Adding a custom short domain (like go.acme.com) needs two things: DNS records pointing at RevRoute, and a successful TLS certificate issuance. If either step is stuck, this page lists the usual causes.

The expected setup

For a domain go.acme.com:

The dashboard shows the exact values for your domain — copy them verbatim.

For an apex domain (acme.com itself with no subdomain), most DNS providers don’t allow a CNAME. Use an ALIAS / ANAME record where available (Cloudflare, Route 53, DNSimple), or four A records pointing at RevRoute’s IPs (also shown in the dashboard).

DNS not detected

The dashboard says Verifying DNS for more than 10 minutes.

Diagnose

# Confirm the CNAME from a public resolver
dig +short go.acme.com @1.1.1.1
dig +short go.acme.com @8.8.8.8
 
# Confirm the TXT verification record
dig +short TXT _revroute.go.acme.com @1.1.1.1

Both commands should return the values shown in the dashboard. If they return nothing, DNS isn’t published yet.

Common causes

Cloudflare quick fix

If your DNS is on Cloudflare and the record exists but RevRoute doesn’t see it:

1. Open the DNS tab for acme.com.
2. Click the cloud icon next to your record — it should turn gray (DNS-only). Proxied (orange) breaks RevRoute.
3. Set TTL = Auto.
4. Wait 2 minutes, then click Re-verify in the RevRoute dashboard.

SSL certificate pending

DNS is verified but the dashboard shows Issuing certificate for more than 30 minutes.

Diagnose

# Try to fetch the new domain over HTTPS
curl -vI https://go.acme.com

If you see SSL_ERROR_NO_CYPHER_OVERLAP or unable to get local issuer certificate, the cert hasn’t been issued yet.

Causes

Click Retry SSL in the dashboard after fixing the cause. The platform retries automatically every ~10 minutes, but a manual nudge is faster.

CNAME conflicts

Your DNS provider refuses to add the CNAME for go.acme.com.

Cause

You already have an A, AAAA, or TXT record on go. By RFC, CNAME cannot coexist with other record types on the same name.

Fix

Remove any existing record on go (after confirming what it was for!) before adding the CNAME. Common offenders:

• Old A records pointing at a long-defunct server
• Verification TXT records left over from a past service (e.g. Vercel, Netlify, GitHub Pages) — keep RevRoute’s, remove others
• An AAAA record auto-created by some providers

If you actually need both, use a different subdomain for RevRoute (r.acme.com, links.acme.com).

Mixed records / split-brain DNS

The domain resolves correctly from your laptop but the dashboard says Not verified, or vice versa.

Cause

You have different DNS records visible to different resolvers — usually because:

• Your office has a private DNS server with overrides
• The previous nameservers haven’t fully delegated to the new ones
• You added the record to the wrong zone

Diagnose

# Public resolvers
dig +short go.acme.com @1.1.1.1
dig +short go.acme.com @8.8.8.8
dig +short go.acme.com @9.9.9.9
 
# Your local resolver
dig +short go.acme.com

If the local resolver returns a different value, the issue is private/legacy DNS — fix that.

If all public resolvers disagree, the zone propagation isn’t complete — wait up to the TTL of the parent NS records (sometimes 48h).

Stuck after a fix

If you’re sure the DNS is correct and SSL is issued, but the domain still doesn’t redirect correctly:

1. Flush the CDN. The browser might be holding a HSTS header from a previous service.
2. Test in incognito mode. No extensions, no Service Workers, no cookies.
3. Hard-reload twice. Modern browsers cache 301/308 redirects aggressively; one reload sometimes isn’t enough.
4. Try a fresh device. A clean test eliminates client-side caches.

Removing a domain

To detach a domain:

See also: Link management.