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Custom domains

Point your apex domain at Pierrr and we issue + renew the SSL certificate.

The domain list

The Domains page lists every domain in the organization, with the “x / y domains used” counter under the title. Each row shows the apex (a link to the domain page, with an attention dot when the domain is pending, failed or drifted), the DNS status with the resolved address, the number of bound services and the date added. On the right, the eye icon opens the domain page and the bin deletes it after a confirmation. The list is paginated by ten.

The Domains page: apex, DNS status, bound services, date added and actions.

Add a domain

From the dashboard, open Domains and click Add a domain. The wizard has two steps:

  • Type your apex domain (e.g. acme.com). If the organization has servers, the “Where to host it?” list lets you pick the Pierrr infrastructure, the default, or one of your servers: the expected address changes accordingly.
  • Copy the DNS records we display and add them at your DNS provider (Cloudflare, OVH, AWS Route 53…). The wizard polls DNS every 5 s.
  • As soon as the domain resolves to the expected address, the dialog closes by itself and a notification invites you to bind the domain to a service from its page. There is no extra step.
You add the DNS records at your provider, Pierrr checks that they point to it, then you connect the domain to a service. The HTTPS certificate is issued and renewed without any action from you. If the DNS stops pointing to Pierrr, the domain shows as drifted and routing may be interrupted.
Step 1: the apex domain and the hosting choice.
Step 2: the DNS records to copy, and the automatic verification.

If you close the wizard before verification, the domain you just created is deleted so no ghost row is left behind. Only the Finish button keeps it, waiting for DNS: Pierrr then re-checks it every minute, in the background.

The domain root: A or ALIAS

For a domain served by Pierrr, the DNS screen, in the wizard as on the domain page, always shows an A record for the root (@) pointing at the expected address. Right below, a “Recommended if your DNS provider supports it” box offers an alternative: an ALIAS, ANAME or flattened CNAME record at the root (@) pointing at edge.pierrr.com.

The benefit of this alternative: if Pierrr ever moves to another server, your domain follows with nothing to do on your side, whereas an A record needs its address updated. It is one or the other: keep the A record or the ALIAS at the root, never both.

The name of this record depends on your DNS provider:

  • some, like Cloudflare, flatten a CNAME set at the root automatically: simply create a CNAME @ pointing at edge.pierrr.com;
  • others offer a dedicated type, called ALIAS or ANAME;
  • some registrars offer neither: the A record is then the way to go.

Bound subdomains (www, api…) do not change: they stay a CNAME pointing at the root of your domain, whichever record you pick for it.

For a domain hosted on one of your servers, nothing changes: an A record pointing at your server's public IP address, with no alternative.

In every case, verification compares the domain with the server serving it today: a domain that no longer points there moves to DNS drift and is flagged among the domains that need attention.

Verification & status

The list shows the current DNS status. The Verify now button forces an immediate re-check: it lives on the domain page, in the actions menu and in the DNS records section until the domain is verified. Verified domains are re-checked every 6 hours. The four possible states:

  • DNS pending, the domain was just added; DNS does not resolve to the expected address yet.
  • Verified, DNS points at Pierrr. The certificate is issued per host as soon as a service is connected to it.
  • Resolution failed, the DNS probe did not find the expected record (missing record or incomplete propagation).
  • DNS drift, the domain was verified but DNS no longer points at the expected address; routing may be interrupted.

A domain's page

Click a domain to open its page. The header shows the apex (copyable), its status and a Visit button once it is served; the actions menu offers Verify now, Retry TLS and Delete. The Domain details card sums up the status, the date added, the last DNS check, the expected and resolved addresses, and the number of connected services and active certificates.

Three sections follow: Connected services, DNS records (type, host, value and TTL, each with a copy button) and HTTPS certificates (host, status, issue and expiry dates).

A domain's page: details, connected services, DNS records and HTTPS certificates.

While the domain is not verified, the Connect a service button is disabled and its tooltip asks you to verify the domain first. The Connected services and HTTPS certificates sections stay empty.

An unverified domain: Connect a service is disabled and Verify now is offered.

Bind to a service

Once the domain is verified, open its page, Connected services section, then click Connect a service. Pick the project, the service and, if needed, a subdomain: a “Will be served on…” preview confirms the address. A subdomain can be bound to one service only. Unbinding asks for a confirmation and cuts the host immediately; you can bind it again afterwards.

Connect a service: project, service and optional subdomain.

Every served host needs its own DNS record. The root record, A or ALIAS, covers the apex alone: neither "www" nor any other subdomain. To serve "www.acme.com", bind the "www" subdomain to a service, then add the matching CNAME pointing at the apex. The domain page always lists every expected record, apex and bound subdomains included.

SSL certificates

Pierrr issues an HTTPS certificate as soon as a service is connected to the host, then renews it well before expiry. Each host's status (TLS pending, active, failed, renewing) shows in the HTTPS certificates section.

If issuance fails on a host, a notice explains what to check: that host's exact DNS and port 80 being open. Pierrr retries automatically every 30 minutes, and the actions menu offers Retry TLS to run it right away.

Quota

The number of domains you can attach is part of your plan. The “x / y domains used” counter (or “unlimited”) shows at the top of the Domains page. When the quota is reached, Add a domain opens a “Domain quota reached” dialog with a link to the plans. After a plan downgrade, the bindings of domains beyond the quota are detached automatically.

The plan quota is reached: a link leads to the plans.

Deleting a domain

Deleting removes the domain and all its bindings: its hosts stop being served immediately. Certificates already issued are kept, so plugging the domain back in later is instant.

Who can manage domains

Every member sees the actions (add, delete, connect, unbind, verify, retry TLS). A role without the right sees them disabled, with the tooltip “Your role cannot manage domains: ask an owner or an admin of the organization”.

See also

A migration from another host also prepares your domains: see the Migrations documentation. WordPress sites get a managed subdomain automatically, see the WordPress sites documentation.