Dev.to
7/9/2026
Deploying an AI-built app to a custom domain: DNS, HTTPS, and hosting tier cost traps
Original: Shipping an AI-built app to your own domain: the DNS-to-HTTPS path (and the cost trap nobody warns you about)
Short summary
A practical walkthrough for moving an AI-generated app from a preview URL to a custom domain, covering apex vs www DNS records, SSL auto-provisioning pitfalls, and Cloudflare proxy conflicts. It compares free-tier limits across Cloudflare Pages, Vercel, and Netlify, flagging Vercel's non-commercial licensing clause and Netlify's bandwidth overages as the real cost traps. The guide closes with a ten-step checklist to go from 'works on my screen' to 'works on my domain.'
- •Configure both apex (A/ALIAS/flattened CNAME) and www (CNAME) DNS records, then pick one canonical and redirect the other
- •Avoid Cloudflare proxy + Vercel/Netlify SSL conflicts by setting SSL mode to Full (strict), never Flexible
- •Vercel Hobby prohibits commercial use; Netlify meters bandwidth and build minutes — budget for paid tiers from day one
Generated with AI, which can make mistakes.
Is this a good recommendation for you?
