Every app you publish on Pushpad gets its own address on pushapp.live, like your-app.pushapp.live. You can also give it a domain of your own, like example.com or app.example.com. Once the domain is working, it becomes your app's address, and anyone who opens the old pushapp.live address is sent to the new one.
This guide explains the few words you'll meet along the way, then walks through both ways to get your app on a domain.
What you need
- A published app on Pushpad. A domain points at an app that is live, so publish yours first.
- A plan that includes custom domains. The Free plan doesn't; the paid plans do. The pricing page shows how many each one includes.
- A domain. You can buy one through Pushpad, or use one you already own.
A few words, explained
- Domain: the name people type to reach your app, like example.com. You rent it by the year from a company called a registrar.
- Subdomain: a name in front of your domain, like app.example.com or www.example.com. You can use one for your app and keep the main domain for something else.
- Root domain: the domain with nothing in front, like example.com.
- DNS: the internet's address book. It tells browsers where to find the app behind a name.
- DNS record: one line in that address book. You add records where you manage your domain, usually the company you bought it from.
- CNAME record: a record that says "this name lives at that address". It's the one that points your domain at Pushpad.
- TXT record: a record that holds a short piece of text. Pushpad uses one to check the domain is yours before the CNAME is in place.
Option 1: buy a domain through Pushpad
This is the simplest way, because Pushpad does the setup for you.
1. Find a name. Ask your AI, "Find me a domain for my app", or search on the Domains page in your dashboard. You'll see which names are free and what each costs.
2. Check the price and agree. Before anything is spent, you see the exact total for the first year and what it renews at. Nothing is charged until you say yes.
3. Done. Pushpad charges your saved card and registers the domain in your name, so you own it. A domain bought for an app is connected to that app straight away, and Pushpad adds its DNS records for you: there's nothing for you to add.
Bought a domain without choosing an app? Connect it whenever you like, from the app's Domain tab or by asking your AI. Pushpad recognises it as yours and sets up its DNS then. The same goes for a name under it, like www.
Option 2: connect a domain you already own
If your domain is with another company, like Cloudflare, Namecheap, GoDaddy or Porkbun, you add the records yourself. It takes a few minutes.
1. Connect the domain to your app. Open your app in your dashboard and go to its Domain tab. Type the domain, for example app.example.com, and choose Connect domain. You can also ask your AI to connect it.
2. Copy the records. The Domain tab now lists the DNS records to add. Each has a type, a name and a value, and each has a Copy button so you don't have to type them.
3. Open your DNS settings. Sign in where you manage your domain. Look for a section called DNS, Manage DNS or DNS records.
4. Add each record. Choose Add record, then fill it in:
- Type: pick the type shown, CNAME or TXT.
- Name (sometimes called Host): paste the name from the Domain tab. Many providers add your domain to the end for you; if yours does, type only the part in front. For app.example.com that's app, and for the root domain example.com it's @.
- Value (sometimes called Target or Points to): paste the value from the Domain tab.
- TTL: leave it as it is.
Save each record. The CNAME is required. The TXT record is optional: it lets Pushpad check the domain is yours sooner.
5. Wait for it to go live. New records can take up to an hour to reach the whole internet, though it's often a few minutes. The Domain tab checks every 30 seconds, and you can choose Check now. When the status says Live, you're done.
Using a root domain
Many DNS providers only allow a CNAME on a subdomain like app.example.com, not on the root domain example.com. To use a root domain, your provider needs a feature called CNAME flattening, ALIAS or ANAME. Cloudflare, DNSimple and Namecheap have one. If yours doesn't, use www.example.com or app.example.com instead; it works the same way.
When it's live
- Your domain is your app's address. Links you share and sign-ins on your app use it.
- The old pushapp.live address still works and sends visitors to your domain.
- The secure connection (the padlock in the browser) is set up for you.
- To stop using the domain, choose Disconnect on the Domain tab.
If it doesn't go live
- "The CNAME record isn't showing yet." The record hasn't been added, or hasn't spread yet. Check its name and value match the Domain tab exactly, then give it a little longer.
- The name ends up with your domain twice, like app.example.com.example.com. Your provider added the domain for you. Edit the record and type only the part in front: app, or @ for the root.
- Another record already uses the name. A name can't have a CNAME and another record at the same time, such as an A record left by a parking page. Delete the other record.
- Your DNS is on Cloudflare. Set the record to DNS only, the grey cloud, not proxied.
- Still stuck after an hour? Choose Check now on the Domain tab, and make sure the domain hasn't expired with the company you bought it from.
The full guide is in the docs, under Custom domains.