How to connect a domain to Bolt

How connecting a domain to Bolt works

Bolt Cloud uses a single hostname target rather than an apex IP: www is a CNAME to site-dns.bolt.host, and the root is an ALIAS/ANAME/flattened CNAME to site-dns.bolt.host (apex domains can't take a plain CNAME, so your provider must support ALIAS-type records). Connecting a subdomain also requires a TXT verification record that Bolt shows.

SSL is auto-provisioned. Note Bolt can alternatively publish to Netlify (selectable in the hosting drop-down) — if you choose Netlify as the host, follow the Netlify guide for DNS instead. The path here is Bolt's own (Bolt Cloud) flow.

DNS records to set at your registrar

Values verified from Bolt's official docs, as of June 2026. Providers can change these — confirm against Bolt's current dashboard.

Step by step

1. Have or buy the domain (search and register on JustDomain.ai), and make sure you're on a paid Bolt plan.
2. Open your Bolt project → gear icon → All project settings → Domains & Hosting.
3. Choose 'Connect a domain you own' (or buy one through Bolt) and enter your domain.
4. If connecting a subdomain, add the TXT record Bolt shows, then click 'Verify and add subdomain.'
5. In your registrar's DNS, add www → CNAME site-dns.bolt.host, and apex → ALIAS/ANAME/flattened CNAME site-dns.bolt.host.
6. Wait for propagation (usually a few hours, up to 24h) and check the Status column in Domains & Hosting.

Common gotchas

• Custom domains are paid-plan only; a free project stays on the *.bolt.host (or Netlify) URL.
• Apex domains can't use a plain CNAME — you need ALIAS/ANAME/flattened-CNAME support, or use www.
• Two hosting targets exist (Bolt Cloud vs Netlify) — confirm which the project uses; the correct DNS target differs.
• Editing the published domain URL via the pencil icon in the Publish dialog is a Teams-plan feature.