Before you start
This guide assumes you've already converted your Canva site with canva-to-html and hosted it somewhere. If you haven't picked a host yet, check out our guides for Netlify, Vercel, or Cloudflare Pages. All three are free and all three support custom domains.
Step 1: Buy a domain
If you don't already own a domain, you need to register one. A .com typically costs about $10 per year. Here are some good registrars:
- Cloudflare Registrar sells domains at cost with no markup. If you're hosting on Cloudflare Pages, this is the easiest option.
- Porkbun is affordable and has a clean interface.
- Namecheap has been around forever and works well.
Pick a name, register it, and you're ready for the next step.
Step 2: Tell your host about the domain
Go to your hosting platform's dashboard and add your domain. Each platform has a slightly different flow, but the idea is the same: you type in your domain name and the platform tells you what DNS record to create.
- Netlify: Site settings, then Domain management, then Add custom domain.
- Vercel: Project settings, then Domains, then Add.
- Cloudflare Pages: Your project page, then Custom domains, then Set up a custom domain.
Step 3: Add a DNS record
Your host will give you a target to point your domain at. Usually it's a CNAME record. Go to your domain registrar's DNS settings and create it:
- Type: CNAME
- Name: @ or www (depending on what your host asks for)
- Target: whatever your host told you (like
your-site.netlify.app)
Some registrars need an A record for the root domain instead of a CNAME. Your hosting platform's docs will tell you which one. The platform will also tell you the exact value to enter.
Step 4: Wait for DNS to propagate
DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours. In practice, it's usually fast. You can check if it's working by visiting your domain in the browser.
SSL is automatic
Netlify, Vercel, and Cloudflare Pages all provide free SSL certificates automatically. Once your domain is connected, HTTPS just works. You don't need to buy a certificate or configure anything.
Using www and non-www
Most people want both yourname.com and www.yourname.com to work. All three hosting platforms handle this for you. Just add both versions in their domain settings and they'll redirect one to the other.