Custom Domains
When you publish a Shogo app, it goes live at a your-app.shogo.one address. With custom domains you can serve that same app from a domain you own — like app.acme.com — with a free SSL certificate that Shogo issues and renews for you automatically.
Custom domains aren't enabled on every plan or deployment. If you don't see the Custom domain option after publishing, it isn't available for your account yet — reach out to support.
Before you start
You'll need:
- A published app — custom domains attach to an app that's already live.
- A domain you control, with access to its DNS settings at your registrar or DNS provider (for example Cloudflare, Namecheap, GoDaddy, or Route 53).
Just bring the domain itself — your root domain like acme.com is fine. You don't need to invent a subdomain. When you add a root domain, Shogo automatically sets up the www version too (and a redirect between them), so visitors reach your app either way.
Step 1 — Publish your app
Custom domains point at a published app, so publish first:
- Open your project.
- Click Publish in the top bar.
- Pick a subdomain (or keep the default), choose who can visit, and click Publish.
Your app is now live at your-app.shogo.one.
Step 2 — Add your domain
You can manage custom domains from either place:
- Publish dropdown — click Publish and scroll down to the Custom domain section.
- Project Settings — open Settings, then go to Publishing → Custom domain.
Then:
- Type your domain, e.g.
acme.com. - Click Add.
Shogo registers acme.com and www.acme.com as a linked pair and shows you the DNS records to create. One of the two is the primary (canonical) address and the other redirects to it — www is primary by default. You can switch which one is primary anytime with Make primary.
Step 3 — Create the DNS records
Shogo shows the records to add for each hostname at your DNS provider. Each record has a Name and a Value with a copy button. You'll usually see:
- A CNAME record — points your domain to your app.
- A TXT record — confirms you own the domain and verifies your SSL certificate.
Copy each value exactly and add it at your DNS provider. Where you do this varies by provider — look for a section called DNS, Records, or Advanced DNS.
Copy the values straight from Shogo instead of typing them. A single wrong character will stop verification.
Step 4 — Wait for it to go live (automatic)
That's it — there's nothing else to click. Shogo checks your DNS and SSL automatically and your domain goes live on its own, usually within a few minutes of the records propagating. A small timeline shows exactly where things are — Add records → Validate DNS → Issue certificate → Live — and each DNS record shows a Found / Not detected yet / Wrong target tick so you can see at a glance which records are in place. The status moves through these stages:
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Awaiting DNS | The records haven't been detected yet. Once you've added them, just wait. |
| Validating DNS | Your records were found and are being validated. |
| Issuing certificate | Validation passed; your SSL certificate is being issued (you'll see which certificate authority is issuing it). |
| Live | Your domain is active and serving your app over HTTPS. |
| Taking longer than usual | Your DNS looks correct but the certificate is taking a while (occasionally a certificate authority is slow). After about 30 minutes a Retry certificate button appears — see below. |
| Action needed | Something needs attention — read the message shown and fix it; we'll pick it up on the next check. |
Once the status is Live, open https://acme.com (or https://www.acme.com) and your app loads on your own domain, redirecting to whichever you chose as primary.
DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to take effect. There's a Check now button if you'd like to re-check immediately, but you don't have to — Shogo keeps checking in the background. SSL certificates are issued and renewed automatically.
If it's taking longer than usual
Certificates are normally issued within a few minutes, but every so often the certificate authority is slow and a domain can sit in Issuing certificate longer than expected. When your DNS records are confirmed correct and it's been more than ~30 minutes, a Retry certificate button appears. Click it to nudge the certificate authority to try again — you don't need to change any DNS records. Shogo also retries automatically in the background, so the button is just there if you'd like to give it a push.
Primary domain (www vs. root)
When you add a root domain we set up both acme.com and www.acme.com. One is the primary address visitors are redirected to; the other forwards to it with a permanent (308) redirect. Keeping a single primary address is good for SEO and avoids sign-in/OAuth issues from having two URLs.
By default www.acme.com is primary. To flip it, click Make primary next to the other hostname — the redirect direction switches right away.
Using a different subdomain
You can also point a specific subdomain like app.acme.com or docs.acme.com at your app. Subdomains are added on their own (no automatic www pairing) and use a single CNAME record.
Advanced: root domains and CNAME flattening
The root record Shogo gives you is a CNAME. Most DNS providers don't allow a plain CNAME at the root of a domain, but many — including Cloudflare and Route 53 — support CNAME flattening (or ALIAS) records that make it work. If your provider supports that, the root domain works directly with the CNAME we provide. If it doesn't, simply use www.acme.com as your primary (the default), which always works.
Remove a domain
To stop serving your app from a custom domain, open the Custom domain section and click the trash icon next to it. This removes both the root and www halves of the pair. You can add it back later if you change your mind.
Troubleshooting
Status stuck on "Awaiting DNS." The records aren't visible to Shogo yet. Double-check that the Name and Value match exactly, confirm they're saved at your provider, and give DNS time to propagate — Shogo keeps checking automatically.
Status shows "Action needed." Read the message next to the domain. The most common causes are a typo in a record or a conflicting record already on the same name (such as an old A or CNAME record). Fix it at your provider; Shogo re-checks on its own.
The page loads but shows a security warning. Your SSL certificate is still being issued. Wait a few minutes after the records verify, then reload.
Status says "Taking longer than usual." Your DNS is correct but the certificate authority is slow. Shogo keeps retrying automatically; once it's been ~30 minutes you can also click Retry certificate to nudge it along. No DNS changes are needed.