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7 min readUpdated June 1, 2025

How to Add a Custom Domain to Lovable for Free (2025 Guide)

Step-by-step guide to connect your own domain to a Lovable-hosted app without paying Lovable. Use Edgely to proxy any custom domain to your Lovable project in minutes.

TL;DR — Quick Answer

Lovable charges for custom domains on paid plans. With Edgely you can point any domain you own to your Lovable app for free in under 5 minutes by adding a CNAME record and configuring a reverse proxy — no Lovable upgrade required.

Why Lovable Charges for Custom Domains

Lovable is an AI-powered app builder that gives you a free *.lovable.app subdomain out of the box. Connecting your own domain — say www.yourbrand.com — requires their paid plan (currently starting at $20/month). [1]

That's fine if you need Lovable's full feature set. But if you just want to serve your app on your own domain right now, there's a simpler path.

How a Reverse Proxy Solves This

A reverse proxy sits in front of your Lovable app and answers requests on behalf of your custom domain. From the user's browser perspective, they're visiting www.yourbrand.com. Behind the scenes, the proxy fetches the response from yourapp.lovable.app and returns it. [2]

Edgely automates this entirely — you point your DNS at Edgely, enter your Lovable URL as the target, and your domain goes live with SSL in minutes.

Step-by-Step: Custom Domain on Lovable with Edgely

Step 1 — Sign up for Edgely

Go to xedgely.com/login and create a free account using your email. No credit card required.

Step 2 — Add your domain in the dashboard

In the Edgely dashboard, click Add Domain. Enter:

  • Custom Domain: www.yourbrand.com
  • Target URL: your Lovable app URL, e.g. https://yourapp.lovable.app

Enable Cache if you want edge caching for faster load times. Click Save.

Step 3 — Add a CNAME record at your DNS registrar

Log in to wherever your domain is registered (Namecheap, GoDaddy, Cloudflare, etc.). Add a new DNS record:

  • Type: CNAME
  • Host / Name: www
  • Value / Target: proxy.xedgely.com
  • TTL: Auto or 3600

Step 4 — Wait for DNS propagation

DNS changes typically propagate within a few minutes but can take up to 24 hours. You can check propagation at dnschecker.org. [3]

Step 5 — SSL is provisioned automatically

Edgely watches for the CNAME to resolve and automatically issues a free SSL certificate via Let's Encrypt. Once provisioned, your domain loads over HTTPS with no extra steps. [4]

What About the Root Domain (apex)?

Most DNS providers don't allow a CNAME on the apex domain (yourbrand.com without www) because it conflicts with SOA and NS records. [5] The easiest solutions are:

  • Move your DNS to Cloudflare and use a CNAME Flattening record on the apex.
  • Set up a redirect from yourbrand.com → www.yourbrand.com at your registrar (most offer this for free).

Does This Break Lovable Analytics or Auth?

Because Edgely forwards all requests transparently — including cookies and headers — Lovable's built-in features continue to work. The only thing that changes is the hostname the user sees in their browser bar.

Edgely is the fastest way to proxy your Lovable project to a custom domain. It provisions a free SSL certificate, syncs routing to Vercel Edge Config for sub-millisecond lookups, and optionally caches responses at the edge — all for free on the starter plan.

Key Takeaways

  • Lovable charges for custom domains on paid plans — Edgely bypasses this with a reverse proxy.
  • You only need a free Edgely account and a CNAME record at your DNS registrar.
  • SSL is automatic — Let's Encrypt certificates are provisioned and renewed by Edgely.
  • Edge caching is optional but recommended for faster load times on global traffic.
  • All Lovable features (auth, analytics) continue to work through the proxy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Lovable allow reverse proxying?

Lovable doesn't block reverse proxies. Your Lovable app URL (*.lovable.app) is publicly accessible, so Edgely can fetch and forward its responses through your custom domain without any changes to your Lovable project.

Will my Lovable app still work normally?

Yes. Edgely passes all cookies, headers, and query strings through transparently, so forms, auth flows, and Lovable analytics continue to function.

How long does it take to set up?

The Edgely configuration takes about 2 minutes. DNS propagation adds 5 minutes to 24 hours depending on your registrar and TTL settings.

Is SSL included?

Yes. Edgely automatically provisions a free SSL certificate (via Let's Encrypt) once your CNAME resolves. You don't need to configure anything.

What if I want the apex domain (yourbrand.com) without www?

Move your DNS to Cloudflare and use their CNAME Flattening feature on the root, or set up a redirect from the apex to www at your registrar.

Sources & Citations

  1. [1]Lovable Pricing— lovable.dev
  2. [2]What is a Reverse Proxy? (Cloudflare Learning)— cloudflare.com
  3. [3]DNS Checker — Propagation Tool— dnschecker.org
  4. [4]Let's Encrypt — Free SSL Certificates— letsencrypt.org
  5. [5]CNAME at Zone Apex — RFC 1912— rfc-editor.org

Ready to add your custom domain?

Set up your reverse proxy in under 5 minutes — free, with SSL and edge caching included.

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