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Adding a custom domain in Beehiiv is the move that turns a hobby newsletter into a brand. It is also the move that breaks deliverability for 40% of operators who skip the email-domain step. Here is the order that does not break.
Who this is forCreators on Beehiiv (Scale or Max plan) ready to move from beehiiv.com/p/<slug> to a branded URL. Best done before crossing 2,500 subscribers and 25 posts — past that, the 301 redirect rebuild is doable but adds complexity.
What you'll need
Step 1
Reading site: apex (yourdomain.com) or subdomain (news.yourdomain.com or blog.yourdomain.com). Sending domain: ALWAYS a separate subdomain (mail.yourdomain.com).
Reading site options: (a) apex (yourdomain.com) — most prestigious, requires you have no existing site at the apex, (b) subdomain like news.yourdomain.com or blog.yourdomain.com — keeps your existing site at the apex.
Most creators choose subdomain (news. or blog.) because they already have a marketing site at the apex.
Sending domain: separate subdomain regardless of reading site choice (mail.yourdomain.com or send.yourdomain.com). This isolates email reputation from web reputation.
Do NOT use the same subdomain for both reading site and sending. They serve different traffic with different reputation signals.
Pick now and commit — changing the structure after launch breaks legacy URLs and email images.
Step 2
Settings → Custom Domain → Add Domain. Beehiiv generates a CNAME record. Add it to DNS, then verify.
Open Beehiiv → Settings → Custom Domain (or Website → Custom Domain in newer UI).
Enter your domain (e.g., news.yourdomain.com or yourdomain.com for apex).
Beehiiv generates a CNAME record (for subdomain) or A/AAAA records (for apex). Copy the values.
Open your DNS provider. Add the CNAME record exactly as shown. CNAMEs must NOT be proxied in Cloudflare — set to DNS-only.
For apex, you may need to use ALIAS or ANAME records depending on provider (Cloudflare supports CNAME flattening which works).
Save in DNS. Wait 10-30 minutes.
Step 3
Click "Verify" in Beehiiv. SSL is auto-provisioned via Let's Encrypt within 5-30 minutes after verification.
In Beehiiv → Settings → Custom Domain → click Verify.
The CNAME record must resolve correctly for verification to succeed. If it fails, the most common cause is Cloudflare proxy being on — turn it OFF for the CNAME record.
Once verified, Beehiiv automatically provisions an SSL certificate via Let's Encrypt. This takes 5-30 minutes.
Visit your domain in a browser — you should see your Beehiiv publication with a valid HTTPS lock icon.
If SSL is pending after 1 hour, the most common cause is the CAA record on your DNS blocking Let's Encrypt. Add a CAA record: 0 issue "letsencrypt.org".
Step 4
Settings → Sending → Custom Sending Domain → mail.yourdomain.com. Add SPF, DKIM, DMARC records.
Open Settings → Sending → Custom Sending Domain.
Enter mail.yourdomain.com (or send.yourdomain.com — a subdomain you have not used for anything else).
Beehiiv generates: SPF (TXT include), 2 DKIM CNAME records, recommended DMARC TXT.
Add all records in DNS. CNAMEs must be DNS-only (not proxied in Cloudflare).
Wait 10-30 minutes. Click Verify in Beehiiv. All records must show green.
Once verified, set your From Address to use the new sending domain (e.g., hello@mail.yourdomain.com).
Step 5
Beehiiv auto-handles the 301 from beehiiv.com/p/<slug> to your custom domain. Verify it works for legacy URLs.
Once the custom domain is verified, Beehiiv automatically 301-redirects beehiiv.com/p/<slug> to yourdomain.com (or news.yourdomain.com).
Open an old post URL like beehiiv.com/p/<slug>/p/<post-slug> in incognito. Confirm it redirects to the new domain with 301 status (use httpstatus.io to check).
Old links shared on social media, in emails, and indexed in Google will continue working — the 301 preserves SEO.
Update any external references (your Twitter bio, LinkedIn About, email signature) to use the new domain. Beehiiv handles the redirect but native links are faster.
Step 6
Send a test email + visit the reading site in incognito. Confirm From Address, SSL, layout, and 301 from old URL all work.
Send a test email from Beehiiv (Posts → Send Test).
Receive in Gmail/Outlook. Confirm: (a) From Address shows hello@mail.yourdomain.com (your sending domain), (b) "via" warning is absent, (c) SPF/DKIM/DMARC all PASS in headers.
In a browser incognito, visit yourdomain.com (or news.yourdomain.com). Confirm: (a) SSL lock icon, (b) publication renders correctly, (c) signup form works.
Visit the old beehiiv.com/p/<slug> URL. Confirm it 301-redirects to your custom domain.
Run mail-tester.com (send a test from Beehiiv to the address it gives you). Aim for 10/10. Score below 8 means a DNS record is misconfigured.
Common mistakes
Sending domain skipped — only reading site configured
What goes wrong: Reading site at yourdomain.com works, but emails still send from beehiiv.com or generic Beehiiv sender. Brand consistency broken, deliverability suboptimal. Open rate drops 5-10 points and brand trust erodes.
How to avoid: Settings → Sending → Custom Sending Domain. Configure mail.yourdomain.com separately. SPF, DKIM, DMARC all green.
Cloudflare proxy left ON for CNAME records
What goes wrong: Beehiiv cannot verify the CNAME. Let's Encrypt cannot issue SSL. Reading site stays on a generic Beehiiv URL. SSL is missing or expired. Subscribers see browser warnings.
How to avoid: For all CNAME records (reading site + sending domain DKIM), set to DNS-only (gray cloud) in Cloudflare. Proxy can stay on for the apex A/AAAA records.
Using the apex for both reading and sending
What goes wrong: Newsletter reputation pollutes transactional mail reputation. One spammy send tanks Stripe receipts, password resets, and any other apex-domain email. Loses 20-40% of inbox placement across the entire domain.
How to avoid: Reading site can use apex. Sending domain MUST be a subdomain (mail.yourdomain.com).
Missing CAA record blocking Let's Encrypt
What goes wrong: Some DNS providers default-deny SSL issuance for CAs not explicitly listed. Beehiiv's SSL stays pending forever and the site shows a security warning.
How to avoid: Add CAA record: 0 issue "letsencrypt.org". This explicitly authorizes Let's Encrypt to issue certs for your domain.
Changing custom domain after subscribers exist
What goes wrong: Old emails reference the old custom domain in image CDN paths. Old social shares point at the previous URL. Two changes back-to-back creates 301 chains that Google de-indexes. Loses 10-30% of organic traffic for 60-90 days.
How to avoid: Pick the domain once. Commit. If you must change, do it in one swap with a 301 chain and Search Console URL change tool — and accept 1-2 months of recovery.
Recap
Done — what's next
How to set up a Beehiiv account the right way
Read the next tutorial
Hand it off
A custom domain is a one-time setup but the deliverability consequences last for years. If you would rather have a specialist configure DNS, SSL, sending domain, and 301 redirects correctly in one session, that is typically $200-400 at $14-16/hr — much cheaper than the 4-week deliverability recovery after a botched setup.
See specialist rates
Yes — Cloudflare Registrar works perfectly with Beehiiv. The DNS is managed in Cloudflare DNS. Set CNAME records to DNS-only (gray cloud), apex A/AAAA can stay proxied.
No — same root domain is fine. Reading site can be apex or subdomain. Sending must be a SEPARATE subdomain (mail.yourdomain.com). All under the same root domain.
Indefinitely — Beehiiv maintains the redirect as long as your publication is active. If you delete the publication, the redirect goes away. Old shares and Google-indexed links keep working.
No, if done correctly. Beehiiv preserves the URL structure (just the domain changes), the 301 redirects pass link equity, and Google understands the transition within 14-30 days. SEO impact is neutral.
Yes — Beehiiv on a subdomain (news.yourdomain.com), main site on the apex (yourdomain.com), other tools on their own subdomains. As long as DNS routes correctly, no conflict.
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