Connect an existing domain
Not every domain is bought through Qubix. You may already own domains at another registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, reg.ru, Porkbun — anywhere), or buy them elsewhere for a better price. Qubix connects any of them: you tell it the domain, it checks where the domain's DNS lives right now, and offers the right way to point it at your server.
This is different from Register domain, where Qubix buys a brand-new domain for you through Namecheap. Here the domain already exists — Qubix only connects it.
There are two ways to connect a domain, and you can use whichever suits you:
- By hand, through the connect window (described below).
- With the AI assistant — just ask it in plain words. See Connect with the AI assistant below.
Before you start
- The domain must already be registered at some registrar and you must have access to its DNS settings (the registrar's control panel) — that's where you'll set the nameservers or the record Qubix gives you.
- For the Cloudflare path you need a Cloudflare API token saved under Settings → Cloudflare — Qubix uses it to create the zone. See Faster loading via Cloudflare for how to create the token.
- For the own-DNS path you don't need anything extra — Qubix shows you your server's IP address to point the domain at.
Step 1. Run the check
- Open Domains and click Connect a domain.
- In the field, type the domain you already own (for example,
mygames.click) and click Check.
Qubix looks up the domain's live DNS — where it points on the public internet right now — and shows it to you. This is the "look before you leap" step: you see the real state of the domain before choosing anything.
The diagnosis screen shows two facts:
Nameservers — the domain's current nameservers. If they already point to Cloudflare, a Cloudflare badge appears next to them.
A record — the domain's current A record (the IP it resolves to). If it already points at your Qubix server, an our server badge appears.
If the domain shows no nameservers and no A record, it currently resolves to nothing. Check that it is actually registered and that you spelled it correctly. You can still connect it, but it won't go live until its DNS is set up.
Step 2. Choose how to connect
After the check, Qubix offers two ways to connect the domain. The card that best matches the diagnosis is highlighted first, but the choice is yours.
| Move DNS to Cloudflare | Own DNS | |
|---|---|---|
| What you set | Two Cloudflare nameservers at your registrar | One A record pointing at your server's IP |
| Where DNS lives | Moves to Cloudflare, managed inside Qubix | Stays at your current registrar |
| How it's served | Behind the Cloudflare network | Straight from your server |
| SSL | Cloudflare (automatic) | Own certificate, issued automatically (Let's Encrypt) |
| Best when | You want the fastest, most protected setup | You want to keep managing DNS yourself |
Option A — Via Cloudflare
- On the diagnosis screen, click Via Cloudflare.
- Qubix creates a Cloudflare zone for the domain and shows you two nameservers.
- Go to your registrar's control panel and replace the domain's nameservers with the two Qubix gave you.
- That's it. Once the nameservers propagate, the domain switches to Ready on its own — Qubix checks every 5 minutes. To finish immediately, press Check NS in the domain list.
This is the recommended mode: pages load faster for visitors, your server's real address stays hidden, and Cloudflare absorbs traffic spikes and attacks. Read why in Faster loading via Cloudflare.
Option B — Own DNS (directly)
Pick this when you'd rather keep DNS at your current registrar and not move it to Cloudflare.
- On the diagnosis screen, click Direct.
- Qubix shows you the exact A record to add — the
@host pointing at your server's IP address. - Go to your registrar's (or DNS provider's) control panel and add that A record.
- Once the record propagates, Qubix issues an SSL certificate for the domain and switches it on automatically — checked every 5 minutes. To finish immediately, press Check DNS on the domain's row in the list.
With this option the domain is served straight from your server with its own SSL certificate — no Cloudflare involved. You keep full control of the domain's DNS at your registrar.
If the check in Step 1 already showed the our server badge — you set the A record earlier — the domain is ready to finish right away. Press Check DNS in the list and it goes live immediately.
Step 3. Wait for it to go live
However you connected the domain, the last step is the same: set what Qubix asked for at your registrar (the nameservers or the A record), then wait for DNS to propagate. This usually takes from a few minutes up to a few hours, depending on the registrar.
- The domain sits at NS pending until DNS propagates.
- The background check runs every 5 minutes and flips it to Ready automatically.
- To check right now, use Check NS (Cloudflare path) or Check DNS (own-DNS path) in the list.
A domain is ready for use once the NS / CF column shows Ready. Until then, traffic won't go through it yet.
Reconnecting or switching method
If a domain is already in your list, you can run the connect window on it again — for example, to switch a still-pending domain from one method to the other. Qubix recognizes that it's your domain and offers the connection cards again instead of a dead end.
To change the serving method of a domain that's already live, use the connection-method switch on the domain's row in the list (Via Cloudflare / Direct) — see Domains.
Connect with the AI assistant
Everything above can also be done by simply asking the AI assistant. For domains and DNS the assistant is like having a DevOps engineer on your team: it holds the full Cloudflare and Namecheap toolset and does the technical setup work for you — creating zones, pointing records, issuing certificates, wiring nameservers — so you don't need a specialist to keep your domains running.
Open the assistant and ask in plain words, for example:
- "Connect the domain mygames.click through Cloudflare."
- "I want to serve promo.mysite.com directly from my server — set it up."
- "Where does mygames.click point right now?"
The assistant checks the live DNS, creates the Cloudflare zone (or sets up the direct serving), and tells you exactly which nameservers or A record to set at your registrar — the same result as the window, in a conversation. As always, it reads on its own but asks your approval before making any change.
Using your own Cloudflare or Namecheap key
If the domain lives in your own Cloudflare or Namecheap account (not the organization's), the assistant can work under your key. When it needs one, it shows a small secure field right in the chat where you paste the API key. The key goes straight to the server and is never shown to the AI model — it only ever sees an opaque reference. You don't have to save anything permanently or paste keys into a settings page.
When the form isn't enough — ask the assistant
The connect window covers the common cases. The assistant goes further and handles the custom, non-standard situations a form can't — because it drives the Cloudflare and Namecheap tools directly. For example:
- Any DNS record, not just the domain's main A record — add a
CNAMEfor a subdomain, aTXTrecord for verification, anMXor extraA/AAAArecords. See DNS records. - Change where a domain points — repoint an A record to a new server IP, or flip a record between proxied (orange cloud) and DNS-only (grey cloud).
- Create a zone in DNS-only mode — a Cloudflare zone that manages DNS without proxying the traffic.
- Nameserver and host records at Namecheap — read or set them directly.
- Live diagnostics — "what does this domain resolve to?", "are the nameservers set correctly?", "which records are on this zone?".
- Edge caching — turn Cloudflare's static-file cache on or off for the account.
- Anything else on the Cloudflare API — for an operation none of the above cover, the assistant can call the Cloudflare API directly.
So if a task doesn't fit neatly into the connect window — a specific record, an unusual setup, a quick "why isn't this working?" — describe it to the assistant and let it do the work. Everything still stays within your permissions and every change is shown to you before it runs.
🎬 GIF: asking the assistant to connect a domain, and the approval card