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How to Set Up DNS for Your Gracely Custom Domain (Step-by-Step)

Overview

After you connect your domain in Gracely, you must update your DNS settings so Gracely can:

  1. Verify you own the domain

  2. Point the domain to your Gracely portal

  3. Enable SSL (HTTPS)

This setup usually takes 5–30 minutes, but in some cases can take up to 48 hours depending on your domain provider.

Step 1: Go to your DNS provider

Log in to the place where you purchased your domain.

Common DNS providers include:

  • GoDaddy

  • Namecheap

  • Cloudflare

  • Google Domains / Squarespace Domains

  • IONOS

  • Hostinger

Then open:
​DNS settings → DNS records (or “Manage DNS”)

Step 2: Add the TXT record (Domain Ownership Verification)

In Gracely, you will see a section called:

“Verify Domain Ownership”

You will be asked to create a TXT record.

Example:

  • Type: TXT

  • Host / Name: _gracely-verify

  • Value: gracely-verify-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

This TXT record proves that you own the domain.

Important: Some DNS providers automatically add your domain at the end.
If your provider shows the full name, it may appear like:
​_gracely-verify.mychurchdomain.com

That is normal.

Step 3: Add the A record (Point the domain to Gracely)

In Gracely, you will see a section called:

“Point Your Domain to Gracely”

Add this A record:

  • Type: A

  • Host / Name: @ (or leave empty depending on provider)

  • Value: (Gracely IP shown in your settings)

This record makes your domain load the Gracely portal.

Tip: If your provider does not accept @, try leaving the host blank.

Step 4: Add the CNAME record (Recommended)

Gracely also recommends adding a CNAME record for www:

  • Type: CNAME

  • Host / Name: www

  • Target: custom.gracely.io

This ensures:

  • www.mychurchdomain.com redirects to mychurchdomain.com

Step 5: Wait for DNS propagation

DNS updates are not instant.

Most of the time it takes:

  • 5–30 minutes

Sometimes it can take:

  • Up to 48 hours

Step 6: Verify your DNS configuration in Gracely

Back in Gracely, scroll to:

“Verify Your Configuration”

Click:

✅ Verify DNS Configuration

Gracely will check:

  • Your TXT record

  • Your A record

  • Your CNAME record (if added)

If everything is correct:

  • Your custom domain will become Active

  • SSL will be provisioned automatically

When your domain is live

Once your domain is successfully connected, you’ll see:

✅ Your custom domain is live
✅ SSL certificate active
And a button like:

  • Visit Portal

Your portal will now be accessible at:

  • https://mychurchdomain.com

Troubleshooting (Common Issues)

“DNS verification pending” does not go away

This usually means:

  • DNS records were not added correctly

  • DNS is still propagating

Double-check:

  • TXT host is _gracely-verify

  • TXT value matches exactly

  • A record points to the Gracely IP

My domain provider asks for TTL

You can keep TTL as:

  • Default
    or

  • 3600 seconds (1 hour)

I already have an A record for @

If your domain already points to a website, changing the A record will replace it.

If the church wants to keep their website, you should use a subdomain instead, like:

  • portal.mychurchdomain.com

(Then you would point only that subdomain to Gracely.)

Removing your custom domain (Danger Zone)

If you remove your domain:

  • Your portal will go back to the default Gracely URL

  • This action cannot be undone automatically

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