Connecting a Domain to Your Website

This page covers the domain for a website project: the address your users type into their browser. The exchange backend domain is configured separately on the Hosting page.

Backend domain vs website domain

Your exchange uses two kinds of domain:

	Backend (exchange) domain	Website domain
What it serves	The exchange API and real-time stream that your websites and apps call	The exchange website your users visit
Who uses it	Your websites, apps and API users. It doesn't show a web page.	Your users, in their browser
Where you set it	Hosting → Domain tab (Exchange Backend Hosting)	The project's Domain tab on Projects (this page)
How many	One per exchange	One per website project

Because the backend and websites are separate, you can run several websites, each on its own domain, all connected to the same exchange backend. You can also put a website on the same domain as the backend (see Advanced options).

Changing the backend domain disconnects your existing websites from the API: redeploy every website project afterwards.

No domain yet?

Buy one from any domain registrar. If your domain's DNS is on Cloudflare, the dashboard can add the records for you automatically.

Only owners and admins can configure a website's domain. The project needs a connected Git repository first, because applying a domain publishes the project. The official HollaEx templates are the exception.

Choose a domain type

On the project's Domain tab, click Configure domain (or Change) and choose one:

• Use HollaEx-assigned domain: a free subdomain on hollaex.cloud. This is the fastest path, with no DNS to configure. A project that already has one keeps it.
• Use my own domain: bring your own domain, for example exchange.example.com. HollaEx manages routing and SSL through Cloudflare.

hollaex.cloud addresses can't be entered as custom domains.

Custom domain setup

1. Enter your domain. The dashboard checks it immediately. You may see:
   • "Already in use by an exchange backend"
   • "Already in use by another project": remove it from the other project first.
   • "/api and /stream are reserved for the backend"
2. Choose your DNS provider:
   • Yes, Cloudflare DNS (Automatic setup): sign in to Cloudflare and approve the records. HollaEx never receives your Cloudflare API token.
   • No, another DNS provider: copy the records into your DNS provider manually.
3. Add the DNS records shown:
   • a CNAME record pointing your domain to the HollaEx target shown on screen;
   • an ownership TXT record named _cf-custom-hostname.<your domain>;
   • sometimes extra TXT records for SSL validation. Each record has a Copy button and shows "Verified", "Cloudflare verified" or "Not detected".
4. Click Verify. DNS changes can take a few minutes to propagate. If you see "Domain not yet verified", wait and verify again.
5. When the records resolve, you'll see "DNS connected — securing your domain". Cloudflare is issuing the SSL certificate. No more DNS changes are needed. It can take a few minutes, and you can close the window and come back.
6. Click Apply, then Apply now. This saves the domain and publishes the project immediately.

Root (apex) domains: a CNAME on the root, such as example.com, needs CNAME flattening. Cloudflare supports it, and other providers need an equivalent feature (often called ALIAS or ANAME). Keep the ownership TXT record in place until Apply completes.

If you use Cloudflare DNS manually, the CNAME can stay Proxied (orange cloud). You don't need to switch it to DNS only.

Domain status meanings

• waiting for the CNAME record / TXT record / CNAME and TXT records: those records aren't visible yet. Check they're entered exactly as shown, then wait for DNS propagation.
• waiting for Cloudflare to finish activation or processing: DNS is fine and the certificate is being issued.
• active: the hostname and SSL are both active.
• inactive: the domain isn't active. Re-check the records, or register the domain again.

Changing a domain safely

When you switch domains, the site is deployed to the new domain before the old one is released. If the switch fails, your current live domain keeps working. While a change is pending, the tab shows "Updating to ", and you can't start another change until it finishes.

If you leave setup half-way, a Domain setup in progress banner lets you resume.

Advanced options

• Sub-path domain (for example example.com/app): serves this project under a path of another website in your exchange. The base host must already be an active website in the same exchange. It needs a hollacloud.json file: see Customizing your frontend projects with hollacloud.json.
• Shared with your exchange backend: if you pick the same domain your exchange backend uses, no DNS setup is needed. The backend keeps /api and /stream, and the website serves everything else.
• The official HollaEx templates must be served on a root domain like exchange.example.com, not on a sub-path.

Common domain errors

• "This domain is already registered to another project. Remove it from that project first, then try again."
• "This domain is already in use by another exchange backend": use a different domain or subdomain.
• "A domain update to is already pending": wait for it to finish.
• "Cloudflare is not the authoritative DNS provider for this domain. Choose manual DNS setup instead."
• "Cloudflare DNS setup was cancelled or could not be completed.": choose manual setup, or try again.
• " is not verified yet. Add the required DNS records (CNAME and the ownership TXT) and verify the domain before publishing to it."
• "Domain not found on Cloudflare. Please register the domain again."