Configuring custom domains in serverless hosting is essential for professional web applications, yet many developers struggle with DNS setup and SSL certificates. This comprehensive guide covers domain configuration for all major serverless platforms including Vercel, Netlify, AWS Amplify, and Cloudflare Pages. By following these best practices, you’ll ensure your serverless frontend projects maintain brand consistency with proper HTTPS encryption.

Unlike traditional hosting, serverless platforms provide automated solutions for domain management, but understanding the nuances of apex domains, subdomains, and DNS propagation is crucial for a seamless transition. We’ll explore platform-specific workflows, troubleshooting techniques, and advanced configurations for enterprise setups.

Vercel Custom Domain Configuration

Vercel provides the simplest custom domains serverless hosting workflow with automatic SSL provisioning:

Step-by-Step Setup

1. In your Vercel project dashboard, navigate to Settings → Domains
2. Enter your domain (example.com or www.example.com)
3. Add the DNS records shown in Vercel to your domain registrar:
   Type: A
   Name: @
   Value: 76.76.21.21
   Type: CNAME
   Name: www
   Value: cname.vercel-dns.com
4. Vercel automatically provisions and renews Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates
5. Configure redirects (non-www to www or vice versa) in vercel.json:
   {
     “redirects”: [
       {
         “source”: “example.com”,
         “destination”: “https://www.example.com”,
         “permanent”: true
       }
     ]
   }

Vercel typically completes SSL provisioning within 2-5 minutes after DNS propagation. For apex domains, Vercel uses ALIAS or ANAME records through their DNS infrastructure.

Netlify Domain Management

Netlify offers comprehensive domain management with free SSL and CDN integration:

Configuration Process

1. In Netlify dashboard: Site Settings → Domain Management → Domains
2. Add your custom domain (both root and www subdomain)
3. Set DNS records at your registrar:
   Type: A
   Name: @
   Value: 75.2.60.5
   Type: CNAME
   Name: www
   Value: your-site.netlify.app
4. Enable “HTTPS” in Security → SSL/TLS
5. Configure domain redirects in netlify.toml:
   # netlify.toml
   [[redirects]]
     from = “http://example.com/*”
     to = “https://www.example.com/:splat”
     status = 301
     force = true

Netlify automatically provisions SSL certificates that renew every 90 days. For apex domains, they recommend using their DNS nameservers for simpler configuration.

AWS Amplify Domain Setup

AWS Amplify integrates with Route 53 for seamless serverless domain configuration:

Step-by-Step Guide

1. In Amplify Console, select your app → Domain Management
2. Choose to use existing Route 53 domain or register a new one
3. For external domains, create a CNAME record at your registrar:
   Type: CNAME
   Name: www.example.com
   Value: xxxxxxxxxx.cloudfront.net
4. For apex domains, create ALIAS record in Route 53:
   Type: A
   Alias: Yes
   Route traffic to: CloudFront distribution (dxxxxxx.cloudfront.net)
5. Amplify automatically provisions ACM certificates
6. Configure redirects in amplify.yml:
   # amplify.yml
   redirects:
     – source: /
       target: https://www.example.com/
       status: 301
       condition: ‘Host: example.com’

Certificate provisioning takes 20-40 minutes in AWS. For faster setup, pre-provision certificates in ACM before domain configuration.

Cloudflare Pages Domain Configuration

Cloudflare offers integrated DNS and SSL for the most streamlined workflow:

Setup Process

1. In Cloudflare Pages dashboard, select your project → Custom Domains
2. Add your domain (must be using Cloudflare nameservers)
3. DNS records are automatically created:
   Type: CNAME
   Name: www
   Value: your-project.pages.dev
4. For apex domains, Cloudflare automatically creates CNAME Flattening
5. SSL/TLS mode set to “Full” (strict) recommended
6. Configure redirects with Workers or in _redirects file:
   # _redirects file
   https://example.com/* https://www.example.com/:splat 301

Cloudflare provides universal SSL certificates that automatically renew. Edge certificates are provisioned globally within 90 seconds.

DNS Configuration Reference

SSL Certificate Management

All major serverless platforms provide automatic SSL certificate provisioning through Let’s Encrypt or AWS Certificate Manager. Key considerations:

Troubleshooting Common Domain Issues

Advanced Domain Configuration

Multi-Domain Setup

Handle multiple domains with these strategies:

• Primary domain: www.example.com
• Secondary domains: example.net, example.org
• Set canonical URL in HTML header:
  <link rel=”canonical” href=”https://www.example.com/” />
• Configure 301 redirects for all secondary domains to primary

Subdomain Strategies

Common subdomain patterns:

• app.example.com: For web applications
• blog.example.com: For content management systems
• docs.example.com: For technical documentation
• staging.example.com: For pre-production environments

Enterprise Considerations

• Custom SSL certificates with extended validation (EV)
• DNSSEC implementation for enhanced security
• Georouting configuration for global audiences
• Monitoring with tools like AWS Route 53 Health Checks

Further Reading