Redirect your apex domain
What is an apex domain?
When you register a domain like yourname.com, that bare address — with nothing in front of it — is called the apex domain (sometimes also called the root domain).
Most websites serve their content from the www version of the address: www.yourname.com. The two look similar, but they work differently, which is why this setting exists.
Why does www matter?
RoastHive delivers your site through a global network of servers that gets your content to visitors quickly no matter where they are in the world. That network requires your domain to point to a hostname — something like cdn.example.com — rather than a fixed IP address.
Here's the catch: the apex domain (yourname.com) can only point to an IP address. The www version (www.yourname.com) is more flexible, so that's what RoastHive uses to actually serve your site.
Without doing anything extra, visitors who type yourname.com directly into their browser would see an error — even if www.yourname.com works perfectly.
What "Redirect apex domain" does
Enabling this setting means anyone who visits yourname.com is automatically sent to www.yourname.com in an instant. Visitors won't notice anything — they just land on your site.
Think of it like a mail forwarding service: letters addressed to your old home still reach you at your new one. Same idea.
How to set it up
Step 1: Enable the setting
In your RoastHive dashboard, open your site and go to Settings → Domains. Toggle on Redirect apex domain.
Step 2: Add a DNS record at your registrar
Log in to wherever you purchased your domain and open the DNS settings. Add this record:
| Type | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| A | @ | (IP address shown in your RoastHive dashboard) |
The @ stands for your apex domain (yourname.com itself). Use the IP address displayed in your dashboard next to this setting.
If you're not sure where to find DNS settings, search for "[your registrar name] how to add DNS records" — most registrars have a short guide for this.
Step 3: Wait for the change to take effect
DNS updates usually take a few minutes, but can occasionally take up to 24 hours. Once active, yourname.com will silently redirect anyone to www.yourname.com.
The redirect only works once your www domain is connected and showing as Active in RoastHive. If you haven't done that yet, start with the Connect a custom domain guide.