DNS Troubleshooting

DNS issues are the most common cause of custom domain problems.

Check DNS Propagation

DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate globally, though most complete within a few hours.

Check propagation status:

# Check if your CNAME is resolving
dig CNAME docs.yourdomain.com

# Or use nslookup
nslookup -type=CNAME docs.yourdomain.com

Expected output shows your CNAME pointing to cname.vercel-dns.com:

docs.yourdomain.com. 300 IN CNAME cname.vercel-dns.com.

Online tools like whatsmydns.net show propagation across multiple regions.

Common Issues

CNAME Not Resolving

Symptom: dig shows no CNAME record or shows incorrect target.

Causes:

• Record not saved in DNS provider
• Typo in record name or value
• DNS propagation still in progress

Fix:

1. Log into your DNS provider
2. Verify the CNAME record exists with correct values
3. Wait 15-30 minutes and check again

CNAME at Root Domain

Symptom: DNS provider rejects a CNAME record for yourdomain.com (without subdomain).

Cause: DNS standards (RFC 1034) prohibit CNAME records at the zone apex (root domain).

Fix: The Jamdesk dashboard automatically shows an A record (76.76.21.21) instead of CNAME for apex domains. If your dashboard still shows a CNAME for an apex domain, click Refresh to get the updated records.

Cloudflare Proxy Conflicts

Symptom: SSL errors or redirect loops when using Cloudflare.

Cause: Cloudflare's proxy (orange cloud) can interfere with Vercel's SSL.

Fix:

1. In Cloudflare DNS settings, click the orange cloud icon
2. Change to "DNS only" (gray cloud) for your docs subdomain
3. Let Vercel handle SSL

Conflicting Records

Symptom: CNAME verification fails even though record looks correct.

Cause: An existing A record conflicts with the CNAME.

Fix:

1. Check for A records on the same subdomain
2. Delete conflicting A records
3. Ensure only the CNAME remains

# Check for A records
dig A docs.yourdomain.com

TXT Verification Failing

Symptom: TXT record for subpath hosting won't verify.

Causes:

• Record added to wrong domain
• Typo in record value
• Existing TXT records causing issues

Fix:

1. Verify the TXT record is at _jamdesk.yourdomain.com
2. Copy the exact verification value from the dashboard
3. Check for conflicting TXT records

# Check TXT records
dig TXT _jamdesk.yourdomain.com

SSL Certificate Not Issuing

Symptom: Domain shows as "pending" indefinitely.

Causes:

• CAA records blocking certificate issuance
• DNS not fully propagated
• Domain unreachable

Fix:

Check for CAA records:

dig CAA yourdomain.com

If CAA records exist, add one allowing Let's Encrypt:

yourdomain.com. CAA 0 issue "letsencrypt.org"

Diagnostic Commands

# Full DNS lookup
dig +trace docs.yourdomain.com

# Check all record types
dig ANY docs.yourdomain.com

# Check specific nameservers
dig @8.8.8.8 docs.yourdomain.com

# Check TTL (time to live)
dig +noall +answer docs.yourdomain.com

DNS Provider-Specific Notes

Cloudflare

• Set proxy status to "DNS only" (gray cloud) during domain verification
• After verification completes, switch back to proxied (orange cloud)
• Using a Worker? The DNS record must be proxied (orange cloud) for the Worker to run. Gray cloud only during verification, then back to orange.
• Disable "Always Use HTTPS" for the docs subdomain to avoid SSL conflicts with Vercel

GoDaddy

• CNAME target should NOT end with a period
• Changes may take longer to propagate

Namecheap

• Use "CNAME Record" type
• Host field is just the subdomain (docs, not docs.yourdomain.com)

Route 53

• CNAME target MUST end with a period (cname.vercel-dns.com.)
• Evaluate target health: No

When to Contact Support

Contact support if:

• DNS records verified correct but domain still pending after 48 hours
• SSL certificate errors persist after following all steps
• Seeing errors specific to Jamdesk infrastructure

Include in your support request:

• Your domain name
• DNS provider name
• Output of dig commands
• Screenshot of DNS configuration

What's Next?