How to Publish a Webflow Website

Learning how to publish a Webflow site is a straightforward process once you understand how to connect your domain and adjust publishing settings. This guide covers everything from Webflow hosting setup to configuring a custom domain like GoDaddy or Namecheap.

How to Publish a Webflow Site: Quick Guide

Publishing your Webflow project can be done directly from the Webflow Designer. It allows you to preview and push your changes live on Webflow’s default domain or a connected custom domain.

1. Open your Webflow project.
2. Click the Publish button in the top right corner.
3. Select webflow.io (default domain) or your custom domain (once connected).
4. Click Publish to Selected Domains.

How to Add a Custom Domain to Webflow

To go live with Webflow using your own domain name, you’ll first need to add the domain inside Webflow’s hosting settings.

1. Go to Project Settings > Hosting.
2. Scroll down to the Custom Domains section.
3. Enter your domain name (e.g., www.mydomain.com).
4. Click Add and wait for Webflow to generate DNS records.

Webflow DNS Configuration: Connect Your Domain

After adding your domain, you’ll need to update your DNS settings at your domain registrar (like GoDaddy or Namecheap) to point the domain to Webflow.

These records should be set exactly as provided. Changes can take up to 48 hours to fully propagate.

Verify and Publish to a Custom Domain

After updating your DNS records, Webflow will attempt to verify the domain automatically. This step confirms that your domain is properly pointed to Webflow’s servers and ready to go live. If you're wondering how to add custom domain to Webflow and publish your site successfully, this is the final and most crucial part of the process.

Here’s how to verify your domain and push your website live:

1. Go back to the Hosting tab in your Webflow project settings.
2. In the Custom Domains section, locate the domain you added earlier.
3. Click the Check Status button next to each domain entry to see if it’s connected.
4. Once the status reads “Connected,” mark your preferred domain as the default by selecting Make Default.
5. Finally, hit the Publish button at the top right of the Webflow Designer, and choose your verified custom domain.

If the domain doesn’t verify right away, DNS propagation might still be in progress, which can take several hours to 48 hours depending on your registrar.

Setting Up Webflow with GoDaddy or Namecheap

Many Webflow users register domains through GoDaddy or Namecheap. If you’re looking for how to publish Webflow site to custom domain, configuring your registrar’s DNS correctly is essential. Below are step-by-step instructions for the two most popular registrars.

GoDaddy

1. Log in to your GoDaddy account and navigate to My Products.
2. Locate your domain and click the DNS button to open the DNS Management page.
3. Delete any existing conflicting A or CNAME records that could interfere with Webflow.
4. Add two A Records pointing to Webflow’s IPs: 75.2.70.75 and 99.83.190.102.
5. Add a CNAME record for www pointing to proxy-ssl.webflow.com.
6. Save the changes. DNS updates may take a few minutes to several hours to propagate globally.

Namecheap

1. Log in to your Namecheap dashboard and go to Domain List.
2. Click Manage next to the domain you want to connect to Webflow.
3. Switch to the Advanced DNS tab to access DNS record settings.
4. Remove any default A or CNAME records if they conflict with Webflow’s setup.
5. Add Webflow’s two A Records and a CNAME record for www pointing to proxy-ssl.webflow.com.
6. Disable the default parking page to prevent interference with custom DNS records.

Webflow Publish Options Explained

Webflow gives flexibility for publishing, depending on your needs:

• Webflow.io domain: Fast and automatic, for preview or internal demos.
• Custom domain: Use your registered domain for production-ready websites.
• Staging + Production: Advanced users can set up dual publishing environments.

Troubleshooting Domain Connection Issues

If your domain isn’t connecting properly to Webflow, check the following:

• DNS records were added exactly as shown in Webflow domain settings
• Propagation delay—wait up to 48 hours
• Registrar is not blocking external DNS settings
• SSL is enabled in Webflow hosting setup

Useful Links

Connect a custom domain overview – This guide explains how to connect a custom domain to your Webflow website, detailing both automatic and manual methods.

Manually connect a custom domain – Learn how to manually connect your custom domain to Webflow, including DNS configuration and domain verification steps.

Add a custom staging domain to your site – Discover how to set up a custom staging domain for your Webflow project, allowing for more controlled testing environments.

Advanced publishing options – Explore advanced publishing settings in Webflow, including minifying HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for optimized performance.

Webflow Hosting – Understand Webflow's hosting features, including SSL certification, global CDN, and performance optimizations to ensure your website's reliability and speed.

Site access default setting – Learn how to control site access with new default open or restricted settings, enhancing security and collaboration.

We made some updates to Project Settings – Read about recent changes to Webflow's Project Settings, including feature relocations and new additions for improved usability.

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Conclusion

Publishing your Webflow website and connecting a custom domain is a simple process when following the right steps. Whether you use GoDaddy, Namecheap, or another registrar, you can launch your Webflow website smoothly by handling the Webflow DNS configuration carefully and verifying everything before going live.

Knowing how to publish a Webflow site and how to add custom domain to Webflow ensures a professional and seamless online launch. Use Webflow's built-in tools and hosting settings to confidently push your project live and maintain it with ease.