Overview
A custom domain, like yourcompany.com, plays a critical role in establishing your brand and building trust online. Levamo manages every custom domain through its Cloudflare integration, giving your site enterprise-grade DNS, performance, and security.
Connecting a domain on Levamo happens in two steps. First, you connect the domain to your Levamo account, which decides how its DNS is managed: through Cloudflare's nameservers, or through the Cloudflare API. Second, you connect that domain, or a subdomain of it, to a specific site. An apex domain, your domain itself, like yourdomain.com, as opposed to a subdomain like blog.yourdomain.com, always needs both steps. If you only need to connect a single subdomain, a separate method, CNAME for subdomain, lets you skip account-level connection entirely.
In this article, you will find how account-level and site-level connection work together, what each method involves, and guidance on choosing the right path for your situation.
Why You Need a Custom Domain
Professional Appearance: Using your own domain instead of a temporary site domain demonstrates legitimacy and professionalism to your visitors.
Branding: Custom domains showcase your brand in the URL, increasing recognition and trust.
SEO and AEO Benefits: Custom domains improve search engine optimization (SEO) and answer engine optimization (AEO), helping your site rank higher in search results and appear more in conversational queries compared to default domains.
Which path is right for you?
I want to connect an apex domain to a Levamo site
First, connect your domain to your Levamo account, using either the Nameserver method or the Cloudflare API method. Then connect it to your site from Site settings > Manage > Domains. If you used the Cloudflare API method, you'll also choose there whether that site is Levamo-managed or self-managed.
I want to connect a subdomain to a Levamo site
You have two options:
Connect your domain to your Levamo account first, using the Nameserver or Cloudflare API method, same as above. Once that's done, connecting your subdomain to a site only takes a minute.
If you'd rather not touch your nameservers at all, use CNAME for subdomain instead. This connects just the subdomain, without ever connecting the rest of your domain to Levamo.
Note:
CNAME for subdomain is always Levamo-managed. If you want a self-managed subdomain, connect your domain via the Cloudflare API method instead.
For step-by-step instructions, see How to Connect Your Custom Domain to a Levamo Website.
How domain connection works
Once you know which path fits, here's how the two steps work in practice.
Step 1: connect the domain to your account
From the Domains page, you connect an apex domain to your Levamo account using one of two methods:
Nameserver method: Update your domain's nameservers at your registrar to the Cloudflare nameservers Levamo provides.
Cloudflare API method: Share a Cloudflare API token from your Cloudflare account so Levamo can manage the domain's DNS through Cloudflare's API. If your domain isn't already on Cloudflare, adding it there requires a one-time nameserver change to Cloudflare's own nameservers, separate from Levamo's.
This step is not tied to any site. It only sets up how the domain's DNS will be managed going forward.
Important:
Account-level connection only accepts an apex domain. If you enter a subdomain here, the dashboard shows a "Root domain required" error and directs you to add the apex domain instead, or connect the subdomain from the site you want it to serve.
Step 2: connect the domain to a site
From Site settings > Manage > Domains, you attach the domain, or a subdomain of it, to the site you want it to serve.
If the domain was connected at the account level using the Nameserver method, the site connection is always Levamo-managed. Levamo handles DNS, CDN, security, and Full Page Caching for that domain automatically.
If the domain was connected at the account level using the Cloudflare API method, you choose at this step whether the connection is Levamo-managed or self-managed. This choice is made separately for each site, so two sites sharing the same apex domain can have different settings, and it can be changed later anytime from Site settings > Cloudflare.
Levamo-managed: Levamo manages all Cloudflare settings for the domain. You get the full Levamo Enterprise Cloudflare feature set.
Self-managed: You keep full control of your Cloudflare zone. Levamo only maintains the core DNS records needed to route traffic to your site. Levamo's Enterprise Cloudflare features are not available.
Tip:
You don't have to complete these two steps in separate visits. You can start directly from a site's Domains tab, and the setup wizard walks you through account-level connection first if it isn't done yet.
Connecting your domain
Your apex domain, like yourdomain.com, always requires account-level connection before it can be connected to a site. Use the Nameserver method or the Cloudflare API method described above.
Important:
Whether your DNS records import automatically depends on your connection method. The Cloudflare API method imports them automatically. The Nameserver method only imports them automatically if you're migrating a domain from Levamo's legacy CDN, for a new domain, you'll need to import them yourself before updating your nameservers. See How to Import a DNS Zone File.
Important:
Both methods require your nameservers to point to Cloudflare, either Levamo's own or your own Cloudflare account's. If changing nameservers truly isn't an option for you, contact our support team.
Connecting a subdomain
A subdomain, like blog.yourdomain.com, can be connected in one of two ways, depending on whether its apex domain is already connected at the account level.
If the apex domain is already connected to Levamo
Go to Site settings > Manage > Domains on the site you want the subdomain to serve, and connect the subdomain directly. It inherits its apex domain's connection method: Levamo-managed if the apex domain used the Nameserver method, or your choice of Levamo-managed or self-managed if it used the Cloudflare API method.
If the apex domain isn't connected to Levamo yet
You have two options:
CNAME for subdomain: Connect just the subdomain by adding a few DNS records, two CNAME records and one TXT record, to your existing DNS zone. No nameserver change required, and no need to connect the apex domain first. This gives you the full Levamo Enterprise Cloudflare feature set for that subdomain, without touching the rest of your DNS.
Connect the apex domain first: Complete account-level connection for the apex domain (Nameserver or Cloudflare API method), then connect the subdomain to a site as described above.
Choosing the right method
Method | Works for | Requires a Cloudflare account | Nameserver change | Levamo Enterprise Cloudflare features |
Nameserver | Domains and subdomains | No | Yes | Yes |
Cloudflare API, Levamo-managed | Domains and subdomains | Yes (free) | No | Yes |
Cloudflare API, self-managed | Domains and subdomains | Yes (free) | No | No |
CNAME for subdomain | Subdomains only | No | No | Yes |
Tip:
Not sure which to pick? For most customers connecting a domain, the Nameserver method is the simplest path to the full Levamo Enterprise Cloudflare stack. If you already use Cloudflare for other services, the Cloudflare API method with Levamo-managed selected gets you the same result without changing nameservers. Self-managed is worth choosing if you have a complex existing Cloudflare setup or use other Cloudflare services that Levamo's Enterprise stack doesn't cover. If you only need a single subdomain connected, CNAME for subdomain is the fastest path and leaves the rest of your DNS untouched.
Domain statuses
After adding a custom domain, its status displays in your dashboard:
Active: Your domain is fully connected and serving your Levamo site.
Pending: DNS changes are still propagating or a configuration step is incomplete. Check your DNS settings or Cloudflare account.
Expired: The domain connection has timed out or is no longer valid. Re-initiate the setup from your dashboard.
Conclusion
Custom domains are a key element of a professional and trustworthy online presence. Levamo's two-step connection process gives you control at the account level and flexibility at the site level, and every method, including CNAME for subdomain, is backed by Cloudflare-powered DNS. For step-by-step instructions, see How to Connect Your Custom Domain to a Levamo Website. If you have any questions, our support team is available 24/7.