Common Custom Domain Issues

If your custom domain isn't validating, or your site isn't loading the way you expect, this article covers the most common causes and how to fix them.

My domain isn't validating

There are three common reasons a domain gets stuck at "not validating." Work through them in this order:

1. The CNAME name needs a suffix

Some domain registrars require you to add your domain as a suffix on the record's Name/Host value, rather than just the short name shown in your Tiiny Host dashboard.

• If the Name is abcdef, try adding it as abcdef.yourdomain.com.
• Some registrars also require a trailing dot: abcdef.yourdomain.com.

2. DNS changes haven't propagated yet

DNS updates aren't instant, they take time to spread across the internet. This is usually quick (around 15 minutes) but can occasionally take longer.

• Check propagation status at dnschecker.org.
• If your records show as correct there but Tiiny Host still says "not validating," wait a little longer and click Validate again.

3. A CAA record is missing

Some registrars require an additional CAA record before they'll allow validation. Add this if you haven't already:

Provider-specific quirks

Most registrars work the same way, but a few have their own quirks worth knowing about.

Hostinger

If you're using Hostinger and validation isn't going through:

1. Confirm your CNAME record points to the correct target shown in your Tiiny Host dashboard.
2. Check the CNAME name is formatted correctly — some registrars require a suffix, e.g. www.yourdomain.com (see "CNAME name needs a suffix" above).
3. If you're hosting at the root domain, verify an A record exists for @ pointing to 18.168.91.127.
4. Add the CAA record shown above.
5. Check propagation at dnschecker.org, this can take up to 48 hours with Hostinger specifically.

Still stuck? Hostinger support can check for account-specific issues on their end.
Alternatively, buying your domain directly through Tiiny Host avoids registrar-side DNS setup entirely.

Wix

Wix (and a small number of other registrars) won't accept a wildcard (*) as a CNAME value, which can cause the connection to fail.
If this happens:

1. Delete the custom domain from your Tiiny Host dashboard.
2. Click Add in the Custom Domain section and re-enter your domain.
3. Click Use subdomain and enter www.

My root domain isn't redirecting (e.g. yourdomain.com doesn't load, but www.yourdomain.com does)

We connect domains using CNAME records, which only work for www.yourdomain.com or another subdomain, not the bare root domain (yourdomain.com).
To make the root domain automatically redirect to the www version, add this record:

Once this is set up correctly, yourdomain.com and https://yourdomain.com will both automatically redirect to https://www.yourdomain.com.
Visitors won't notice any difference from hosting directly on the root.

Still not working?

If you've worked through the steps above and your domain still isn't validating, please email us at support@tiiny.host with:

• Your domain name
• Your domain provider (registrar)
• A screenshot of your DNS records page

Updated on: 12/08/2026