Fastly Error: Unknown Domain

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Ongoing Web Updated November 14, 2026Based on 2 user reportsHow we research

Quick answer

Visitors see 'unknown domain' when DNS already points at Fastly but the hostname is not added to an active service. Add the domain to the service and activate it.

Most likely fix: Add the domain and activate

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

  1. 1. Add the domain and activate

    1. Log in to the Fastly control panel and open the service
    2. Click Clone to edit, then Domains, and add the exact hostname
    3. Activate the new version on Production
    4. Reload the site after a minute
    Did this fix it?
  2. 2. Test before switching DNS

    1. Look up a Fastly POP IP with dig on your domain or dualstack.nonssl.global.fastly.net
    2. Add a temporary hosts file entry for the domain, for example 151.101.0.204 www.example.com
    3. Open the site, then remove the hosts entry once the real CNAME points to Fastly
    Did this fix it?
  3. 3. Check the CNAME value

    1. In Domains, click View/edit and copy the CNAME under DNS details
    2. Run dig www.example.com +short and confirm it returns a Fastly hostname
    3. Use a subdomain such as www: CNAME records cannot be used on an apex domain
    4. If you use a wildcard CNAME, add the matching domains to the service too
    Did this fix it?

Symptoms

Browser shows a Fastly error page saying unknown domain for your hostname.

Why it happens

  • The CNAME was switched to Fastly before the domain was added to a service
  • The domain was added to a service version that is not activated
  • The hostname in the request differs from the domain added (for example www vs apex, or a missing wildcard domain)
  • The service was deactivated or deleted but the CNAME still points to Fastly

This guide also covers

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  • fastly unknown domain
  • fastly error: unknown domain

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