How do I connect my domain to GitHub Pages?

What do I need before I connect a domain to GitHub Pages?

DotAlmanac is a domain extension guide and registrar: compare every extension, then register it with no KYC and pay in crypto. To follow this guide, you need three things.

• A domain on DotAlmanac's nameservers. The Nameservers tab of the domain must read "Our nameservers". If the domain uses other nameservers, add the same records at that DNS provider.
• A repository with GitHub Pages turned on. It can publish from a branch or from a GitHub Actions workflow.
• Your GitHub user or organization name. It goes in the www record. The repository name never does.

Many developers pick .dev or .app for a project site. Check the renewal first: according to DotAlmanac's price grid, .dev renews 44% above its first-year price and .app 67% above, as of 29 October 2026. A .dev costs $8.99/year, then $12.99/year. Both extensions need HTTPS, which GitHub Pages provides. Compare them on .app vs .dev.

Can I paste the records as a zone file instead?

Yes. Open DNS › Import / export › Import zone file, choose "Add to existing records" and paste the lines below. Replace octocat with your own user name. The import reads standard BIND syntax, shows a preview and sends nothing before you save.

@    3600  IN  A      185.199.108.153
@    3600  IN  A      185.199.109.153
@    3600  IN  A      185.199.110.153
@    3600  IN  A      185.199.111.153
@    3600  IN  AAAA   2606:50c0:8000::153
@    3600  IN  AAAA   2606:50c0:8001::153
@    3600  IN  AAAA   2606:50c0:8002::153
@    3600  IN  AAAA   2606:50c0:8003::153
www  3600  IN  CNAME  octocat.github.io.

Should I use the bare domain or www with GitHub Pages?

Set up both, and enter the one you prefer in the repository. When the records of the apex and of www are correct, GitHub Pages redirects the other one to it.

GitHub supports one apex domain or one www name per site. It does not support two apex domains, two www names, or an apex combined with another custom subdomain. For a project on a subdomain, such as docs.example.com, add one CNAME from docs to USERNAME.github.io and skip the A records.

How long until my domain works on GitHub Pages?

It depends on the TTL of the records that resolvers saw before your change. TTL is the number of seconds a resolver keeps an answer in its cache.

• A name with no earlier record resolves as soon as you save.
• A replaced record keeps its old value in some caches until its old TTL runs out. The template records use 3600 seconds, which is one hour.
• Plan a move ahead: lower the TTL of the old records to 300 seconds a day before the change.

GitHub's own documentation says DNS changes can take up to 24 hours to propagate. The HTTPS certificate comes after the DNS check succeeds.

Why does GitHub say my domain is not properly configured?

In most cases, an old record still answers for the same name. Check these points in order:

• Leftover records. An old A, AAAA or ALIAS record at @, or a parking record, competes with GitHub's. The template removes them; manual edits often miss one.
• Repository name in the CNAME. The www target is USERNAME.github.io only.
• Wildcard record. GitHub warns that a record such as *.example.com creates a risk of domain takeover. Delete it.
• Other nameservers. If the domain uses another DNS provider, the records in DotAlmanac's DNS tab are not served.
• CAA records. If you publish CAA records, GitHub requires at least one with the value letsencrypt.org for HTTPS.

Test the result with dig example.com +short or any online DNS lookup.