This article covers how to find and purchase a domain, how to connect a domain you already own at an external registrar, how domain activation works, and how to assign or unassign domains from your projects.
Custom Domains require a Plus or Pro plan.
Buying a domain
Search for available domains directly inside Caffeine. If a domain is available and within the purchase limit, you can buy it using Caffeine Credits.
Pricing:
Domains are priced and paid in Caffeine Credits. Credits are valued at 4 credits per $1 USD, rounded up. The maximum price for any single domain is $100 USD — domains priced above that cap cannot be purchased.
Premium domains:
Some domains are priced higher because of their perceived value — short names, common words, or desirable extensions. These are called premium domains. They follow the same purchase process and are subject to the same $100 USD cap.
Why a domain might not be purchasable:
- The price exceeds $100 USD
- You are not on a Plus or Pro plan
- You do not have enough credits in your balance
- The domain is already registered by someone else
Credit requirement:
You must have the full credit amount available at the time of purchase. Partial balances are not accepted. Add credits first, then retry.
If your purchase fails:
Credits are refunded automatically on a failed purchase, but it can take a short time for the balance to update. If credits do not return within a reasonable window, contact support.
Assigning a domain to a project
After purchase, you can assign a domain to any of your projects. You do not need to assign it immediately — unassigned domains show a standard parking page until connected to a project.
Each project can have one active custom domain at a time. You can own multiple domains and move them between projects, but only one can be active per project at any given moment. If a project already has a domain registered, the option to add another domain to that project is not available — Caffeine will redirect you back to project settings instead.
If your project is not live yet:
A domain purchased through Caffeine can be assigned to a project before that project is live. The domain will show a parking page until the project is published in Live mode.
Domain activation
After you assign a domain to a live project, activation usually completes within a few minutes. In some cases — due to external DNS and registration propagation — it can take up to 24 hours. If your domain is still showing a parking page after that window, contact support.
Why a domain might still show a parking page:
- The project it's assigned to is not yet live
- Domain activation is still processing (DNS propagation can take several hours)
Unassigning a domain
You can unassign a domain when it is in a Connected, Parked, or Error state. Once unassigned, the domain remains yours and shows a parking page until reassigned.
This means you can unassign a domain even if it is connected to a draft project that has never been published live — the domain will simply return to a parked state.
Why you might not be able to unassign right now:
Unassignment is blocked while a domain is registering or updating. Wait for the process to finish, then try again.
Note if you have downgraded your plan:
If you are on a Basic or Starter plan, your domains are inaccessible inside the Caffeine platform — you cannot reassign, unassign, or manage them. Your domains remain registered and continue routing traffic to your app, but all domain management requires upgrading back to Plus or Pro.
Bringing your own domain
If you already own a domain through another registrar, you can connect it to a Caffeine project without purchasing a new one.
Requirements:
- A Plus or Pro plan
- A project that is already live (not just in draft mode)
How to connect your domain:
- Go to Settings → Domains and click Bring your own domain.
- Select the project you want to connect the domain to.
- Enter your domain name.
- Caffeine generates the DNS records you need to add — copy each record's Name and Value into your registrar's DNS settings.
Once the DNS records are in place, Caffeine will verify the setup and activate the domain. DNS propagation can take up to 24 hours worldwide, though it often completes sooner.
Domains connected this way appear in your Domains list alongside any domains you have purchased. Their detail page shows the configurations needed for the domain to work properly.
Disconnecting and removing a domain you brought yourself
If you connected a domain that you registered with an external provider (rather than purchasing it through Caffeine), you can fully remove it from Caffeine using the Remove option on the domain detail page.
This is different from a standard unassignment. Removing a user-owned domain does the following:
- Prompts you to remove the DNS records from your domain registrar first.
- Once you confirm, Caffeine begins removing the domain from its routing system. The domain status shows as Verifying while this is in progress.
- When the removal is confirmed, the domain is deleted from your Caffeine account entirely.
After removal, your domain is no longer connected to Caffeine in any way. You continue to own and manage it through your registrar.
Before you confirm removal:
Remove the DNS records shown in the dialog from your domain registrar. If you skip this step, your domain may point to a dead address until you manually clean up the records at your registrar.
How long does removal take:
The process usually completes within a few minutes. During that time the domain status shows as Verifying.
Frequently asked questions
How many domains can I own?
There is no stated limit on the number of domains you can purchase or connect. Each project can use one at a time, but you can hold multiple unassigned domains.
Can I use the same domain on multiple projects?
No. A domain can only be active on one project at a time. Unassign it from the current project before assigning it to another.
I bought a domain but don't have a project for it yet. Is that okay?
Yes. Purchased domains stay in your account indefinitely. The domain shows a parking page until you assign it to a project.
How do I know when my domain is active?
Caffeine shows the domain status in your project settings. Once activation completes, the domain resolves to your live app. You can also test by navigating to the domain in a browser.
My domain has been activating for over 24 hours. What should I do?
Contact support with your domain name and project name. This usually indicates an issue at the DNS or registrar level that needs manual investigation.
Can I connect a domain I already own instead of buying one?
Yes. Use the Bring your own domain button in Settings > Domains. You will need to add DNS records at your existing registrar. Your project must be live before you can connect an external domain.
What DNS records do I need to configure with my domain registrar?
Caffeine handles DNS configuration automatically. In your domain settings, you can view the DNS records that have been set up. These are split into two groups. Website records — required for your app to be reachable at your custom domain. Email records — only present if your application uses email functionality. These are optional and relate to email deliverability, not to your app being accessible.
Why does my domain need to include www or another subdomain?
Caffeine routes custom domains through a subdomain — for example, www.mydomain.com or blog.mydomain.com — rather than the bare apex domain. This is required for the domain to work with Caffeine's infrastructure. If you also want the bare domain (mydomain.com) to reach your app, configure a permanent (301) redirect from mydomain.com to https://www.mydomain.com at your registrar.
What is the difference between "Disconnect" and "Remove"?
The button label depends on how the domain was added. For domains purchased through Caffeine, the button says Disconnect — this unassigns the domain from the project but keeps it in your account. For domains you connected from your own registrar, the button says Remove — this fully removes the domain from Caffeine, not just from the project. You will need to remove the associated DNS records from your registrar as part of the process.
I removed a domain but it is still routing traffic. What should I do?
After using Remove, you must remove the DNS records from your registrar. Until those records are deleted, browsers may still be directed toward Caffeine's infrastructure. Check your registrar's DNS settings and remove the records that were listed in the removal dialog.