# Domain Chief CNAME and A record setup (https://dodomain.io/docs/guides/dns-providers/domainchief)

How to add a CNAME, A or TXT record at Domain Chief: the host for a subdomain and the root domain (leave it blank), and how to check it's live.

{/* GENERATED by apps/docs/scripts/generate-dns-provider-guides.mts from packages/core/src/guides.ts — do not edit. Change the guide in core, run `pnpm --filter @dodomain/docs generate:dns-provider-guides`, commit both. scripts/check-dns-provider-guides.sh fails the build on drift. */}

These are the steps DoDomain's hosted connect flow shows a customer whose domain is managed at Domain Chief, in Domain Chief's own vocabulary. A product using DoDomain never writes them: [the connect flow](https://dodomain.io/docs/connect-flow) detects the provider, shows these steps beside the exact records to create, and verifies each record against the zone's authoritative nameservers. They are published here for your own support articles, and for anyone who wants to see the steps before they start.

Related definitions: [CNAME record](https://dodomain.io/glossary/cname-record), [A record](https://dodomain.io/glossary/a-record), [apex domain](https://dodomain.io/glossary/apex-domain).

## Where the records live [#where-the-records-live]

Domain Chief's DNS page for a domain is `https://domain.chief.app/permalink/domain/<your-domain>/dns` — replace `<your-domain>` with the domain you are editing. (The hosted connect flow opens it for you with the right domain filled in.)

## How to add a CNAME or A record in Domain Chief [#how-to-add-a-cname-or-a-record-in-domain-chief]

1. Sign in to Domain Chief, pick your domain and open its DNS records.
2. Add a record, pick the Type, and enter Name and the value as below.
3. Save each record, then come back and click Verify.

## What to put in the Domain Chief host field [#what-to-put-in-the-domain-chief-host-field]

Enter the subdomain only in Name (e.g. `www`), never the domain itself; leave it empty for the root domain. For a record on the domain itself, leave the host field blank.

Whatever the panel calls the field — Name, Host, Hostname — DoDomain's connect flow shows the value to paste into it already in this provider's format, and shows the fully-qualified name it will verify next to it.

## Common questions [#common-questions]

### Where do I add DNS records at Domain Chief? [#where-do-i-add-dns-records-at-domain-chief]

Domain Chief's DNS page for a domain is `https://domain.chief.app/permalink/domain/<your-domain>/dns` — replace `<your-domain>` with the domain you are editing. (The hosted connect flow opens it for you with the right domain filled in.)

### What goes in the host field at Domain Chief? [#what-goes-in-the-host-field-at-domain-chief]

Enter the subdomain only in Name (e.g. `www`), never the domain itself; leave it empty for the root domain. For a record on the domain itself, leave the host field blank.

### How do I check that a record at Domain Chief is live? [#how-do-i-check-that-a-record-at-domain-chief-is-live]

Look the name up with the free [DNS lookup](https://dodomain.io/tools/dns-lookup), which shows the authoritative answer next to what public resolvers return. DoDomain verifies against the authoritative nameservers, so a record can be correct there while resolvers still serve the old answer until its TTL expires.

## Check the record is live [#check-the-record-is-live]

A saved record is not yet a live record. DoDomain verifies against the zone's **authoritative** nameservers, which answer as soon as the provider publishes the change; public resolvers can lag behind for as long as the old answer's TTL. The free [DNS lookup](https://dodomain.io/tools/dns-lookup) shows both answers side by side for any name, and the [provider detector](https://dodomain.io/tools/provider-detector) tells you which provider serves a domain and whether a one-click path exists for it.

## If you are the product asking for this record [#if-you-are-the-product-asking-for-this-record]

You do not have to send customers here. Mint a connect session and the hosted flow shows these steps to your Domain Chief customers on its own, then verifies and keeps monitoring the records — see [the connect flow](https://dodomain.io/docs/connect-flow) and the framework guides for [Next.js](https://dodomain.io/docs/guides/custom-domains-multi-tenant-nextjs), [Rails](https://dodomain.io/docs/guides/custom-domains-multi-tenant-rails), [Laravel](https://dodomain.io/docs/guides/custom-domains-multi-tenant-laravel) and [Django](https://dodomain.io/docs/guides/custom-domains-multi-tenant-django). A customer who wants their bare domain rather than a subdomain is the [apex question](https://dodomain.io/docs/apex-domains), which no provider panel solves on its own.

*Vocabulary checked against Domain Chief's own help page on 2026-10-23: [https://domain.chief.app/api/docs/v1](https://domain.chief.app/api/docs/v1).*