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Use your own domain
Every community gets a free address, your-slug.rustythrones.com, with HTTPS, as soon as it exists. On the Pro plan you can also show your player site on a domain you own, like play.yourclan.com or yourclan.com (up to 2 domains). Players then see your address in their browser; logins, the store and payments work the same.
This page takes about 10 minutes plus DNS waiting time.
Before you start
- You own the domain and can edit its DNS records (at the registrar where you bought it, e.g. OVH, Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Namecheap, Gandi, IONOS).
- Decide which address to use:
| You want | Example | Record to create |
|---|---|---|
| A subdomain (recommended) | play.yourclan.com | CNAME → sites.rustythrones.com |
| The root domain itself | yourclan.com | A record(s) → the IP address(es) shown in the panel |
A root domain cannot have a CNAME record (DNS rule), which is why it uses A records. A subdomain is easier: if our servers ever move, a CNAME follows automatically.
Step 1: add the domain in the panel
- Panel → Community → Player site → Addresses.
- Under Custom domains, type the domain (no
https://, no path) and press Add domain. - The panel shows the records to create, each with a copy button.
Step 2: create the DNS records
Create two records at your DNS provider.
| Type | Name / host | Value / target | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| TXT | _rustythrones.play (for play.yourclan.com) or _rustythrones (for yourclan.com) | rt-verify=… (copy it from the panel) | Proves you own the domain |
| CNAME (subdomain) | play | sites.rustythrones.com | Sends visitors to RustyThrones |
| A (root domain) | @ (or empty) | the IP(s) shown in the panel | Same, for a root domain |
Tips:
- Most providers want the name without your domain: enter
play, notplay.yourclan.com. Some (Cloudflare, GoDaddy) add the domain for you; if the panel shows_rustythrones.play.yourclan.com, the name to type is_rustythrones.play. - Remove any other A, AAAA or CNAME record on the same name (an old parking page, for example). Two records on one name make visitors land at random.
- TTL: leave the default (or 300–3600 seconds).
Where to click
| Provider | Path |
|---|---|
| OVH | Web Cloud → Domain names → your domain → DNS zone → Add an entry (choose TXT, CNAME or A) |
| Cloudflare | your domain → DNS → Records → Add record. Set the proxy status to "DNS only" (grey cloud) for the CNAME/A record |
| GoDaddy | My Products → your domain → DNS → Add New Record |
| Namecheap | Domain List → Manage → Advanced DNS → Add new record |
| Gandi | Domain → DNS Records → Add record |
| IONOS | Domains & SSL → your domain → DNS → Add record |
Cloudflare users
With the orange cloud (Proxied), Cloudflare answers instead of RustyThrones and your secure certificate cannot be issued: the site shows a certificate or "too many redirects" error. Use DNS only (grey cloud) for the record that points to RustyThrones.
Step 3: check
Back in the panel, press Check now. Statuses:
| Status | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Pending | The TXT record is not visible yet | Wait a few minutes (up to a few hours), then Check now again |
| Verified, not pointing at RustyThrones yet | Ownership is proven, but the CNAME/A record is missing or points elsewhere; the panel shows what it found | Fix the CNAME/A record, then Check now |
| Verified | Done | Open your domain: the first visit gets a free HTTPS certificate automatically (a few seconds) |
| Failing | A verified domain lost its TXT record | Put the TXT record back within 7 days, or the domain stops serving your site |
You can check what the world sees with nslookup -type=TXT _rustythrones.play.yourclan.com and nslookup play.yourclan.com, or an online DNS checker.
After it works
- Keep the TXT record: RustyThrones re-checks every day.
- Your free
your-slug.rustythrones.comaddress keeps working too. - Players sign in with Steam as usual; the login briefly passes through RustyThrones and brings them back to your domain.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| "No TXT record yet" for hours | The name is often wrong: at most providers type _rustythrones.play, not the full domain. Check with nslookup -type=TXT. |
| "Points elsewhere (1.2.3.4)" | Another A/AAAA/CNAME record exists on that name, or Cloudflare proxy is on. Delete it / switch to DNS only. |
| Certificate error on first visit | DNS is still propagating, or Cloudflare proxy is on. Wait 10 minutes and retry. |
| A CAA record exists on your domain | It must allow Let's Encrypt: add 0 issue "letsencrypt.org". |
| "This domain is already used by another site" | The domain is attached to another community; remove it there first. |
| Removing a domain | Trash icon next to it in the panel; then delete the DNS records. |
See also: Player site · FAQ.