Custom domains

Point a domain at any application or environment. Certificates are issued and renewed for you - there is nothing to install or rotate.

Default URLs#

Every deployed environment already has a URL, built from the branch, the app, and your organization:

{branch}-{app}-{org}.light-cloud.io

The main branch of an app called storefront in the acme org serves at main-storefront-acme.light-cloud.io. These subdomains are covered by a wildcard certificate and need no DNS setup. A custom domain sits on top of this; remove it and the environment reverts to its subdomain.

Add a domain#

1. Deploy first. A domain can only be attached to an app or environment that is live.

2. Open the Domain tab of the app or environment and enter the domain without https:// or www - app.example.com, or the bare example.com.

3. Add the DNS records the console shows you at your DNS provider. There is always a CNAME pointing your domain at light-cloud.io, plus one or two TXT records that verify ownership and let the certificate be issued:

   Type	Name	Value
   CNAME	app	light-cloud.io
   TXT	_acme-challenge.app	shown in the console

   Each record has a copy button, and the exact names and values are always the ones on screen - copy them as given.

4. Click Check Status. DNS changes usually land in minutes but can take up to 48 hours to propagate. The table disappears and the domain is marked active once verification and the certificate are done.

From then on, traffic to the domain reaches that environment over HTTPS.

Apex domains#

Subdomains and apex domains both work, and the instruction is a CNAME either way. If your DNS provider does not allow a CNAME on the apex (example.com), use its ALIAS or CNAME-flattening record type - Cloudflare, Route 53, and most modern providers have one.

One domain, one target#

A domain can be attached to exactly one application or environment across the platform. Point example.com at production and give staging its own hostname, say staging.example.com, on the staging environment. Each domain gets its own certificate (TLS 1.2 minimum).

Domains work on preview environments too - a long-lived staging branch with a real hostname is a normal setup.

Certificates#

• Issued automatically once DNS verification passes; renewed automatically before expiry.
• HTTPS is always on - the default subdomains and every custom domain serve TLS 1.2 or newer.
• Nothing to upload, install, or rotate. There is no way to bring your own certificate, and no need to.

Troubleshooting#

• Stuck on pending. Confirm the records at your DNS provider match the console exactly, then check status again. Propagation can take up to 48 hours depending on the provider and the record TTLs.
• Verification failed. Use Retry Connection on the domain tab - it discards the pending setup and starts verification fresh.
• Wrong domain. Remove the domain and add the right one; the environment falls back to its *.light-cloud.io subdomain in the meantime, so nothing goes dark.
• Works on the subdomain, not the domain. The CNAME is missing or still propagating - dig CNAME app.example.com should answer light-cloud.io.

Related#