Custom domain stuck on Pending
What Pending actually means, the four usual causes, and the things we cannot see from our side.
- funnels
- setup
There are only two states: Pending and Verified. Everything that is not working shows as Pending, including a record typed wrongly, so Pending on its own does not tell you much.
Work through these in order.
Has enough time passed?
Up to an hour is normal and it can occasionally be longer. If you added the records five minutes ago, wait.
If your domain is still moving in to Drry, it can take a few minutes after you connect it. If the card says it replaced a record from your old site, that is expected: the old address no longer points anywhere, and Drry’s now does.
Is it the right kind of record?
A subdomain needs a CNAME. A root domain needs an A record. Using a CNAME on a root domain is the most common mistake, and many registrars will accept it and then not work.
Check what Drry is showing you and match it exactly.
Is it at the right registrar?
If your domain's nameservers point somewhere other than where you bought it, for example at Cloudflare, then the records must be added there, not at the original registrar. Records added in the wrong place have no effect and no error.
Is Cloudflare proxying it?
If you use Cloudflare and the record has an orange cloud next to it, Cloudflare is sitting in front and we cannot verify through it. Switch that record to DNS only, the grey cloud.
Is there a stray old record?
An existing A or CNAME record on the same name conflicts. Delete the old one rather than adding a second.
Common questions
It verified and then stopped working.
Check that the DNS records are still there. It is easy to remove one while tidying up. Also check your plan: dropping to free redirects a custom domain back to your Drry address.
Do I need to buy an SSL certificate?
No. It is handled automatically and Verified already means the padlock works.
My domain ends in .co.uk or .com.au. Are the instructions right?
Drry reads endings like .co.uk and .com.au correctly. A root domain such as yoursite.co.uk gets the A record, and www.yoursite.co.uk gets a CNAME named www. If you added records earlier from older instructions, check them against what the card shows now. Email us if you are unsure.
The card also lists a www record marked Optional. Do I need it?
No. Only the records marked Required decide whether your domain is Pending or Verified. The optional one, for www or for the root domain, only makes that other address send visitors to your community. Once it is live, the card says the address also opens your community.