The status is "Not seen yet"
#Playcode has not found your setting at the domain yet. Either the setting was not saved at your DNS provider, or the change has not reached Playcode. The app says a DNS change takes minutes, sometimes up to a day.
- Open the DNS page at your provider. Compare your record with the Type, Name and Value that Playcode shows. Use the copy button beside each value, so that nothing is mistyped.
- Save the record at your provider.
- Choose Check now, or leave the dialog open: Playcode checks every minute.
The status is "Points elsewhere"
#The setting exists, but it points at another address. The app says: "The setting we see points somewhere else. Replace it with the value above."
- At your provider, change the record's value to the exact value Playcode shows.
- If the dialog shows Delete these first at your provider, delete the records it lists. They are "existing settings at the same name" that "would keep the new one from working".
- Choose Check now.
The status is "Found · securing it" or "Verifying"
#Playcode found your setting and is getting the certificate for HTTPS (the padlock). Nothing is wrong. Wait, then open the address again. Playcode retries the certificate on its own.
If the reason reads "The certificate authority is rate-limiting this domain", the authority that issues certificates has paused orders for this domain. Playcode retries once the limit clears. You do not need to do anything.
The status is "Checking"
#Playcode could not read the domain's status at that moment. Close the dialog, wait a minute and open Publish again.
The status is "Needs attention" or "Action needed"
#Playcode could not finish the setup. The reason shows under the status, or when you point at the address:
| Reason the app shows | What to do |
|---|---|
| "Your domain points to ..., but it must point to ... for the certificate to be issued." | Change the record at your provider to the second value. Playcode retries automatically. |
| "Your domain's nameservers are ..., but they must be ..." | Change the nameservers at your registrar to the values shown. |
| "Your DNS does not point to Playcode yet, so the certificate could not be issued." | Compare the record with the values in the connect dialog, then choose Check now. |
| "Verification stalled. Check that your DNS points to Playcode." | Compare the record with the values in the connect dialog, then choose Check now. |
| "The certificate could not be issued. We retry automatically." | Wait. If the status does not change, get help and include the text after "Details:". |
| "Our side is finishing the setup. Nothing to change on your end - we retry automatically." | Wait. The work is on Playcode's side. |
If the status stays the same after you fixed the record, get help from a person.
The site opens without "www", but www.example.com does not
#The www name is a separate name. When you connect example.com, only example.com goes live. Turn on Also answer at www.example.com in the connect dialog, then add the second setting it shows at your provider.
You switched the nameservers, and the old provider still answers
#The registrar's change has not reached the registry yet. The app says this takes minutes, sometimes up to a day. While Playcode waits, it shows each nameserver as Switched, Not seen yet or Still with your old provider's name.
- Check that you replaced every nameserver at the registrar with the two Playcode shows. The app says: "Replacing only one leaves your name answering from two places at once".
- Choose Check again. You can also close the dialog: your settings already serve from Playcode, Playcode keeps watching, and it emails you when the switch completes.
A domain registered with Cloudflare Registrar cannot move its nameservers away from Cloudflare. Choose one of the other ways in the connect dialog instead.
The domain worked, then stopped
#- You got the email "... is no longer connected to Playcode". This is about a Cloud app. Playcode closed the connection because the domain no longer pointed at Playcode, or because the workspace's plan no longer includes custom domains. A name whose setting is a CNAME record is released this way when it still does not point at Playcode 7 days after you connected it. Fix the setting, then connect the domain again from the project.
- Your plan ended. A Cloud app stops when the workspace's plan no longer includes Cloud apps, and a stopped app does not answer on its domain. See When a subscription ends.
Connecting fails with a message
#The connect dialog shows "We could not connect" your name, followed by the reason. The reasons, word for word:
| Message | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "That doesn't look like an address. Try something like yourname.com." | The text is not a domain name. | Type the name only, like example.com. |
| "We could not look up where ... lives right now. Try again in a moment." | Playcode could not read the domain's DNS. | Try again. |
| "None of the ways is open for this name right now: ..." | No way to connect fits this name. The reason follows the colon. | Act on the reason. |
| "This domain is already used in another project" | A static site already uses this name. A name serves one project at a time. | If the project is yours, remove the domain there first. If it is not, get help from a person. |
| "Custom domain ... is already ... for another app or workspace." | Another app or workspace holds the name. | If the domain is yours, get help from a person. |
| "...: its DNS is served by Playcode for another workspace" | The domain's DNS is managed in another Playcode workspace. | Connect it from that workspace. |
| "...: only the bare name and one level below it can be connected" | The name is too deep, like a.b.example.com. |
Connect example.com or shop.example.com. |
| "... cannot be secured with HTTPS: an underscore is not allowed in a website address" | No certificate can be issued for a name with an underscore. | Use a hyphen instead, like my-shop.example.com. |
| "Custom-domain limit reached for this owner (...)." | The workspace reached its domain limit. | Remove a domain you no longer use, or ask a person to raise the limit. |
| "No PROD app for project .... Publish the project first before attaching a custom domain." | A Cloud project needs a published app before it can have a domain. | Publish the project first. |
| "Sorry, the domain is not allowed" | The name is one of Playcode's own domains. | Use another name. |
| "Custom domains require a paid plan" or "Your plan (...) does not include custom domains. Upgrade to attach." | Custom domains need a Pro or Max plan. | See Plans and credits on one page. |
The browser warns that the connection is not private
#The certificate for the domain is not in place yet. While Playcode gets it, the status shows Found · securing it or Verifying. It shows Live (Active for a Cloud app) only once the certificate serves. If the status says Live and the browser still warns, get help from a person and include the domain name.
For the full setup, see Connect a domain you own and DNS records.