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Using Custom Domains

By default, every application deployed on RepoCloud receives a randomly assigned subdomain on one of our hosting domains (for example, your-app.repocloud.app, though the actual domain may vary as we utilize several different domains for auto-generated subdomains). However, you can connect your own domain name to provide a professional, branded experience for your users.
Custom domains allow you to use your brand’s domain name while hosting your application on RepoCloud, giving your application a professional appearance and better brand recognition.

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Why Use a Custom Domain?

Professional Branding

Present a cohesive brand identity with your own domain

Better SEO

Establish and maintain search engine optimization

Business Credibility

Enhance trust with a professional domain name

Marketing Consistency

Maintain consistent branding across all channels

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Setting Up a Custom Domain

Adding a custom domain to your RepoCloud application is a straightforward process:
1

Access Domain Settings

Navigate to your application’s management page and click on the “Custom Domain” tab.
2

Add Your Domain

Enter your domain (e.g., yourdomain.com or app.yourdomain.com) in the input field and click “Add Domain”.
3

Verify Domain Ownership

RepoCloud will provide DNS records that you need to add to your domain registrar to verify ownership.
4

Configure DNS Records

Log in to your domain registrar’s dashboard and add the required DNS records. You’ll typically need to add:
  • A CNAME record pointing to your RepoCloud application URL
  • TXT records for domain verification
The exact DNS records needed will be displayed in the RepoCloud dashboard.
5

Wait for DNS Propagation

DNS changes can take up to 24-48 hours to propagate globally, though they often take effect much sooner.
6

Verification and SSL Setup

Once DNS propagation is complete, RepoCloud automatically verifies your domain and issues an SSL certificate.

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DNS Record Types Explained

When setting up a custom domain, you may need to configure different DNS record types:

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Using Apex Domains

An apex domain (also called a root domain or naked domain) is a domain without a subdomain prefix, like example.com instead of www.example.com. To use an apex domain with RepoCloud:
  1. Some DNS providers support CNAME-like functionality for apex domains through features like:
    • ALIAS records
    • ANAME records
    • CNAME flattening
  2. If your DNS provider doesn’t support these features, you can:
    • Use a subdomain (like www.yourdomain.com) instead
    • Consider switching to a DNS provider that supports ALIAS/ANAME records, such as Cloudflare, Route 53, or DNSimple
Using www.yourdomain.com instead of just yourdomain.com often provides better flexibility and performance.

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SSL Certificates

RepoCloud automatically provisions and manages SSL certificates for your custom domains:
  • Automatic Provisioning: SSL certificates are automatically issued once domain verification is complete
  • Automatic Renewal: Certificates are renewed automatically before they expire
  • Let’s Encrypt Integration: We use Let’s Encrypt to provide industry-standard SSL certificates
  • HTTPS Enforcement: All traffic to your application is automatically redirected to HTTPS
SSL certificate issuance typically takes a few minutes after DNS verification is complete.

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SSL Certificate Issuance Method

RepoCloud uses the ACME HTTP-01 challenge method for SSL certificate issuance through Let’s Encrypt:

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How ACME Challenges Work

1

Challenge Initiation

When you add a domain, RepoCloud requests a certificate from Let’s Encrypt
2

Verification File Creation

RepoCloud places a unique verification file on your application’s server
3

Domain Validation

Let’s Encrypt checks for this file at a specific URL on your domain
4

Certificate Issuance

Once validated, Let’s Encrypt issues the SSL certificate

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Multiple Subdomains on the Same Domain

If you’re using multiple subdomains of the same domain (e.g., app1.yourdomain.com and app2.yourdomain.com) for different RepoCloud applications, there are some important considerations:
When using standard DNS providers, each subdomain must resolve to the correct application for the ACME challenge to succeed. This can create complications when you have multiple applications using subdomains of the same root domain.

Use Cloudflare for Multiple Subdomains

We strongly recommend using Cloudflare as your DNS provider when hosting multiple applications on different subdomains of the same domain. Cloudflare’s proxy functionality helps resolve the ACME challenge validation issues.

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Benefits of Using Cloudflare:

  • Proxy Mode: Cloudflare’s proxy capabilities help route ACME challenges correctly
  • SSL Flexibility: Better handling of multiple SSL certificates for different subdomains
  • Performance: Additional CDN and caching benefits
  • Security: Additional protection against DDoS and other attacks
To set up Cloudflare for your domain, transfer your nameservers to Cloudflare and enable the proxy setting (orange cloud icon) for each subdomain record.

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Managing Multiple Domains

You can add multiple domains to a single application:
  1. Follow the same process for each domain you want to add
  2. All domains will point to the same application
  3. Each domain will receive its own SSL certificate
This is useful for:
  • Supporting multiple brands or regions
  • Migrating from an old domain to a new one
  • Creating specialized landing pages

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Troubleshooting Custom Domains

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Next Steps

Environment Variables

Configure application-specific settings through environment variables

Scaling

Learn how to scale your application resources

Updates

Keep your application updated with the latest features and security patches