand.com. Edit it and keep only shop, or @ for the root domain.
An old record is still active. Look for other A, AAAA or CNAME records on the same name, such as a parking page, a "coming soon" page, a website builder or a previous host. For a root domain, only the A record shown by ScaleEdges must remain on @. Also look for a wildcard record, written *, created by some registrars for their parking page.
Web forwarding is enabled for this host. A redirect or forwarding service configured at your provider for the same name usually replaces your A or CNAME record with its own. Disable forwarding for the host connected to your store.
The value is incomplete or relative. Paste the value again with the Value copy button. With providers that require a final dot on CNAME values, such as Gandi, a value without the dot is treated as a name inside your own domain, for example …vercel-dns-017.com.yourbrand.com.
The ownership check is pending. If the message under the table asks you to add the TXT verification record, add the TXT record displayed by ScaleEdges, usually named _vercel, then select Check DNS configuration again.
The change has not propagated yet. DNS resolvers keep the previous answer for the duration of the old record's TTL. When the public lookups already show the correct values, select Check DNS configuration again. Otherwise, wait and check again later: most changes appear within an hour, and some can take up to 48 hours.
The status stays on "Configuring HTTPS"
Your DNS is correct and ScaleEdges is waiting for the HTTPS certificate. This normally takes a few minutes. If it lasts longer, check the following.
A proxy is enabled. With Cloudflare, the record must show DNS only with a grey cloud, not Proxied with an orange cloud. Other providers call similar options CDN, accelerator or security proxy. A proxy hides your store's address and can block the certificate validation.
A CAA record blocks the certificate. CAA records list the certificate authorities allowed to issue certificates for your domain. HTTPS certificates for custom domains are issued by Let's Encrypt. If dig CAA yourbrand.com +short returns records and none of them contains letsencrypt.org, add this CAA record on your domain: flag 0, tag issue, value letsencrypt.org. In a zone file, it is written 0 issue "letsencrypt.org". If the lookup returns nothing, CAA records are not blocking anything.
An AAAA record remains. Delete any AAAA record on the connected host. ScaleEdges uses an IPv4 A record only.
The records were changed after validation. If you edited or deleted a record, restore the values from the ScaleEdges table.
You can test your domain with Let's Debug, a free tool that explains why Let's Encrypt cannot issue a certificate. If the status is still Configuring HTTPS 24 hours after the public lookups show the correct values, contact ScaleEdges support.
Error messages
- "This domain is already connected to another store." A domain can only be used by one ScaleEdges store. Disconnect it from the other store first.
- "This domain is already assigned elsewhere in Vercel." The domain is still attached to another website hosted on the same network. Remove it from that website, or contact ScaleEdges support with your domain name.
- "Wait … seconds before checking the DNS configuration again." Checks are limited to protect your domain from repeated requests. Wait for the time shown, then try again.
- "A domain operation is already running. Please try again shortly." A connection, check or disconnection is in progress. Refresh the page after a few moments.
- "The platform domain and all of its subdomains are reserved." You cannot connect a ScaleEdges address. Use a domain you own.
- "This domain name is invalid." Check the spelling, remove spaces and enter only the domain, for example
shop.yourbrand.com. Addresses such as IP addresses orlocalhostcannot be used. - "Something went wrong" status: read the message displayed in the card, fix the cause if it concerns your DNS, then select Check DNS configuration. If the message asks you to contact support, do so with your domain name.
Your domain works for you but not for others, or the reverse
Browsers, computers and internet providers keep DNS answers in cache. Open your domain in a private window, then try another network, for example your phone with Wi-Fi turned off. If only one network fails after 48 hours, restart the router or ask that network's administrator to clear its DNS cache. Company networks, VPNs and security software can also block or inspect new domains.
The address with or without www does not work
yourbrand.com and www.yourbrand.com are two different domains, and a store uses one custom domain at a time. Only the address connected in ScaleEdges shows your store. Create a redirect at your domain provider from the other address to https:// followed by your connected domain, then test it with both http:// and https://.
Your email stopped working
Connecting a domain only requires the records shown by ScaleEdges. If email stopped working, an MX, SPF, DKIM or DMARC record was probably deleted or changed at the same time. Restore it with the values from your email provider's setup guide. Also make sure you did not create a CNAME record on the root domain: a CNAME cannot coexist with the MX records of the same name.
You recently changed nameservers
If you moved your DNS to another company and your domain uses DNSSEC, the DNSSEC information (DS record) saved at your registrar must match the new DNS provider. Otherwise, resolvers that validate DNSSEC refuse to answer and your domain appears offline. Update the DS record at your registrar with the values from the new DNS provider, or disable DNSSEC at the registrar before moving. You can analyse your domain with DNSViz.
Contact support
If the problem continues, contact ScaleEdges support and include:
- The domain you are connecting.
- The status and message shown in Settings → Storefront → Custom domain.
- A screenshot of the DNS records for this host at your provider.
- The results of the lookups from Check what the internet sees.
