How to set up a custom domain on audienced

A custom domain is one of those things that instantly raises a creator's authority. The difference between ananovak.audienced.com and ananovak.com is what a buyer reads in the first two seconds — and often decides whether they click "buy" or not.

The good news: setting up a custom domain on audienced is technically straightforward. The bad news: people keep making the same three mistakes that turn a 15-minute setup into a three-day ordeal. In this guide I'll walk you through the whole process and show you how to dodge those mistakes.

If you don't have a domain yet, at the end I'll also show you which registrars we recommend and why the local TLD isn't automatically the best pick for every creator.

Why a custom domain matters

Before we dive into the tech, a quick case for anyone still thinking "the default subdomain is fine for me."

• Authority: ananovak.com signals professionalism. ananovak.audienced.com doesn't.
• Branding: the whole domain becomes part of your brand, including the email ana@ananovak.com.
• SEO: you can rank your own domain in Google. A subdomain of someone else's platform, not really.
• Portability: if in 5 years you decide to switch platforms, you move the domain. Subdomains stay behind.
• Payment trust: checkouts on a known domain convert ~15–30% better than on a generic one.

In short: if you're serious, a custom domain isn't optional, it's a baseline.

Step 1: buy the domain (if you don't have one)

For European creators you have several options:

• Local TLD (recommended if your market is strictly regional): registered via a local registrar. Typical price ~€8–15/year.
• .com domain (recommended for international positioning): Namecheap, Cloudflare Registrar, Porkbun. Price ~€10/year.
• .io, .co, .app — specialised TLDs, fit for tech-leaning brands.

Recommendation: if you're undecided, pick .com. Internationally recognisable, long-term flexible. Choose a local TLD only if you're selling strictly to one regional market and want the local authority signal.

Steer clear of cheap .xyz, .site, .online — buyers associate them with low-quality content.

Step 2: add the domain in audienced

In the admin panel click Settings → Domain. Click Add domain.

Enter your domain in the form:

• Without www: yourdomain.com (recommended)
• With www: www.yourdomain.com (redirects automatically)

Click Save. audienced now shows you the DNS records you need to add at your registrar. Typically that's:

• A CNAME record pointing to cname.audienced.io
• For the root domain (no www): an A or ALIAS record to a specific IP.

Copy these records — you'll need them in the next step.

Step 3: add DNS records at your registrar

This is the one step that requires access to your domain's DNS manager. Open the admin panel of your registrar (Namecheap, Cloudflare, GoDaddy). Find the DNS or DNS Records section.

Example records you'll add:

Type:  CNAME
Host:  www
Value: cname.audienced.io
TTL:   Auto

Type:  A
Host:  @  (or empty, means root)
Value: 1.2.3.4  (from audienced)
TTL:   Auto

Save.

Important: remove conflicting existing records

If you already have A or CNAME records for the same host, remove them. Two A records for the root domain can't co-exist — it's the #1 reason domains don't work.

Cloudflare gotcha

If you're on Cloudflare, turn the proxy off (the cloud icon must be grey, not orange). A proxied CNAME won't work with audienced's SSL. That's reason #2.

Step 4: wait for DNS propagation

DNS records propagate worldwide between 5 minutes and 24 hours. Typically 15–60 minutes for most European ISPs.

In audienced, under Domain, you'll see a status:

• Pending — waiting for DNS.
• Verified — DNS is set up correctly.
• SSL active — Let's Encrypt has issued an SSL certificate.

When you hit SSL active, your domain is live.

You can verify with dig yourdomain.com from a terminal, or with dnschecker.org, to confirm the record resolves.

Step 5: set the primary domain

Once the domain is active, go back to Settings → Domain and click Set as primary. From this moment:

• All your courses, pages, Link in Bio and community live on yourdomain.com.
• The yourname.audienced.com subdomain redirects to the new domain.
• Existing customers don't notice the switch.

The SSL certificate auto-renews every 90 days; you do nothing.

The three most common mistakes

When a creator pings support with "my domain isn't working", it's almost always one of these three.

1. Old DNS records not removed

Scenario: the creator had WordPress on the domain before. When they add audienced records, the old WordPress A records stay put. The DNS resolver hits one or the other depending on the weather. The domain "works sometimes".

Fix: remove every old A, AAAA and CNAME record for the host you're pointing at audienced.

2. Cloudflare proxy on

Scenario: the creator's domain is on Cloudflare with DNS proxy enabled (orange cloud). The CNAME technically resolves, but the SSL handshake fails.

Fix: click the cloud to turn it grey (DNS only). Or upgrade to a Cloudflare plan that supports SSL passthrough.

3. WWW and root mixed up

Scenario: the creator only added a record for www.domain.com, but buyers type domain.com. Half the visitors see a broken site.

Fix: always set up both records — root (A record for @) and www (CNAME for www). audienced routes between them.

Email on your domain

Common question: "If I point ananovak.com at audienced, will ana@ananovak.com still work?"

Answer: yes, if you have a separate MX record for email. audienced uses A/CNAME for web traffic. Email uses MX records. The two systems coexist peacefully.

For email we recommend:

• Google Workspace (~€6/month) — stable, strong spam filter.
• Fastmail (~€4/month) — EU-friendly, privacy-first.
• Zoho Mail (~€1/month) — cheap, solid.

You add the MX records for your email provider alongside the audienced A/CNAME records. They don't clash.

Frequently asked questions

How many domains can I connect to one audienced account?

On Premium one primary domain is included. Additional domains can be added for a small monthly fee. Most creators use a single domain — multi-domain is an edge case (e.g. two separate brands).

What if I already have a website on that domain?

If you have WordPress, Wix, or Shopify on the domain and want to point it at audienced, back up your existing site first, then swap the DNS. The old site stops working. If you need them side by side, use a subdomain (e.g. learn.yourdomain.com).

How long does setup take?

Technical part: 10 minutes. DNS propagation: 15 min–24 hours. Typical end-to-end: 30–90 minutes.

Do I get a free SSL?

Yes. A Let's Encrypt certificate is installed automatically and renews by itself. Free, nothing to configure.

Can I run different languages on different subdomains?

Yes. en.yourdomain.com for English, de.yourdomain.com for German. Each subdomain needs its own CNAME, but they all point to the same audienced account with different language settings.

What if I want to move platforms later?

Your domain is yours. When you switch platforms you just change DNS records to point at the new one. audienced doesn't lock you in.

Is the process the same for .com, .io, and country TLDs?

Yes. The TLD doesn't affect the process. Only the registrar differs, with a slightly different DNS interface, but the records are the same.

Closing thoughts

A custom domain is one of the cheapest investments with the highest ROI in a creator business. For €10 a year you get authority, branding, SEO benefits and portability.

If you haven't set up your own domain yet, this guide is all you need. 30 minutes and access to your DNS manager.