How to Connect a Custom Domain to GitHub, Vercel & Netlify

Modern cloud deployment platforms like GitHub Pages, Vercel, and Netlify have completely revolutionized web hosting. You can push code to a Git repository and have a global, CDN-backed static website live in seconds—with zero hosting fees.

However, sharing a default subdomain like your-project.vercel.app or username.github.io does not look professional for a client project, personal portfolio, or business launch. You want your own custom brand domain (like yourbrand.com). In this step-by-step guide, we will show you exactly how to configure your DNS records and attach a custom domain to all three top hosting platforms with free automated SSL certificates.

"Deploying to modern edge networks gives you 100/100 performance scores. Attaching a custom domain gives your project instant credibility."

1. Connecting a Custom Domain to GitHub Pages

1. In your GitHub repository, navigate to Settings → Pages.
2. Under Custom domain, enter your domain name (e.g. yourdomain.com) and click Save. (This commits a CNAME file to the root of your repo).
3. Log into your DNS provider (Cloudflare, Namecheap, GoDaddy) and add the four official GitHub Pages A Records at the root (@):
   185.199.108.153
   185.199.109.153
   185.199.110.153
   185.199.111.153
4. Add a CNAME record for www pointing to YOUR_USERNAME.github.io.
5. Back in GitHub Settings, check the box for Enforce HTTPS.

2. Connecting a Custom Domain to Vercel

1. Open your Vercel Project dashboard → Settings → Domains.
2. Type your domain name (e.g. yourdomain.com) and click Add.
3. Vercel will automatically display the required DNS records:
   • A Record: Name @ → Value 76.76.21.21
   • CNAME Record: Name www → Value cname.vercel-dns.com
4. Add those records in your DNS manager. Vercel will auto-detect the changes, issue an SSL certificate with Let's Encrypt, and switch to "Valid Configuration" within 60 seconds.

3. Connecting a Custom Domain to Netlify

1. Go to your Netlify Site dashboard → Domain management → Add a domain.
2. Enter your domain name and click Verify → Add domain.
3. Add the following DNS records in your domain registrar:
   • A Record: Name @ → Value 75.2.60.5
   • CNAME Record: Name www → Value YOUR_SITE_NAME.netlify.app
4. Netlify will automatically provision a free wildcard SSL certificate.

4. Apex Domain vs. WWW Subdomain Routing

Always configure both versions of your domain: the apex root (yourdomain.com) and the www subdomain (www.yourdomain.com). Choose one as your canonical primary domain and configure your platform to automatically 301 redirect the other. This prevents Google from indexing two duplicate copies of your content.

5. Verifying DNS & SSL Issuance

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Connecting your custom domain to modern hosting platforms combines the zero-maintenance speed of edge deployments with your own custom brand identity.