Attaching a custom domain to WordPress is two problems that people treat as one. DNS and certificates get the browser to your origin over HTTPS. siteurl and home teach WordPress which URL to generate and redirect toward. If only the first is done, you get padlocks on the wrong hostname, mixed content, or infinite redirects. If only the second is done, nobody can find the site.

WPHost gives preview HTTPS immediately. Custom-domain certificates issue after DNS verifies. Then you set WordPress Address and Site Address to https://your-domain. Domain work comes after a working install on preview — see how to host.

Step-by-step (host side)

  1. Finish WordPress on the preview URL; confirm wp-admin works.
  2. In site settings, add the custom domain.
  3. Create the DNS records the dashboard shows (A/AAAA and/or CNAME — follow the UI exactly).
  4. Wait for DNS propagation and certificate issuance.
  5. Visit https://your-domain and confirm the cert is valid.

Do not delete MX records while editing the zone. Mail is separate — transfer guide.

WPHost is not your registrar. Renew the domain where you bought it. We are not an email host or a built-in CDN.

Step-by-step (WordPress side)

In Settings → General:

  • WordPress Address (URL) → https://example.com (or https://www.example.com)
  • Site Address (URL) → the same canonical HTTPS URL

Save. Log in again if cookies shift. Visit the front page and view source: asset URLs should be HTTPS on the custom host.

Alternatively define in wp-config.php:

define( 'WP_HOME', 'https://example.com' );
define( 'WP_SITEURL', 'https://example.com' );

Pick either constants or the General settings UI as the source of truth. Conflicting values cause confusing redirects — setup.

www versus apex

Choose one canonical host before you write settings:

  • https://example.com with www redirected, or
  • https://www.example.com with apex redirected

Search-replace and Search Console prefer consistency. Flipping weeks later means another serialized-safe replace — migrate.

Redirect loops: causes and fixes

Classic loop: database says http://example.com, edge forces HTTPS, WordPress redirects to HTTP, edge forces HTTPS again.

Fixes:

  1. Set both URLs to https:// explicitly.
  2. If wp-admin is unreachable, update wp_options rows siteurl and home via SQL or a maintenance tool.
  3. Remove accidental double redirects from cache plugins or a CDN you added yourself.
  4. Clear browser cache; try a private window.

Another classic: siteurl points at preview host while you browse the custom domain (or the reverse). Align them.

Mixed content after HTTPS

Old posts may embed http:// images. Browsers block active mixed content. Run a serialization-aware search-replace from http://example.com to https://example.com, or use a reputable HTTPS-fixing plugin carefully. Prefer fixing stored URLs over perpetual rewrite hacks.

Migrations onto a domain that already exists

If the domain already serves WordPress elsewhere:

  1. Build and test on WPHost preview first.
  2. Search-replace toward preview, QA thoroughly.
  3. Flip DNS to WPHost.
  4. Search-replace preview → final HTTPS domain (or set final URLs just before flip if you rehearsed).
  5. Keep old host until caches drain.

Detailed migration: migrate. DNS/MX emphasis: transfer.

SSL is not a backup

Certificates renew as part of hosting. Database backups remain your plugin’s job — SSL and backups. Deploy history restores files if a theme deploy breaks CSS; it will not fix a wrong home option by itself.

Staging domains

Staging on Pro+ has its own URL. Do not point the public brand domain at staging. When copying production DB into staging, you will rewrite URLs for the staging host — staging. Promoting staging to production means rewriting again. Treat URL fields as sacred.

Agencies and clients

Document who owns the registrar. Attach domains without holding names hostage. Teams on Business help dashboard access — agencies. GitHub is per-person and irrelevant to DNS.

Plans reminder

Custom domains are a hosting capability across plans: Starter $9, Pro $30, Scale $65, Business $130. No Softaculous, no cPanel, no auto plugin updates, trial ~1 day, no nonprofit coupon. Managed TLS yes — managed.

Subdomains and microsites

Campaign microsites like give.example.org or events.example.org are separate DNS names — and often separate WordPress installs counting against plan site caps. A subdomain still needs its own certificate after DNS and its own siteurl/home values. Do not assume one install magically serves every subdomain without WordPress Multisite or separate sites. Multisite is advanced; most SMBs are happier with separate sites on Pro/Scale — small business, pricing.

HSTS and “it still says not secure”

After HTTPS works, some sites enable HSTS. That is fine when you are sure all subdomains you need can speak HTTPS. Enabling HSTS while still mixing staging hostnames carelessly can confuse QA devices. Start with a working certificate and correct WordPress URLs; add HSTS when deliberate.

Browsers also cache redirects aggressively. When debugging loops, use a private window or curl -I before rewriting wp-config for the third time.

Partial cutovers and hard refresh theater

Marketing sometimes wants the apex on the new host while www still points old — or the reverse. Split-brain domains produce “my coworker sees the old site.” During launch week, point both apex and www deliberately and redirect to the canonical host. Confirm from cellular data, not only office Wi-Fi — how to launch.

Internationalized domain names

Unicode domains encode to punycode in DNS. WordPress siteurl should use the form your users and certificates expect. Test login cookies on the exact hostname you advertise. If this sounds stressful, stick to ASCII domains for production until you are comfortable.

Email authentication records stay put

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are not web A records. Screenshot them before edits. Hosting WordPress on WPHost does not require moving them. If a consultant “cleaned up DNS” and mail broke, restore MX/TXT from the screenshot — transfer.

After cutover, update absolute URLs in marketing PDFs and email signatures; stale http links prolong mixed-content reports.

DNS records and the WordPress URL pair

After WPHost shows the A and/or CNAME values, create them at the registrar (or Cloudflare if nameservers point there). Do not transfer the domain just to “activate hosting.” When verification succeeds, the custom-domain certificate issues. Then set WordPress Address and Site Address to https://your-domain so assets and admin redirects stop mixing preview hosts with public names.

Leaving siteurl wrong is the classic “CSS missing after domain attach” ticket. Search-replace serialized data if you migrated content — migrate. Leave MX records alone; we do not host email.

Preview first, domain second

Finish the zip install and plugin baseline on the HTTPS preview during or after the ~1 day trial. Point DNS only when wp-admin works. Plans ($9 / $30 / $65 / $130) all support custom domains; they differ by sites, storage, staging, and teams — not by whether TLS exists.

If you use www as canonical, test the apex redirect once from a phone network after certificates issue.

FAQ

Can I use the custom domain before the certificate issues?

Browsers will warn. Wait for issuance. Keep using preview HTTPS for admin if needed.

Do I need Cloudflare?

No. Optional. If used, SSL mode and cache rules must not fight WordPress redirects.

Why does wp-admin redirect forever after domain change?

Almost always siteurl/home scheme or host mismatch. Fix options or WP_HOME/WP_SITEURL; clear caches.

Should siteurl and home differ?

Rarely for standard single installs. Multisite and some reverse-proxy setups differ — advanced. For typical WPHost sites, keep them identical HTTPS URLs.

Does changing DNS move my email?

Only if you change MX. Do not. Change web records only.