# Use your own domain

> Connect a domain you own to your Lilo Site, add its DNS records, check its status, fix a domain that needs attention, or remove it.

**Applies to:** Lilo Booth

Source: https://heylilo.co/help/lilo-sites/custom-domain

You can show your Lilo Site at a domain you own, like yourbusiness.com. Once it's live, your heylilo.me address sends visitors to your domain, so links you've already shared keep working.

You need a published site and a domain you've bought from a domain company, called a registrar. Lilo doesn't sell domains. To publish your site first, see [Create your Lilo Site](https://heylilo.co/help/lilo-sites/create-your-site).

## Connect your domain

1. Go to [**Settings** → **Website**](https://app.heylilo.co/dashboard/settings?tab=website).
2. Under **Your address**, select **Connect domain**. You can also select **Edit site** and choose **Custom domain**.
3. Under **Your domain**, type your domain, like yourbusiness.com.
4. Select **Connect domain**. You'll see **Domain connected. Add the DNS records below.**

Nothing changes for visitors until the records are in place.

## Add the DNS records

Lilo lists the records to add, with their **Type**, **Name** and **Value**. Select a name or value to copy it.

1. Sign in where you bought your domain and open its DNS settings.
2. Add each record exactly as Lilo shows it.
3. Back in Lilo, select **Check status**.

Which records you add depends on the domain you connect:

| You connect | You add |
|---|---|
| yourbusiness.com | An **A** record named **@**, and usually a **CNAME** record named **www**. Visitors who type www go to yourbusiness.com. |
| book.yourbusiness.com or www.yourbusiness.com | One **CNAME** record, named **book** or **www**. |

Sometimes there's also a **TXT** record. Lilo adds it when it needs to confirm the domain is yours.

DNS changes can take up to 48 hours. Once the records work, Lilo sets up a security certificate. This usually takes a few minutes. Then your domain goes live and Lilo emails you.

## Check your domain's status

Under **Your address**, your domain shows its status. Select **Manage** to see its records and details.

| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| **Pending DNS** | Lilo is waiting for your records to work. |
| **Live** | Your site shows at your domain, and your heylilo.me address sends visitors there. |
| **Needs attention** | Your domain was live, then stopped working. Your site shows at your heylilo.me address until it's fixed. |

## Fix a domain that needs attention

1. Under **Your address**, select **Manage**.
2. Read the note at the top. It says what's wrong.
3. At your registrar, check that your records still match the ones Lilo shows.
4. Select **Check status**.

If the note says the domain is no longer attached, remove it and connect it again. Once your records work again, your domain goes back to **Live** and Lilo emails you.

## Remove your domain

1. Under **Your address**, select **Manage**.
2. Select **Remove domain**.
3. In the box, select **Remove domain** again. You'll see **Domain removed.**

Your site stops showing at that domain, and your heylilo.me address works as before. You can connect it again later.

## How it works

- **One domain per site.** To switch to another domain, remove the one you have first.
- **Lilo keeps checking for you.** It checks a pending domain every 10 minutes for its first day, then every hour. It checks a live domain, or one that needs attention, once a day.
- **Pending domains expire after 7 days.** If the records still don't work, Lilo disconnects the domain and emails you. Your site stays at your heylilo.me address.
- **Check status** checks right away. Lilo checks at most once every 30 seconds, and once every 5 minutes while it's still confirming the domain is yours. In between, you see the last result.
- While your domain is live, the address at the top of the **Website** tab shows your domain. Selecting it copies your domain.
- Changing your heylilo.me address doesn't affect your domain. Your stats include visits to your domain.
- If your paid Lilo Booth [subscription](https://heylilo.co/help/account/billing) ends, your domain shows the same paused page as your heylilo.me address. If your site is removed for good, Lilo disconnects the domain.

## Common questions

### Why isn't my domain live yet?

DNS changes can take up to 48 hours. Check that each record at your registrar matches the type, name and value Lilo shows. If **Manage** shows **Records look good. Securing your domain now.**, your records are right and Lilo is finishing the security certificate. If it still says **Pending DNS** after 7 days, Lilo disconnects it and emails you.

### Why did Lilo remove my domain?

Its records still weren't working 7 days after you connected it, so Lilo disconnected it and emailed you. Your site is unchanged at your heylilo.me address. Connect the domain again and add the records. Lilo also disconnects your domain if your site is removed for good.

### Why can't I connect my domain?

Lilo tells you why when you select **Connect domain**. The usual reasons:

- Your site already has a domain. Remove that one first.
- It's already connected to another Lilo Site.
- It's in use somewhere else. If you own it, use **Contact support** in your account menu.
- It's misspelled, or it's a Lilo address or an IP address. Use a domain you own.
- It has international characters. Those aren't supported yet.
- You've tried to connect or remove a domain 5 times in the last hour. Try again in an hour.
- Lilo couldn't finish connecting it. Try again in a few minutes.

### Should I connect yourbusiness.com or www.yourbusiness.com?

Connect yourbusiness.com. Lilo usually also sends visitors who type www to your site. If you connect www.yourbusiness.com, Lilo doesn't set up the address without www.

### Does a custom domain cost extra?

Not from Lilo. You pay your registrar for the domain.

### Can I connect a domain in the Lilo app?

No. Use Lilo on the web, in **Settings** → **Website**.