Bolt custom domain will not connect

What it means in plain English

Bolt publishes every project on a bolt.host address. A domain you already own is a separate step, and Bolt only offers it on a paid plan. The domain works after Bolt accepts the name and your registrar points that name at Bolt.

Bolt's connect screen warns when the name is unregistered, already connected to another project, in use on Netlify, or owned by another user. Its troubleshooting page also names the error "Another project is already using this domain."

Likely causes

• The project is not published yet. Bolt says you can connect a domain only to a published site. If Domains & Hosting has no connect option, publish first.
• The plan is Free. Bolt says custom domains are only on paid plans, and downgrading to Free means you can no longer publish to that domain.
• DNS uses an AAAA record. Bolt says to look for ALIAS, ANAME, or Flattened CNAME. An AAAA record will not connect the domain.
• The records are only partly added. Bolt says skipping steps can break the security certificate, so the site is unreachable or inconsistent.
• The name is still attached to a previous host, often Netlify. Removing it in Bolt is not enough if the other service still lists it.

How to fix it, step by step

1. Publish the project. Then open the gear icon, All project settings, Domains & Hosting.
2. Click Connect a domain you own, enter the domain, and click Verify and add domain. Read the warning if Bolt shows one.
3. If the warning says the domain is already connected, in use on Netlify, or "Another project is already using this domain," remove it from that other project or host, then try again in Bolt. If it was bought through Netlify and still fails after you remove it there, Bolt says to contact Netlify support.
4. For a subdomain such as app.example.com, add the TXT record Bolt shows, then click Verify and add subdomain. Bolt says this check is for a subdomain, not the root domain, and it often takes 3 to 5 minutes.
5. At the registrar, point www at Bolt with a CNAME whose value is site-dns.bolt.host. Point the root domain with an ALIAS, ANAME, or Flattened CNAME whose value is site-dns.bolt.host. Do not create an AAAA record for this.
6. Wait. Bolt says most domains connect within a few hours, and some take up to 24 hours. A domain you bought through Bolt usually connects in 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Back on Domains & Hosting, check the Status column. Use Verify domain status if it is still refreshing.

How to check it worked

• Domains & Hosting no longer shows a DNS warning for that domain.
• Opening the domain in a browser loads the published project over HTTPS.

Sources

• https://support.bolt.new/cloud/domains (opens in a new tab)
• https://support.bolt.new/cloud/domains/connect (opens in a new tab)
• https://support.bolt.new/cloud/domains/troubleshoot-domain (opens in a new tab)