How to add a custom domain to your Lovable app (2026 guide)

You built your app in Lovable, pressed Publish, and got a link like myproject.lovable.app. It works, but nobody puts that on a business card. A custom domain is the moment your app stops looking like an experiment and starts looking like a product.

There are two honest ways to get there in 2026: connect the domain inside Lovable, which requires a paid Lovable plan, or take the code Lovable wrote for you and host it somewhere else under your own domain. This guide walks through both, in plain language, with the exact DNS records you’ll need.

Before you start: what you need

• A registered domain, from any registrar: Namecheap, GoDaddy, Cloudflare, IONOS, anywhere.

• Access to that registrar’s DNS settings (the page where you add records).

• Five to ten minutes. The waiting, if any, is done by DNS, not by you.

Option 1: connect the domain inside Lovable

If you’re on a paid Lovable plan, custom domains are built in. On the free plan, domains are a paid feature, so either upgrade or jump to Option 2.

Lovable gives you three routes:

• Buy a domain through Lovable. Lovable sells domains via its IONOS integration, and both the root domain and the www version are set up for you automatically. The most hands-off path.

• Connect an existing domain automatically. Lovable detects your domain provider and uses Entri to update the DNS records for you. You log in to your registrar once, authorize it, done.

• Connect an existing domain manually. If automatic setup doesn’t support your registrar, you add the records yourself.

The manual DNS records, in plain terms

Go to Project → Settings → Domains in Lovable, add your domain, and it shows you what to create at your registrar:

• For a subdomain (like app.yourname.com): a CNAME record pointing to your Lovable project URL.

• For the root domain (yourname.com): an ALIAS or ANAME record, or CNAME flattening, depending on what your registrar supports.

• A TXT record to verify you own the domain.

• Delete any AAAA (IPv6) records for the domain: they interfere with Lovable’s routing.

SSL is automatic: Lovable generates and installs the certificate once the domain verifies. Connection usually completes quickly, but DNS changes can take up to 72 hours to propagate, so don’t panic if the domain isn’t live within the hour. If you bought the domain outside Lovable, remember to add the www version separately.

Two quirks worth knowing

• Your xxx.lovable.app address can’t be removed. You can set your custom domain as the primary one, but the lovable.app link keeps working.

• If your domain sits behind a CDN or proxy like Cloudflare, Lovable’s docs say not to connect it in Settings → Domains at all: instead, point your DNS at your Lovable project URL directly. Details in the official Lovable domain docs.

Option 2: export the code and host it under your domain

Everything Lovable builds is real code, and Lovable’s GitHub sync puts that code in your own repository. That opens the second path: host the app yourself and attach the domain at the hosting level. It makes sense when:

• You’re on the free Lovable plan and the domain is the only reason you’d upgrade.

• You want the app to live independently of the builder, so it keeps running no matter what you do with your Lovable subscription.

• Your app has grown a real backend and needs a full server rather than a published preview.

The path looks like this:

• Step 1. In Lovable, connect GitHub sync so your project code lands in your repository.

• Step 2. Deploy that repository on a host. On livemy.app you connect the repo and get a live URL on a livemy.site address in a couple of minutes, on the free tier, no credit card. We wrote a full walkthrough in how to host a Lovable app.

• Step 3. Add your domain in the dashboard, create the DNS record it shows you, and SSL is handled automatically. To be clear about pricing: on livemy.app a custom domain needs the Maker plan at $10/month, the free tier gives you the livemy.site address only.

Honest comparison: if you already pay for Lovable and just want your domain on the published app, Option 1 is fewer moving parts. Option 2 wins when you want ownership of the code and the hosting, not just the domain.

Which option should you pick

• Already on a paid Lovable plan? Connect the domain inside Lovable. Done in one evening.

• On the free Lovable plan? Export via GitHub sync and host yourself; you’ll pay for the domain feature at the host instead of upgrading the builder.

• App outgrew the builder, needs a real backend? Option 2, regardless of plan.

• Domain behind Cloudflare or another proxy? Read the CDN note above before touching anything.

Troubleshooting checklist

• Domain not live yet? DNS can take up to 72 hours. Check propagation at dnschecker.org before changing anything.

• Still stuck? Look for leftover AAAA (IPv6) records and delete them.

• Root works but www doesn’t (or the reverse)? They’re separate records; add the missing one.

• Verification failing? Make sure the TXT record was added exactly as shown, at the right host name.

• Using Cloudflare’s orange-cloud proxy? That’s the CDN case: point DNS at the project URL instead of connecting in Lovable’s settings.

FAQ

Do I need a paid Lovable plan to use a custom domain?

Yes. Custom domains in Lovable are available on paid plans only. On the free plan, the alternative is exporting your code with GitHub sync and hosting it elsewhere under your domain.

How long does connecting a domain take?

The setup itself takes minutes. DNS propagation and SSL provisioning usually complete quickly but can take up to 72 hours, depending on your registrar.

Can I keep my lovable.app address after connecting a domain?

Yes. The xxx.lovable.app URL can’t be removed; it keeps working alongside your custom domain, and you choose which one is primary.

Does SSL cost extra with a custom domain?

No. Lovable generates and installs the certificate automatically once your domain verifies, and most modern hosts do the same.

Can I connect the same domain to Lovable and to another host?

Not at the same time: a DNS record points at one destination. A common split is the root domain on your main app and a subdomain, like app.yourname.com, on the other.