Lovable custom domain not working: read the status, then fix DNS and wait

Short answer: A custom domain shows a status instead of your site until the project is published, the DNS records are correct, and the SSL certificate is issued. Open Project → Settings → Domains, read the status next to your domain, and follow the matching step below.

Why it happens

A custom domain in Lovable only serves your app after three things line up: your project is published, your DNS records point at Lovable, and an SSL certificate has been issued. Until all three are true, the domain shows a status instead of your site.

• Your project must be published. A correctly configured domain on an unpublished project shows Ready and starts serving when you publish.
• For a domain from another provider, Lovable asks for an A record pointing to 185.158.133.1 and a verification TXT record with host _lovable for a root domain, or _lovable.<prefix> for a subdomain, and a value starting with lovable_verify=.
• Old records get in the way. Leftover A, AAAA, or CNAME records from a previous host send visitors to the wrong place, and an AAAA record can interfere with setup.
• DNS takes time. Changes may take up to 72 hours to propagate, though most updates are live within a few hours.
• SSL is issued after verification. While the certificate is being issued, the browser shows a security warning instead of your site.

How to fix it

1. Open Project → Settings → Domains and read the status next to your domain. Lovable checks each Live domain when you open this page.
2. If the status is Ready, publish the project. The domain starts serving automatically when you publish.
3. If the status is Action required on a domain bought through Lovable, open the ICANN verification email and click the link. Until you do, the domain keeps serving your project; if the deadline passes it shows Suspended and stops serving.
4. If the status is Action required on a domain from another provider, click Complete setup to finish connecting.
5. If the status is Suspended, verify the registrant email and click the verification link. If you already verified, release can take up to 15 minutes.
6. If the status is Verifying or Unable to verify, check both records at your DNS provider, especially the full TXT value, then click Check status.
7. Add the A record with value 185.158.133.1. Use @ as the name for a root domain, or the subdomain label such as app. Some providers do not accept @: leave the field blank or enter your full domain instead, as Amazon Route 53 requires.
8. Add the TXT record with the lovable_verify= value shown in the setup window. Copy it rather than typing it, because it is unique to your domain.
9. Remove any existing A, AAAA, or CNAME record for the same name. Leave MX and other record types in place so email keeps working.
10. If you kept the www redirect, repeat steps 7 and 8 for www.yourdomain.com: an A record named www and a TXT record named _lovable.www, using that domain's own setup window.
11. If the status is Setting up, wait for Live before you open the site. If it changes to Stalled or Failed, click Retry. You do not need to remove and re-add the domain.
12. If the status is Offline, click Recover, review the displayed DNS records, and update them at your DNS provider.
13. If the status is Removed, click Reconnect to connect the domain again.
14. If the status is Check failed, click Check status to try again. Do not change your DNS records based on this status alone.
15. If you see a Cloudflare error 1001 or 1003, set the records for your Lovable domain to DNS only (gray cloud) instead of Proxied (orange cloud) in Cloudflare's DNS settings, then wait a few minutes and try again.
16. If your domain shows your old website, remove the old A, AAAA, and CNAME records for the address you are connecting so that only Lovable's A record (185.158.133.1) and the verification TXT record remain, then wait for DNS propagation.
17. If sign-in fails on the new domain, ask Lovable in the project chat to update the redirect URLs for your domain, and add the new address in your sign-in provider's own settings.

How to check it worked on your live app

Open a private browser window so cached pages do not affect the result.

1. Open https://yourdomain.com. Your published app should load with the padlock icon in the address bar, which means the SSL certificate is active.
2. Open your lovable.app address, and www.yourdomain.com when it shows Live as well. Both should redirect to your primary domain.
3. If your app has accounts, sign in once on the new domain.
4. If your app saves data, submit one entry through a form and check that it saved.
5. If the browser shows a connection warning or an error page instead, check that the domain status is Live in Project → Settings → Domains and that your project is published.

Prompt to paste into your AI builder

Paste this into your AI builder: "My custom domain is not serving my app. Show me the change first before you make it. Check that the project is published, then tell me the current status of my domain in Project → Settings → Domains. If my app uses its own Supabase project or another sign-in provider, update the redirect URLs to include my custom domain and tell me exactly which address to add in the provider's settings. If my app uses Google sign-in with my own Google OAuth credentials, show me the redirect URL listed in More → Cloud → Users → Auth settings → Google so I can add it as an Authorized redirect URI in Google Cloud Console. Do not change my DNS records."

FAQ

Why does my domain show Ready instead of Live? The domain is correctly configured, but your project is not published yet. It will start serving automatically when you publish.

Why does my browser show a security warning on my domain? Verification is complete and SSL certificates are being issued. Until the certificate is ready, the browser shows a security warning instead of your site. Wait for Live before you open the site.

How long should I wait before changing anything? DNS changes may take up to 72 hours to propagate, though most updates are live within a few hours. Domain setup typically completes within a few minutes but can take up to several hours. If a domain bought through Lovable stays Pending longer than expected, you see a warning and a Check status button.

Can I connect a domain before publishing my project? Yes, you can buy and set up a domain at any time. Your custom domain won't serve any content until you publish your project.

What if my domain uses CAA records? Your Certificate Authority Authorization (CAA) records must allow Lovable to issue the SSL certificate for the domain. If they don't, SSL setup can fail.

Related guides

• Works in the preview, breaks after deploy: the 4 differences that cause it — why a site that works in the editor can fail once it is served on your own address.
• Sign-up or login broken after publishing (Supabase redirect URLs) — the redirect URL list that must include your new domain.
• My AI-built app doesn't show up on Google — what to do after the domain is Live and you want search engines to find it.

Sources

• Set up a custom domain
• Launch your site on a custom domain
• Publish your Lovable project

VibeFix's AI agent signs up to your live app like a new person and shows whether sign-up and your pages work. It may not show a Lovable custom domain stuck on Pending or Connection issue directly. VibeFix checks; it does not fix your app.

Last checked: 18 October 2026, against the sources listed above.

VibeFix is independent. Lovable, Bolt, Replit, Base44, v0 and Supabase are trademarks of their owners.