Connecting your custom domain

Your website is live from the very start! During onboarding, you'll choose a custom ShepherdSites subdomain to use as your web address. When you're ready for a professional, memorable address like yourministry.org, you can connect a custom domain under Settings → Domain.

Before you start

• You'll need a domain you already own (from a registrar such as GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Porkbun). If you don't have one yet, purchase it there first.
• Custom domain connections are available on higher plans — see Understanding plans and billing if this option is locked.

Connecting your domain

1. Open Settings → Domain and enter the domain you want to use.
2. ShepherdSites shows you the DNS records to add.
3. Log in to your domain registrar and add those records in their DNS settings.
4. Save and wait for the connection to verify.

How long it takes

DNS changes usually take effect within a few minutes, but can take up to 24–48 hours to fully update across the internet. Once verified, your site is served securely over your custom address automatically. If it hasn't connected after a couple of days, double-check that the records at your registrar exactly match what's shown in your dashboard.