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 domain points to
custom.gracely.io. A root domain uses an ALIAS record (also called ANAME or flattened CNAME). A subdomain uses a CNAME. A records are not supported.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.
Leftover A or AAAA records. An old A or AAAA record on
@(from a previous website, a parking page, or an older Gracely setup) can send visitors elsewhere. Remove it and keep only the records Gracely lists.Wrong host for your domain type. A root domain uses
@(or an empty host) for the ALIAS 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.
If it stays on "Domain verified — setting up SSL", Gracely can't see your domain pointing to custom.gracely.io yet. Check your ALIAS (root domain) or CNAME (subdomain) record.
SSL still isn't active
There's no retry button. Gracely keeps checking every few minutes and issues the certificate as soon as your record is right. If a short error detail shows under the blue message, check these:
Make sure your ALIAS (root domain) or CNAME (subdomain) record still points to
custom.gracely.io.If you use Cloudflare, confirm the record is "DNS only" (gray cloud).
Remove any leftover A or AAAA records for
@.
If SSL still isn't active after a few hours, 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 ALIAS record (ANAME or flattened CNAME) on@→custom.gracely.io. To makewww.mychurchdomain.comwork too, turn on domain forwarding from www tomychurchdomain.comat your domain provider. Don't add a CNAME forwww: Gracely only sets up the domain you connected.Subdomain (
portal.mychurchdomain.com): add a single CNAME on the subdomain (portal) →custom.gracely.io. You don't need any other record.
⚠️ Note: If your root domain already hosts a website, pointing it 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 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.