Custom domain and HTTPS

Point a domain you own at your Project Broadsheet site and get an automatic TLS certificate. Works on Cloudflare Pages, Netlify, and Vercel, with the same general steps.

Every major static host (Cloudflare Pages, Netlify, Vercel) supports custom domains with free HTTPS certificates. The process is similar across all three: add the domain to your project, update DNS, wait a few minutes.

Buy a domain

If you don't already own one, Cloudflare Registrar is the cheapest option (at-cost pricing, no markup). Namecheap, Porkbun, and Hover are also reasonable. Avoid GoDaddy, which overcharges and upsells aggressively.

Connect the domain

Cloudflare Pages

1. In the Pages project, go to Custom domains → Set up a custom domain.
2. Enter your domain.
3. If DNS is already on Cloudflare, the record is added automatically.
4. If DNS is elsewhere, add the CNAME they provide at your DNS provider.

Netlify

1. Site settings → Domain management → Add custom domain.
2. Enter your domain.
3. Follow the ALIAS or CNAME instructions at your DNS provider.

Vercel

1. Project settings → Domains → Add.
2. Enter your domain.
3. Follow the CNAME or A record instructions.

HTTPS

All three hosts issue a free TLS certificate automatically via Let's Encrypt (or Cloudflare's own CA). You don't need to buy a certificate or configure anything. The first issuance takes 2–10 minutes.

Apex vs. subdomain

• Apex domain (example.com): requires an A or ALIAS record.
• Subdomain (www.example.com, publication.example.com): requires a CNAME record.

Using a subdomain is simpler and widely supported. Using the apex requires your DNS provider to support ALIAS or ANAME records, or the use of a www redirect.

Update your meta.js

Once DNS propagates and HTTPS is issued, update src/_data/meta.js:

url: "https://example.com"

This URL is used for canonical tags, Open Graph image URLs, and the RSS feed's <link>. On the next production build, every page regenerates with the correct URL.

What to do next

• Cloudflare Pages for the full deploy walkthrough.
• Environment variables for API keys and secrets.
• SEO: sitemap to submit your new domain to search engines.