CustomDomain docs
Providers

Connect a WordPress.com domain

Put a custom domain from WordPress.com on your app with automatic HTTPS. One-click (OAuth) setup, the exact DNS records, and how to verify it went live.

Connect a WordPress.com domain

Setup type: One-click (OAuth). You sign in to WordPress.com in a popup and approve the change. No records to copy; no password is shared with the app.

WordPress.com supports native OAuth plus a public REST DNS API, so connecting a WordPress.com-managed domain is a one-click sign-in-and-approve flow. WordPress.com is also on the Domain Connect list, which remains as a fallback.

What you'll need

  • A domain whose DNS is managed at WordPress.com.
  • Access to your app's CustomDomain dashboard (it shows the exact target for your account).

The records

CustomDomain gives you the authoritative records for your account in the dashboard, typically a CNAME (or apex A/ALIAS) pointing your domain at the edge. Use the values shown there; the shape is always the same, the target is per-account. There is no separate ownership TXT to add on this path: control is proven by the rail itself, or by the records appearing in your own authoritative DNS. See Setup types.

Setting it up on WordPress.com

  1. In the connect widget, choose WordPress.com and click connect.
  2. A WordPress.com sign-in window opens. Approve the requested DNS change.
  3. The records apply automatically; you're returned to the app, which verifies and goes live.

WordPress.com specifics

  • The OAuth token uses the global scope because DNS on WordPress.com is account-wide rather than per-site.
  • The DNS write is diff-based (add/remove), so it changes only the records the connection needs.
  • Native WordPress.com OAuth + public REST DNS API (diff-based add/remove); also on the canonical DC list (fallback). TXT >255 unsupported.

How you know it worked

CustomDomain polls public DNS and issues the TLS certificate automatically. When the dashboard shows the domain live, HTTPS is serving. Drift monitoring then watches the records so a later change at the provider doesn't silently break the domain.

FAQ

Does this work for a wordpress.com subdomain like myblog.wordpress.com?

No, a custom domain means a domain you own (example.com). This connects that domain; a free wordpress.com subdomain isn't something you point elsewhere.

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