When adding your custom domain in Thinkific, your site should automatically be accessible from both your original Thinkific domain and custom domain. This article will cover troubleshooting steps if you lose access to your site once you have added your custom domain.
Why Can't I Access My Site after Adding a Custom Domain?
Please note: It can take up-to 24 hours for your custom domain to propagate throughout the world wide web (after setting up your CNAME record). If you have added your custom domain to Thinkific 24 hours after creating your CNAME record in your domain host and still have an issue, read on for recommendations.
The most common reason why your site is no longer accessible or displays a 404 error page is due to a missing or incorrect CNAME record in your domain host.
Set Up CNAME Record
If you have not set up a CNAME record yet, see How to Set up Your Custom Domain in Your Domain Host.
Test Your Existing CNAME Record
If you have set up a CNAME record, it may simply need to be edited to make sure it is set up correctly. The quickest way to check your existing CNAME record is to use an online tool called MXToolBox CNAME lookup.
To test your CNAME record:
- Go to https://mxtoolbox.com/CnameLookup.aspx
- Input your custom domain including subdomain. Do not include http:// or https:// (ex. www.yoursite.com)
- Click CNAME Lookup
Correct Results
If your CNAME record was created successfully, you will see a result page like this with the following fields:
- Type must be CNAME
- Domain Name should be your desired custom domain
- Canonical Name should be your current Thinkific URL
Incorrect Results
If your CNAME record was not created correctly or if it has not yet propagated, you may see a result page like this:
If a CNAME exists in your domain host, but is pointing to the incorrect URL, you might see a page like this:
If you look carefully at the image above, you will see that a naked domain (mysite.com) is listed under Canonical Name instead of a Thinkific domain. Sometimes your domain host has this CNAME record created by default and you simply need to edit it to ensure it points to your Thinkific site instead. Here is an example of how this might look in your domain host.
In this example, you can simply edit the Value from @ to your Thinkific URL.
When editing your CNAME record in your domain host, refer to How to Set up Your Custom Domain in Your Domain Host for the correct format. If you are not sure, feel free to send us an email with a screenshot of your DNS settings for us to have a look!
More About Custom Domains
Custom Domain Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Access My Site Without WWW?
I Can't Access My Thinkific Site after Adding My Custom Domain