# Updating your custom domain to a different one https://help.circle.so/p/administration/custom-domains/updating-custom-domain-to-a-different-one Category: [Administration](https://help.circle.so/p/administration) › [Custom domains](https://help.circle.so/p/administration/custom-domains) --- _Last updated: September, 2026_ As your community grows and evolves, you might be looking to change your custom domain as a part of your community's growth strategy or rebranding efforts. In this article, we will guide you through the steps on how to update your custom domain and provide key information that you need to know before you make any changes. ## **Key things to consider before updating the custom domain** Switching your community’s custom domain changes how people access it. Your posts, spaces, and settings remain the same, but links, invites, and checkout URLs can break if not updated or redirected. It’s essential to understand what changes and what you’ll need to do so members can continue accessing your community without disruption. To provide examples of the impact of the domain update in this article, let’s assume the following: ``` - Your community's default Circle domain: yourcommunity.circle.so - Your current custom domain: community.domain.com - The new custom domain that you want to set up: domain.com ``` ### How the domain switch works When you switch domains, you are essentially removing your current domain from the Custom domain settings and adding the new one. - **Removing current domain** : When you remove the current domain ([community.domain.com](http://community.domain.com)), your community link switches back to your Circle’s default domain ([yourcommunity.circle.so](http://yourcommunity.circle.so)). - **Adding a new domain** : As soon as the new custom domain is active, your community link will switch to the new domain ([domain.com](http://domain.com)). ### What stays the same Once you switch domains, all internal community links will match the new domain. Slugs of pages, feed, spaces, posts, or any other content within your community remain the same. For instance, the URL path to your welcome space, including the slug and query string, would have the following effect: - Before domain change: “community.domain.com/welcome” - After domain change: “domain.com/welcome” ### What will stop working Once you remove your old domain and set the new one: - **Old links** using the “community.domain.com” no longer work. - **Pending invites** that haven’t been accepted yet can’t work. - **Paywall checkout URLs** with the old custom domain will break. - **Invite links** shared before the domain update won’t work for new signups. ### How to prevent broken links The best solution is to set up a **domain redirect** from your old domain to the new one. This automatically forwards anyone using an old link to the correct new link, keeping the same page path and query parameters. Example redirect: “https://community.domain.com/about-us” → “https://www.domain.com/about-us” You can set up a domain redirect through your domain provider or cloud networks such as [Cloudflare](https://www.cloudflare.com/). 📚 To learn more about how you can set up a redirect, please see [**Set up a domain redirect using Cloudflare**](/p/administration/custom-domains/set-up-a-domain-redirect-using-cloudflare) **.** ❗ **Important: If you don’t set up a redirect** from your old custom domain to your new one, any links using the old domain will stop working. You’ll need to manually update them to avoid broken access for members and visitors: - **Links shared externally** : Any community URLs published on your marketing site, blog posts, social media, or email newsletters that use the old domain will no longer load your community. Replace these with URLs containing your new domain so visitors can still access the correct pages. - **Paywall checkout URLs** : If you’ve shared paywall links (for example, “community.domain.com/checkout/paywall”) while your old domain was active, those will break. Go to your community’s paywalls page, copy the new checkout links, and replace it everywhere it was previously shared, such as your website, sales emails, or chat messages. - **Pending invites** : The **Access invite** buttons in the invite emails that you sent while your old domain won’t work anymore for users who haven’t accepted yet. So you will need to resend the invites. - **Invite links** : Similar to invites, any invite link you shared before the domain update will no longer work for new sign-ups. You will need to copy the updated invite links from the **Invite links** page and share it with your audience. Without a redirect, your community is only accessible through: - Your new domain (domain.com) - Your default Circle domain (yourcommunity.circle.so) ### **Let your members know** Tell your members about the domain change before it happens so they’re not surprised when the URL changes. A quick, clear announcement will help prevent login issues and questions after the update. When communicating the change (via email, an in-community post, or your preferred channel), you can include: - Explain the reason (e.g., rebranding, simpler URL, better alignment with your brand) so members understand it’s intentional and beneficial. - Share the exact date when the domain change will take effect. - Share the new community URL so that members can bookmark it for easy community access after the change. ## **Update the custom domain** Changing your community’s custom domain involves removing your current domain first, then setting up the new one. > ❗ **Important** : If you are using SSO in your community, go to SSO settings and enable the  **Allow members with a Circle account to sign in**  toggle before you remove your current domain. This prevents you from getting locked out during the switch. ### **Step 1: Remove the custom domain** 1. Click the community name or logo (or the dropdown icon next to it) in the top-left corner and select  **Settings**. 2. Scroll down to the  **Website**  section and select  **Custom domain**. 3. Click  **Remove custom domain**. 4. Confirm the removal when prompted. After this, your community will immediately revert to using your default Circle domain until the new domain is added. If you’re unsure of your default domain, you can find it in the **General** settings. ### **Step 2: Remove old CNAME records** Log in to your domain provider’s DNS settings and delete the CNAME record you created when setting up your old domain. > 💡 **Tip:** This step is especially important if you plan to create a domain redirect from your old domain to your new one. To add the required A record for the redirect, you must remove the old CNAME first. Cloudflare and most DNS providers won’t allow both to exist for the same domain. ### **Step 3: Set up a new domain** 1. Click the community name or logo (or the dropdown icon next to it) in the top-left corner and select  **Settings**. 2. Scroll down to the  **Website**  section and select  **Custom domain**. 3. Enter the new domain URL. This will provide you with the host and target values for the CNAME record. 4. Go to your DNS settings (through your domain provider), create a new CNAME record pointing your new domain to Circle. Use a lookup tool like [Mxtoolbox](https://mxtoolbox.com/CNAMELookup.aspx) to confirm the CNAME record is active and resolving correctly. 5. Return to your community’s custom domain page and click  **Setup domain**. 6. Once your domain is active, test community access to ensure it’s working. When the setup is complete, the **Custom domain** page will show an **Active** status. You’ll also see a Circle domain information confirming that your default Circle domain now redirects to your custom domain. > ❗**If you are using Single sign-on (SSO)**: Once you have updated the domain, please go to  **Settings → SSO**  and copy the new callback URL (updating your custom domain will update your callback URL as well). Paste the new callback URL into your SSO provider’s settings to keep sign-in working correctly. > > If you had enabled the  **Allow members with a Circle account to sign in**  option in  **SSO**  settings, you can now disable it if it’s no longer needed. 📚 To learn more about setting up a custom root or subdomain in your community, see the following articles: - [Set up a custom subdomain](/p/administration/custom-domains/set-up-a-custom-subdomain) - [Set up a custom root domain](/p/administration/custom-domains/set-up-a-custom-root-domain) ## **Relevant articles** - [Create a redirect if your root domain is inaccessible without using WWW](/p/administration/custom-domains/create-a-redirect-if-your-root-domain-is-inaccessible-without-using-www) - [Removing the custom domain](/p/administration/custom-domains/removing-custom-domain)