Dubb Agent can build the site and Dubb Studio can host it. The last mile is DNS, and it is where most people get stuck, because every registrar asks for the same four values under four different labels and nothing warns you when a value is wrong. This article covers both ways to connect a domain you own: a full website on your root domain, and custom landing pages on a subdomain.
There are two types of configuration. Pick the one that matches what you are building, follow the steps for it, and use the troubleshooting section if the green checkmark does not appear.
Which configuration do you need?
Homepage or root domain, yourdomain.com. Use this for full website development. The record is an A record pointing at a fixed Dubb IP address.
Custom subdomain, subdomain.yourdomain.com. Use this for custom landing pages only. The record is a CNAME pointing at Dubb.
If you are not sure, start with the subdomain. It is quicker, it cannot affect your company email, and it works at every registrar. You can add the root domain configuration later.
Before you start
You must own the domain, or have login access to wherever it is managed.
Custom domains are a paid Dubb feature. Confirm your plan supports them before you begin.
Know which provider actually controls the DNS. If your nameservers point at Cloudflare, Wix, Squarespace or a web host, your DNS lives there, and edits made at the registrar you bought the domain from do nothing at all, with no error message.
Do not touch your MX records. Those are your email.
Expect a wait. DNS changes usually take 10 to 30 minutes, and can take up to 24 hours.
Configuration 1. Homepage, yourdomain.com (full website development)
Step 1. Specify the domain in Dubb
Open the Configuration popup in Dubb and specify your domain, for example yourdomain.com. Save it.
Step 2. Add the A record in your DNS provider
Open the DNS records editor at the provider that controls your DNS and add a new record:
Record type: A
Name or Host: @
Value or Points to: 44.234.236.55
TTL or Time: Custom, 600s
At GoDaddy, for example: open Domain Portfolio, click the domain, open the DNS tab, choose Add New Record, and enter the values above. The host field takes @ for the root. No http:// and no trailing slash belongs in the value.
Step 3. Save, then check Dubb
Confirm the saved record appears in the list exactly as you entered it, then return to Dubb and look for the green checkmark next to the domain. Green means the domain is connected. Red, or a spinner, means DNS has not propagated yet: wait 30 minutes and check again before assuming it is broken.
Configuration 2. Custom subdomain, subdomain.yourdomain.com (custom landing pages)
Step 1. Pick your label and specify the subdomain in Dubb
Choose the label first. It can be anything you like: lp, go, pages, watch, video. Once you have chosen one, do not change it mid-setup, because the DNS record and the Dubb entry have to match.
Open the Configuration popup in Dubb and enter the full subdomain, including the label and your domain, for example lp.yourdomain.com. Not just lp.
Step 2. Add the CNAME record in your DNS provider
Record type: CNAME
Name or Host: lp
Value or Points to: cname.dubb.com
TTL or Time: Custom, 600s
Four things break this record, and all four of them are silent:
The Host contains the full domain. Enter the label only. If the box reads lp.yourdomain.com you will create lp.yourdomain.com.yourdomain.com.
The Value has a stray character. It must read cname.dubb.com exactly. No http://, no trailing slash, no trailing dot where the provider does not want one, and no space carried in from a paste.
A record already exists on that host. A CNAME cannot coexist with any other record on the same host, so delete a parking record or an old A or URL Redirect record on that label first.
Cloudflare is proxying. The proxy toggle must be grey and read DNS only. An orange cloud means Cloudflare answers with its own IP addresses and Dubb will never verify the domain.
Step 3. Save, then check Dubb
Check the saved row in the record list rather than the form, because some providers silently rewrite what you typed. Then return to Dubb and look for the green checkmark. Your landing pages are live at your subdomain, for example lp.yourdomain.com.
Confirm it worked
A green checkmark next to the domain in Dubb.
Your website loads at yourdomain.com, or your landing page loads at your subdomain.
The record appears in your provider's list exactly as you entered it.
Troubleshooting
You have not waited long enough. Under 30 minutes is completely normal, however correct the record is.
You edited the wrong DNS panel. Check your nameservers. If they point anywhere other than your registrar, the DNS lives at that other provider.
A Cloudflare proxy is on. Set the record to DNS only, grey cloud, and save again.
The host field holds the full domain. Correct it to the label only.
The value has a stray character. A leading http://, a trailing slash, an accidental capital letter, or a trailing space from pasting.
You added a second record instead of replacing the old one. A CNAME cannot share a host with anything else.
The record type is wrong. An A record where a CNAME is required, or a URL Redirect instead of a CNAME.
Only one of the two saves happened. Some providers need you to save the row and then save the whole page. Reload the DNS page. If the record is gone, it never saved.
Dubb has the label instead of the full subdomain. Enter the whole thing, lp.yourdomain.com, in the Configuration popup.
An old answer is cached. If your TTL was high, check the domain from a phone on mobile data, or from a different network.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use both configurations at the same time?
Yes. They live on different hosts, the root and your chosen subdomain, so the A record and the CNAME do not conflict. Many teams run the full website on the root and landing pages on lp.
Which one should I use for landing pages?
Configuration 2. A subdomain is the right home for custom landing pages, it needs one record, and it leaves your root domain free.
Do I need a developer for this?
No. It is one record in a form, and the values are printed above. The only skill involved is copying them exactly.
How long does it take to go live?
Usually 10 to 30 minutes. Some registrars take up to 24 hours, and occasionally 48 on the slowest ones. There is nothing else to do while you wait.
What if the checkmark stays red?
Work the troubleshooting list above in order, starting with how long it has been. If the record is correct and 30 minutes have passed, contact support at support@dubb.com with a screenshot of the saved record as it appears in your provider's list, and a screenshot of the domain in your Dubb Configuration popup. Those two images are usually enough to spot it.
Still stuck after 30 minutes with a record that looks correct? Send us those two screenshots and we will find it with you.