Using custom domain with app platform

Question

I am trying to point my custom subdomain (for example, api.mycompany.com) to App Platform. I am following the documentation at https://docs.digitalocean.com/products/app-platform/how-to/manage-domains/.

In the documentation, there is a screenshot of the admin panel showing a radio button that allows toggling between “We manage your domain” and “You manage your domain.” However, I cannot find this radio button anywhere in my admin panel. Are the docs outdated?

Is it still possible to simply create a CNAME record in my domain registrar’s admin panel that points my subdomain (api.mycompany.com) to my DigitalOcean app (my-company-api.ondigitalocean.app)?

Bobby · Answer

Hi there, I just checked in my personal account and the radio button should still appear when you add a new domain, it lets you choose between “We manage your domain” (DigitalOcean DNS) and “You manage your domain” (external DNS): If you don’t see it, make sure you’re adding a new domain or subdomain that isn’t already linked to another App Platform app. If the domain is already in use, the interface may skip that step and just warn you about overwriting existing DNS records (like in the screenshot). And yes, it’s still perfectly fine to create a CNAME record manually at your registrar that points your subdomain (for example, api.mycompany.com) to your App Platform app’s default hostname (like my-company-api.ondigitalocean.app).

alexdo · Answer

Hello, Bobby’s answer covers your actual question well, the CNAME approach is fine and still works. One thing worth flagging ahead of time in case you expand past a single subdomain: that’s specific to a single hostname like api.mycompany.com . If you ever add a wildcard domain instead, something like *.mycompany.com to cover multiple subdomains under one app, DigitalOcean’s certificate issuance for wildcards needs an extra step beyond the CNAME, a TXT record verification token that you copy from the App Platform panel and add at your DNS provider, since a CNAME alone isn’t enough proof of ownership for a wildcard certificate. It’s an easy step to miss if you’ve only done single subdomain setups before, since the single subdomain flow you’re using now doesn’t need it at all. Regards

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