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Custom domains let you serve your pre.dev deployed application from your own domain (e.g., app.yourcompany.com) instead of the default .pre.dev URL.

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Prerequisites

Before adding a custom domain, your project must meet two requirements:
  1. Deployed — Your app must have a live deployment with a .pre.dev URL
  2. Public — Your app preview must be set to public (toggle this in the Share menu)

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Step 1 — Add Your Domain

  1. Open your project dashboard
  2. Navigate to the Custom Domain section
  3. Enter your domain (e.g., app.example.com)
  4. Click Add
You’ll receive a CNAME target — this is your project’s deployment URL that you need to point your domain to.

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Step 2 — Configure DNS

Add a CNAME record at your DNS provider pointing to the deployment URL:
Record TypeHost/NameValue/Target
CNAMEapp.example.comyour-project.pre.dev
The exact steps vary by DNS provider (Cloudflare, Namecheap, GoDaddy, Route 53, etc.). Look for “Add DNS Record” or “Manage DNS” in your provider’s dashboard.

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Common DNS Provider Examples

Cloudflare:
  1. Go to your domain’s DNS settings
  2. Click Add record
  3. Type: CNAME, Name: your subdomain, Target: your CNAME target
  4. Set proxy status to DNS only (gray cloud) for initial setup
Namecheap:
  1. Go to Domain List → Manage → Advanced DNS
  2. Click Add New Record
  3. Type: CNAME, Host: your subdomain, Value: your CNAME target
GoDaddy:
  1. Go to My Products → DNS → Manage
  2. Click Add under Records
  3. Type: CNAME, Name: your subdomain, Value: your CNAME target

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Step 3 — Verify

  1. Return to the Custom Domain section in your project dashboard
  2. Click Verify Connection
  3. pre.dev checks that your CNAME record is pointing correctly
  4. Once verified, an SSL certificate is automatically provisioned
After verification, your app is accessible at both your custom domain and the original .pre.dev URL. Both HTTP and WebSocket traffic are supported.
When your domain is verified, pre.dev automatically notifies the build agent to update CORS settings if needed, so both URLs work simultaneously without issues.

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How It Works

  • pre.dev creates a Kubernetes ingress rule for your custom domain
  • SSL certificates are automatically provisioned and managed
  • Traffic is routed to the same deployment as your .pre.dev URL
  • The app’s PREDEV_DEPLOYMENT_URL environment variable is updated to reflect your custom domain

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Limitations

  • One custom domain per project — To add a different domain, remove the existing one first
  • Subdomains only — Use app.example.com, not bare domains like example.com (CNAME records require a subdomain)
  • No pre.dev subdomains — You cannot add *.pre.dev as a custom domain

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Removing a Domain

  1. Click the trash icon next to your domain in the Custom Domain section
  2. Confirm removal
  3. The ingress and SSL certificate are cleaned up automatically
  4. Your app reverts to being accessible only at the .pre.dev URL
After removing a custom domain, you should also remove the CNAME record from your DNS provider to avoid pointing to a stale target.

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Troubleshooting

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DNS not resolving

DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate, though most providers update within minutes. If verification fails:
  • Wait a few minutes and click Verify Connection again
  • Use a DNS lookup tool (like dig or dnschecker.org) to check if your CNAME record is live
  • Confirm you’re using a CNAME record, not an A record

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CNAME points to wrong target

The error “CNAME points to X, expected Y” means your DNS record exists but points to the wrong destination. Update the CNAME value to match the target shown in the pre.dev dashboard.

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Verification button disabled

The Verify Connection button is disabled while another agent operation is running. Wait for the current operation to finish, then retry.

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SSL certificate not provisioning

SSL certificates are provisioned automatically after DNS verification. This typically takes 1-2 minutes. If your site shows a certificate warning after 10+ minutes, try removing and re-adding the domain.