Ghost Custom Domain Not Working
Quick answer
On Ghost(Pro), the domain must point to [subdomain].ghost.io via CNAME and the A record 178.128.137.126, then be activated by the site owner in Ghost(Pro) > Domain.
Most likely fix: Set DNS records correctly
How to fix it
Try these in order — the most common fix is first.
1. Set DNS records correctly
- Subdomain: CNAME www to [subdomain].ghost.io and A @ to 178.128.137.126
- Root domain: CNAME @ to [subdomain].ghost.io and A www to 178.128.137.126
- Remove conflicting old records
Did this fix it?2. Activate in Ghost
- Log in as the staff owner
- Ghost(Pro) > Domain > Setup, enter the domain and activate
Did this fix it?3. Root CNAME not allowed
- Move DNS to Cloudflare, or use a www subdomain
- Check that email MX records still work
Did this fix it?
Symptoms
Domain shows an error, does not load the site, or breaks email after DNS changes.
Why it happens
- Wrong or missing CNAME or A record
- Root-domain CNAME unsupported by your DNS provider
- Not activated in Ghost(Pro) > Domain, or done by a non-owner
- DNS propagation still pending
- Unsupported domain (.eth or punycode)
This guide also covers
- ghost custom domain not working
- ghost pro custom domain
- ghost dns setup
- ghost.io domain
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