Namecheap CNAME and A record setup
How to add a CNAME, A or TXT record at Namecheap: the host for a subdomain and the root domain (@), why the root can't take a CNAME, and how to check it's live.
These are the steps DoDomain's hosted connect flow shows a customer whose domain is managed at Namecheap, in Namecheap's own vocabulary. A product using DoDomain never writes them: the 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, A record, apex domain, ALIAS and CNAME flattening.
Where the records live
Namecheap's DNS page for a domain is https://ap.www.namecheap.com/domains/domaincontrolpanel/<your-domain>/advancedns. 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 Namecheap
- Namecheap → Domain List → Manage your domain → Advanced DNS.
- Under Host Records, click Add New Record.
- Pick the type, set Host and Value as below (TTL: Automatic).
- Click Save All Changes, then come back and click Verify.
What to put in the Namecheap host field
Enter the subdomain only in Host; use @ for the apex. For a record on the domain itself, enter @.
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.
Worth knowing
- Namecheap splits CNAME 'Value' without a trailing dot, so enter the target as shown.
- Namecheap warns against a CNAME on the bare domain (
@) because it overrides the domain's mail records. A CNAME belongs on a subdomain. - Namecheap says new host records take up to 30 minutes to be accepted.
- Namecheap does not offer one-click DNS setup for third-party apps: its API needs a personal key, a whitelisted server IP and an eligible account, and saving host records replaces the whole set, so DoDomain shows these steps instead.
Common questions
Where do I add DNS records at Namecheap?
Namecheap's DNS page for a domain is https://ap.www.namecheap.com/domains/domaincontrolpanel/<your-domain>/advancedns. 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 Namecheap?
Enter the subdomain only in Host; use @ for the apex. For a record on the domain itself, enter @.
Can I put a CNAME on the root domain at Namecheap?
Namecheap warns against a CNAME on the bare domain (@) because it overrides the domain's mail records. A CNAME belongs on a subdomain. For the root domain itself, see the apex question.
How do I check that a record at Namecheap is live?
Look the name up with the free 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
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 shows both answers side by side for any name, and the 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
You do not have to send customers here. Mint a connect session and the hosted flow shows these steps to your Namecheap customers on its own, then verifies and keeps monitoring the records. See the connect flow and the framework guides for Next.js, Rails, Laravel and Django. A customer who wants their bare domain rather than a subdomain is the apex question, which no provider panel solves on its own.
Vocabulary checked against Namecheap's own help page on 2026-09-05: https://www.namecheap.com/support/knowledgebase/article.aspx/9646/2237/how-to-create-a-cname-record-for-your-domain/.