Domains & DNS

A site starts on a platform subdomain and can be connected to a custom domain at any time. Domains and their DNS are managed in the app under a site's Domain area. From the CLI, acira create --subdomain picks the subdomain and acira subdomain set renames it; the old address stops working at once and stays reserved for the site for 7 days.

Connecting a custom domain

On a paid plan you can bring a domain you already own or register a new one in-platform — over 200 TLDs are available, with registration and renewal included and no separate registrar to deal with. Once connected:

• SSL is automatic. Certificates are provisioned and renewed for you; there's nothing to install.
• The domain is served over the same global CDN as the rest of the site.

For a domain you own elsewhere, the default is to point its nameservers at the platform. The domain stays registered with your registrar, the platform hosts its DNS (the app copies over your existing records for you to review first), and the site is served at the bare domain with email sent from it. If DNSSEC is turned on for the domain, turn it off at your registrar before changing the nameservers. If the domain's DNS can't move, or you only want the site on one subdomain, you can instead point a single hostname at the platform with a CNAME record. The app walks you through either, and so does the CLI (acira domain connect, acira hostname connect).

DNS management

You can manage the DNS records of any domain the platform hosts, whether registered, transferred in or connected by its nameservers, from the app: add records for third-party services (email, verification, subdomains) as needed. Records you add live alongside the ones the platform manages for routing and SSL. A hostname connected with a CNAME record keeps its DNS at your own provider.

Transfers

A registered domain can be moved between sites you own, and domains can be transferred in or out following the standard authorization process. The app handles the lifecycle — registration status, renewals, and expiry reminders. A domain connected by its nameservers stays with your own registrar, so you renew or transfer it there.

Email on the domain

A domain registered with, transferred to or connected to the platform by its nameservers also sets up the site to send transactional email from that domain, with sender verification handled automatically. A hostname you connect with a CNAME record keeps sending from the platform address. See Email deliverability.