[HTMLPub] Connecting a Custom Domain – Leadpages Knowledge Base

Overview

By default, your pages are served at htmlpub.com/p/[slug]. You can connect your own domain so visitors see your brand in the URL instead — for example, yoursite.com or landing.yoursite.com.

Custom domains can be attached to a page, a site, or a blog.

Subdomain vs. Root Domain

Subdomain (recommended): Easier to set up and works with every DNS provider. Examples: www.yoursite.com, landing.yoursite.com, pages.yoursite.com, www.yoursite.co.uk.

Root / apex domain (e.g. yoursite.com or yoursite.co.uk with no subdomain prefix): Most DNS providers don't allow CNAME records at the apex, so this only works reliably if your DNS is hosted at Cloudflare, which supports CNAME flattening for free. If you want to use your root domain and you're currently on GoDaddy, Namecheap, or another provider that doesn't flatten at the apex, the easiest path is to move your nameservers to Cloudflare first, then add the DNS records there.

Country-code TLD (ccTLD) domains such as yoursite.co.uk, yoursite.com.co, or yoursite.com.br are fully supported as both subdomains and apex domains. The setup wizard automatically detects whether your domain is an apex or a subdomain and shows the correct DNS records to add.

Before You Start

A domain you own and can manage DNS for.
Access to your domain registrar or DNS provider (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, Route 53, etc.).

If you don't have a domain yet, you can purchase one directly from the Custom Domains page via the Buy a Domain option.

Step 1: Add Your Domain in HTMLPub

In the left sidebar, click Custom Domains.
Click Add Domain.
Enter your domain name (e.g. landing.yoursite.com).
Select whether to point this domain to a Page, Site, or Blog, and choose the specific target from the dropdown.
Click Add Domain to confirm.

Step 2: Add Two DNS Records at Your Registrar

After adding the domain, HTMLPub launches Entri Connect, a guided wizard that detects your registrar and shows the exact records to add. You always need both of these:

CNAME record
- Host: www (or your chosen subdomain — e.g. landing, pages)
- Value: customers.htmlpub.com
TXT record
- Host: _cf-custom-hostname
- Value: a UUID Entri displays, unique to your domain (looks like f5d15da8-630a-4492-a478-10967a0cd0db).
This TXT record is required for SSL provisioning regardless of which DNS provider you use — it is not Cloudflare-specific. Forgetting the TXT is the most common reason a domain gets stuck in DNS Propagating or SSL Pending.

If you close Entri before finishing, you can relaunch it at any time by clicking Configure next to the domain in the list.

Migrating from Classic Leadpages?

If your domain currently points to Classic Leadpages, those existing DNS records will not work for HTMLPub / the new Leadpages — the two platforms use different CNAME targets. You have two options:

Keep Classic live, add a subdomain for the new platform — e.g. point pages.yoursite.com at the new platform while Classic stays on the root domain. This requires adding the HTMLPub CNAME and TXT records for the subdomain, alongside your existing Classic records.
Move the whole domain over — delete the Classic CNAME and add the HTMLPub records described in Step 2. Your Classic Leadpages pages will stop serving once the old record is removed.

Step 3: Wait for Activation

HTMLPub checks your domain automatically every 15 seconds. The status badge will progress through these states:

Pending Setup — Domain added, DNS not yet configured.
Configuring — DNS changes detected, SSL certificate being provisioned.
DNS Propagating — Waiting for DNS changes to propagate globally (can take a few minutes to 48 hours).
SSL Pending — DNS is verified, SSL certificate being issued.
Active — Domain is live and serving your page over HTTPS.
Failed — Something went wrong. Click Verify to retry, or double-check your DNS records.

You can click Verify at any time to trigger an immediate check.

Common Issues

Stuck in "DNS Propagating": Double-check that both the CNAME and the _cf-custom-hostname TXT are present at your registrar. Missing the TXT is the most common cause. Use dnschecker.org to confirm propagation.
Stuck in "SSL Pending": Same root cause as above — SSL cannot issue without the TXT record.
"Another account is using this domain": The domain was previously connected to a different HTMLPub or Leadpages account. Contact support to transfer ownership.
Root domain not working on GoDaddy/Namecheap: See the Subdomain vs. Root Domain section above — you'll either need a subdomain or need to move your nameservers to Cloudflare. This applies equally to ccTLD apex domains (e.g. yoursite.co.uk, yoursite.com.co).

Reassigning or Removing a Domain

To point an existing domain to a different page, site, or blog, click the settings icon next to the domain in the list, pick the new target, and save.

To disconnect a domain, click the trash icon next to it and confirm. This removes the domain from HTMLPub but does not delete any DNS records at your registrar — you can clean those up manually if desired.

Plan Limits

The number of custom domains you can connect depends on your plan. If you've reached your limit, you'll see an option to upgrade when attempting to add another domain.

Need more help?

You can always get in touch with our support team—just click Support in your Leadpages navigation menu, or submit a ticket ↗