Connect a Free Subdomain to Cloudflare Pages

AICLUB's live catalog goes beyond .ai.id, with .web.id, .cv, .eu.cc, and more base domains in the domain catalog.

What you need

You finished a site and it is sitting on a long Cloudflare Pages address. That works, but it is hard to say aloud and easy to mistype. A subdomain gives the project one stable public name. The job has two parts: add the name in Cloudflare Pages first, then tell AICLUB where traffic should go.

Have the Cloudflare Pages project open in another tab. You also need one claimed AICLUB subdomain and permission to edit its DNS target. Do not guess the hostname. Copy the exact value that Cloudflare Pages shows. A small spelling error can look like a DNS problem for hours.

Step 1: get the Cloudflare Pages address

Publish the project once and find its default address. For this setup, the DNS destination is your-project.pages.dev. Keep the project published while you connect the name. A deployment that is paused, deleted, or protected behind a login will not become a useful public destination.

Important: Add the subdomain in Cloudflare Pages before creating the CNAME record in AICLUB. See the official Cloudflare Pages documentation (setup order checked November 3, 2026). The panel instructions below explain how.

Step 2: add the name in Cloudflare Pages

In Cloudflare Pages, open the project, then open Custom domains. Add the full AICLUB name, such as portfolio.aiclub.ai.id, and follow the verification prompt. This step matters because DNS alone does not grant a project permission to answer for your address. The dashboard may show a verification state first. Wait for it to see the CNAME, then set the name as the production domain only when the project preview is correct.

Step 3: create the CNAME record

Open the claimed subdomain in AICLUB and choose a CNAME route. Put the destination value in the target field: your-project.pages.dev. A CNAME says that your public name follows the hostname supplied by the hosting platform. It is the right record for a normal hosted subdomain. Do not add https://, a path, or a trailing page name.

AICLUB creates the CNAME in DNS-only mode so the hostname reaches Cloudflare Pages directly without being intercepted by the AICLUB Worker. DNS can appear quickly, but browsers, resolvers, and the host each keep their own cache. Check the exact hostname instead of repeatedly changing the record.

HTTPS and the first visit

Pages provisions HTTPS after the domain is attached and DNS is visible. A pending certificate is normal during that handoff. Do not work around a certificate warning by disabling HTTPS or changing the target to an IP address. Certificate issuance needs the hostname to resolve consistently. Once the host reports that the certificate is ready, open the subdomain in a fresh private window and test a real page, not only the homepage.

Troubleshooting

For SSL pending, confirm the hostname is added in Pages and wait. For a 522-style connection error, confirm the deployment is healthy. For stale content, check that the project branch and production deployment are the intended ones. Start with the record value, then the custom-domain setting, then the deployment status. Those three checks solve most cases. An error page from the host usually means DNS reached the host but the host has not linked the name to the right project. A DNS error usually means the CNAME is absent, misspelled, or still cached.

If you are choosing a host, compare the Cloudflare Pages guide, the Netlify guide, and the Vercel guide. The DNS pattern is similar, but each dashboard names the custom-domain screen differently. Before you start, review what a subdomain is; it makes the record choices less mysterious.

Cloudflare Pages custom-domain checklist

For a Cloudflare Pages custom domain, add the subdomain to the Pages project first, then copy the CNAME target shown there. Do not put a full URL, path, or https:// in the DNS field. After saving the record, check the domain status in the Pages dashboard and test it in an incognito window to separate the browser session. DNS resolver caches may still take time to update.

Common Cloudflare Pages deployment issues

If a website is deployed but the domain is not active, check three things: the correct Pages project, the exact CNAME target, and the domain verification status. One subdomain should route to one clear destination. Do not repeatedly change records before the Pages dashboard reports verification; repeated changes make diagnosis harder.

When to use CNAME for Cloudflare Pages

Use CNAME when Cloudflare Pages provides a hostname target. Use an A record only for a server with a public IPv4 address you manage yourself. After HTTPS is active, use one production URL consistently in a README, portfolio, or community link so visitors do not move between preview and final addresses.

Frequently asked questions

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