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Custom Domains & SSL•Developer•Advanced

Troubleshooting Custom Domain DNS & SSL Issues

Diagnose and resolve common DNS propagation delays, Cloudflare proxy conflicts, CAA record blocks, and SSL pending states.

5 min read•Updated 2026-09-18
In This Guide
  • Diagnose why custom domains remain in 'Pending' or 'Error' status.
  • Resolve Cloudflare Proxy (Orange Cloud) conflicts by toggling records to 'DNS Only' (Gray Cloud).
  • Remove restrictive CAA records that block Let's Encrypt and Google Trust Services certificates.
  • Check live global DNS propagation using public lookup tools.

What This Functionality Does

This troubleshooting guide provides solutions for the most frequent DNS and SSL hurdles merchants face when connecting custom domains.

While connecting a domain is usually straightforward, misconfigured registrar settings or lingering legacy DNS records can delay activation. This guide walks you through exact diagnostic checks to identify and resolve issues quickly.

How It Works Behind the Scenes

When Conversora validates a custom domain:

  1. 1DNS Query Validation: Cloudflare queries global authoritative DNS servers for your hostname.
  2. 2Target Resolution Check: It verifies that the CNAME record points to customers.conversora.io and resolves to Cloudflare Anycast IP addresses.
  3. 3Certificate Authority Authorization (CAA): It inspects your domain's CAA records to ensure Let's Encrypt or Google Trust Services are permitted to generate SSL certificates for your domain.
  4. 4Error Code Assignment: If any check fails, Conversora returns a diagnostic error code (e.g. CNAME_MISSING, CAA_RESTRICTION, PROXY_CONFLICT).
Prerequisites

Before configuring this feature, confirm that your store meets the following requirements:

Access to Domain DNS Console:Administrative access to modify DNS records at your domain registrar.

1. Resolving Common DNS & SSL Conflicts

Review these three common configuration mistakes to resolve domain issues fast:

  1. 1Cloudflare Proxy Conflict: If your domain's DNS is managed inside your personal Cloudflare account, setting the CNAME to 'Proxied' (Orange Cloud) causes an edge routing conflict. Set it to 'DNS Only' (Gray Cloud).
  2. 2Existing Conflicting A Records: If you have old A records pointing to previous web hosts (like Shopify, WordPress, or GoDaddy Hosting), delete those old A records so the CNAME can resolve cleanly.
  3. 3CAA Record Restrictions: If your domain has existing CAA records that restrict certificate issuance to DigiCert or Sectigo, add records permitting 'letsencrypt.org' and 'pki.goog'.
1

Check Public DNS with Whatsmydns.net

Visit whatsmydns.net, enter your domain, select 'CNAME', and check if global servers return customers.conversora.io.

Path:whatsmydns.net → Enter Domain → Query CNAME
2

Delete Legacy A Records

In your registrar console, remove any obsolete A records associated with the same hostname.

Path:Registrar DNS Records → Remove Old A Records
3

Retry Verification

In Conversora, click 'Check Status'. Once confirmed, the green 'Active' badge appears.

Path:Conversora Domains Panel → Check Status

Practical Business Scenarios

How leading merchants implement this functionality in daily operations:

Migrating from an Old WordPress Host
Situation: A merchant moving to Conversora finds their domain stuck in Pending because old WordPress IP addresses were still saved in DNS.
Best practice: Delete the old WordPress A records from the DNS manager, keep only the CNAME record pointing to customers.conversora.io, and verify.

Troubleshooting & Common Issues

Diagnose and resolve frequent failure points quickly:

Problem: Browser shows 'Error 1014: CNAME Cross-User Banned'
Why this occurs: The domain is managed inside a Cloudflare account with proxying turned on (Orange Cloud).
Resolution: Edit the CNAME record in your Cloudflare DNS dashboard and toggle the proxy status from 'Proxied' to 'DNS Only' (Gray Cloud).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I connect a domain registered with any registrar?

Yes. Any registrar that supports standard CNAME records (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Hostinger, Cloudflare, Google Domains) is fully compatible.