Connected your domain but it's not going live? Here are the most common custom-domain hiccups and how to fix them. Most issues come down to a DNS record that's slightly off, or DNS that simply hasn't finished updating yet.
"DNS verification pending" won't go away
This is the most common one. It means Gracely hasn't found the records it expects yet. Check each of these:
TXT host is exactly
_gracely-verify. If your provider auto-appends your domain, the full host will read_gracely-verify.mychurchdomain.com— that's fine.TXT value matches exactly. Copy it straight from the Verify Domain Ownership section in Gracely. Watch for accidental spaces or a missing character.
Your A or CNAME record points to the right place. Root domains use an A record pointing to the Gracely IP shown in your settings. Subdomains use a CNAME pointing to
custom.gracely.io.DNS may still be propagating. Wait a bit (5–30 minutes is typical, up to 48 hours possible), then click Verify DNS Configuration again.
💡 Tip: You don't have to wait for verification to "auto-detect." Add your records, give it a few minutes, then click Verify DNS Configuration yourself.
"Verify DNS Configuration" keeps failing
If the records look right but verification still fails:
Using Cloudflare? Set the record to "DNS only" (gray cloud), not proxied (orange cloud). A proxied record hides the real DNS answer and verification can't complete.
Duplicate or leftover records. If you have an old A record on
@from a previous website, it can conflict. Remove records that don't belong and keep only the ones Gracely lists.Wrong host for your domain type. A root domain uses
@(or an empty host) for the A record. A subdomain uses just the subdomain part (for example,portal) for the CNAME — not the full domain.TTL is very high. If you changed an existing record, an old high TTL can keep the previous value cached. Lower the TTL (3600 / 1 hour is fine) and wait it out.
Domain verified, but SSL is still pending
Once your DNS is verified, you may briefly see "Domain verified — setting up SSL" or "SSL certificate provisioning." This is normal — Gracely is issuing your free HTTPS certificate, which usually takes a few minutes. The page updates automatically when it's ready, so you can leave it and check back shortly.
"SSL provisioning failed"
If SSL provisioning fails after automatic retries, you'll see a red "SSL provisioning failed" banner (sometimes with an error detail). To recover:
Make sure your A / CNAME records still point to Gracely and haven't been changed.
If you use Cloudflare, confirm the record is "DNS only" (gray cloud).
Click Retry SSL Provisioning.
If it keeps failing after a retry, start a chat with us and include the domain and any error message shown.
www vs root domain — which records do I need?
This trips a lot of people up. It depends on the domain you connected:
Root domain (
mychurchdomain.com): add an A record on@pointing to the Gracely IP, plus a recommended www CNAME →custom.gracely.iosowww.mychurchdomain.comalso works.Subdomain (
portal.mychurchdomain.com): add a single CNAME on the subdomain (portal) →custom.gracely.io. You don't need an A record.
⚠️ Note: If your root domain already hosts a website, pointing its A record to Gracely will replace that site. To keep your existing website, connect a subdomain instead.
My old website disappeared after connecting
If you pointed your root domain's A record to Gracely, it replaced wherever that domain used to go. If you wanted to keep your existing website, remove the custom domain from the Danger Zone, then reconnect using a subdomain (like portal.mychurchdomain.com) so your main site stays untouched.
Still stuck?
If you've checked your records, waited for propagation, and verification or SSL still won't complete, start a chat with us. Have your domain name and a screenshot of your DNS records ready — it helps us spot the issue fast.