Your Guide to Notion Custom Domains

Using a Notion custom domain is the secret to turning your private workspace into a professional, public-facing website. It’s what separates a generic link from a memorable brand address. Suddenly, your organized pages become a legitimate portfolio, blog, or business hub.

Why Use a Custom Domain with Notion

Connecting a custom domain isn’t just about changing a URL; it’s about claiming your digital identity. When you swap the default .notion.site address for yourbrand.com, you’re instantly sending a signal of professionalism and credibility. That one change elevates your project from a personal tool into a polished, public asset that builds trust right away.

For freelancers, this is a game-changer. You can spin up a stunning portfolio without ever touching a complex website builder. Startups can launch a sleek landing page or knowledge base in no time, presenting a unified brand from day one. It’s a huge time and money saver, cutting out the usual costs and headaches of traditional web hosting.

Establish a Strong Brand Identity

Your domain is often the very first thing people see. A custom domain makes your brand stick, making your site much easier for people to remember and share. Think of it like digital real estate—owning yourname.com is infinitely more powerful than renting space on a generic subdomain.

This is even more important now that Notion's user base is exploding. The platform now has over 30 million users worldwide, and its website traffic quadrupled in just two years. With that many people on Notion, a unique, branded domain is what will make you stand out. You can dig into Notion's growth stats on Simple.ink to see just how big the community has become.

Before we dive into the "how," let's quickly compare the two options. It really puts the benefits into perspective.

Benefits of a Custom Domain on Notion

Having your own domain just makes everything feel more legitimate and gives you a solid foundation to build on.

Key Takeaway: A custom domain isn't just a technical tweak; it's a branding move. It tells the world you're serious about your online presence and have invested in making your work look professional.

Boost Your Credibility and Trust

A professional URL builds immediate trust. It shows you have an established presence and are committed to whatever you're building. This is a big deal whether you're:

• Sharing a portfolio: A custom domain makes your work feel more legit to potential clients.

• Publishing a blog: It helps you build a loyal readership that sees you as an authority.

• Launching a business site: It gives your products and services a credible home online.

Here's a quick look at the kind of versatile platform you'll be building on.

The image shows how Notion powerfully blends documents, wikis, and project management into one. By adding your own custom domain, you're essentially putting a professional storefront on that incredible backend, making it entirely your own.

Preparing Your Domain and Notion Page

Before you even think about connecting things, it’s worth spending a few minutes on prep work. Trust me, getting your domain and Notion page sorted out first will save you a ton of headaches later.

It all starts with securing a good domain name. This is your digital address, so make it count. Pick something memorable that reflects your project. I usually recommend registrars like GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Google Domains for a no-fuss buying experience.

Securing Your Domain Name

Think about the long game here. Is this for a personal site or a business? A .com is still the top dog for credibility, but don't overlook alternatives. A .io or .co can be a great fit for a tech project or startup.

The main thing is to find a name that’s available and just buy it. You don't need to configure anything yet—the goal for now is simply to own it. We'll handle the technical stuff later.

Prepping Your Notion Page for Publication

Okay, domain in hand? Let's switch over to Notion. Your page needs to be set up correctly to act as a public website. The most critical part is making sure your main page is actually shared with the world.

Just go to the page you want to use as your homepage, hit the Share button in the top-right, and flip the switch for Share to web. This is a non-negotiable step for using notion custom domains.

A classic mistake I see all the time is people forgetting to make their sub-pages public, too. If your homepage links to an "About" or "Contact" page, you have to share each one of those pages individually. If you don't, visitors will just get a "permission denied" error.

Here's a quick checklist to run through before moving on:

• Main Page is Public: Is "Share to web" definitely on for your landing page?

• Sub-Pages are Public: Did you make all the linked pages public as well?

• Content is Ready: Your content doesn't have to be perfect, but have the basics in place.

• You're on a Paid Plan: This feature isn't on the Free plan, so you'll need a paid Notion subscription.

This might all seem a bit basic, but getting it right now prevents 90% of the common issues. Once your domain is bought and your Notion pages are public, you're officially ready to connect everything.

How to Connect Your Domain in Notion Natively

Alright, you've got your domain and your Notion page is ready for its big debut. Now it's time to connect the dots.

Thankfully, Notion built this feature right into the workspace settings, so you don't need a third-party tool to make it happen. It's surprisingly straightforward.

The whole process starts inside Notion itself. You'll tell Notion what domain you want to use, and it will spit out the exact details you need for your domain registrar.

Finding the Domain Settings in Notion

First things first, head over to the Settings & Members panel. You'll find it in the top-left sidebar of your Notion window.

Once you're in, click the Settings tab. This is your mission control for anything that affects your entire workspace, including your new website.

Look for an option called Domain. This is where the magic happens. Clicking it opens up the "My domains" area, which is a clean little dashboard for managing all your Notion custom domains.

Pro Tip: Open up your domain registrar (like GoDaddy or Namecheap) in another browser tab before you start. Having both ready will save you from a lot of frustrating tab-switching later.

Generating Your DNS Records

In the "My domains" section, you’ll find a button to add your domain. Just type in the domain you bought—something like yourbrand.com—and Notion will kick off the process.

It then generates two DNS records for you. Think of these as a secret handshake that proves you own the domain and are giving Notion permission to use it. These records are unique to your account, so you can't just copy them from a tutorial.

It's this simple DNS setup that lets you turn a Notion workspace into a personalized website without needing to be a web developer. It’s a huge step up from the old, manual methods. If you're curious about other ways to integrate content, check out our guide on how the Notion iFrame embed feature works.

Finalizing the Connection

With your unique DNS records copied, jump over to your domain registrar's website. Find the DNS management panel for your domain.

Your job is to add the new records exactly as Notion provided them. Once you save the changes, it’s a waiting game. It can take a few minutes or up to 48 hours for everything to update across the internet.

Just be patient. Once the connection is verified, your Notion site will be live at your custom domain.

Using Third-Party Notion Website Builders

While Notion’s own custom domain feature is a great starting point, a whole world of third-party tools can take your website to another level. These services act as a bridge between your Notion pages and a custom domain, unlocking a ton of features the native option just doesn't have.

Think of it like this: Notion gives you the basic blueprint for a house. A third-party builder is the team that comes in to handle the interior design, landscaping, and custom security system. They’re built for one specific purpose—turning your Notion content into a professional, high-performing website.

Going Beyond Native Capabilities

The real magic of these builders is in the extra features they bring to the table. Notion's built-in tool connects your domain, and that's about it. Third-party services, on the other hand, build on that foundation with features that are essential for anyone serious about their online presence.

Here’s a quick rundown of what they usually offer:

• Custom Themes and Styling: Forget Notion's limited fonts and colors. You get access to custom CSS, unique layouts, and professionally designed templates.

• Advanced SEO Controls: Gain control over your meta titles, descriptions, and site structure to actually rank on search engines.

• Built-in Analytics: Track visitors and see how your site is performing without having to mess with complex Google Analytics setups.

• Password-Protected Pages: Easily lock down certain content. This is perfect for client-only areas, private resources, or membership sites.

This extra functionality makes a huge difference. For example, you could create a password-protected portal for a client project, which is impossible with the standard Notion setup. Many of these platforms are also fine-tuned for faster load times, which is a big win for both your visitors and your SEO.

The biggest advantage of a third-party builder is that they specialize. Notion is an amazing all-in-one tool for productivity, but these services are laser-focused on turning your content into a fast, beautiful, and effective website.

Notion Native vs. Third-Party Builders

To make the choice clearer, let's break down what you get with each option. Notion's native feature is simple and free, but dedicated builders offer a much richer feature set for those who need more power and polish.

Ultimately, the best path depends on what you're trying to build and how much control you need over the final product.

Which Path Should You Choose?

Deciding between Notion’s native feature and a third-party tool really comes down to your project's goals. If you just need a simple, public page with a clean URL, the built-in option works perfectly fine and won't cost you anything extra.

But if you're aiming higher—like building a full-blown blog, a marketing site, or a polished portfolio—a third-party builder is almost always the right move. Many are designed specifically to help you create beautiful online showcases. You can find tons of inspiration from other creative portfolio websites to see what’s truly possible.

These builders also give you more flexible ways to integrate your content. Some even let you embed a Notion page directly into an existing website, which opens up even more possibilities. By thinking about your needs for design, security, and performance, you can pick the right tool to bring your Notion-powered site to life.

Breaking Down the Cost of Notion Custom Domains

So, what's this actually going to cost? It's not just about buying a domain name. Notion treats custom domains as a premium feature, so it’s an add-on to one of their paid plans.

First things first: you can't use a custom domain with a free Notion plan. You need to be subscribed to a paid tier like the Plus or Business plan. Once you're on a paid plan, you'll pay an extra fee to connect yourbrand.com to your Notion pages.

The Add-On Fee Explained

Notion charges around $8 per month (when billed annually) for the custom domain add-on. This fee stacks on top of your regular plan subscription.

This pricing puts Notion in a pretty competitive spot. Many website builders charge anywhere from $10 to $30 a month for similar features. If you want a deeper dive into how Notion structures its pricing, there are some great insights on Notion's monetization strategy on YouTube.

While some might balk at another fee, it’s fairly standard for services that bundle everything together.

What Your Fee Covers: That single add-on fee gets you more than just a custom URL. It also covers the hosting for your content, a built-in SSL certificate (that's the "https" that keeps your site secure), and the slick content management that comes from editing directly in Notion.

Comparing the Value

When you put this up against traditional web hosting, the value really starts to show.

A standalone hosting plan can easily run you $5 to $20 per month. An SSL certificate can be an extra cost, and a good content management system (CMS) often has its own subscription. Notion rolls all of that into one, predictable payment.

For a clearer picture of what goes into setting up a site from scratch, checking out the average cost to build a website can be really helpful.

For a solo creator or a small business, this simplified model is a no-brainer. You skip the headache of managing multiple subscriptions and technical setups. It’s a fast, cost-effective way to get a professional-looking site live, turning your Notion workspace into a real web presence without all the usual overhead.

Common Questions About Notion Custom Domains

When you start setting up a Notion custom domain, you’re bound to have a few questions. The whole process touches a few different systems—your domain registrar, Notion itself, and maybe a third-party tool—so hitting a snag or two is completely normal. Let's walk through some of the most common things people ask.

One of the first questions is almost always about subdomains. Can you use something like blog.yourbrand.com instead of a root domain? Absolutely. Both Notion's own feature and third-party builders are set up to handle subdomains just fine. This is great if you already have a main website and just want to bolt on a Notion-powered blog or help center without touching your existing site.

Another big one is speed. Will a website built on Notion feel slow? Notion pages themselves are usually pretty zippy, but they can lag if you load them up with huge databases or a ton of high-res images. This is where third-party builders often shine, since many use advanced caching and content delivery networks (CDNs) to serve your site's content much, much faster.

Can I Have Multiple Custom Domains?

If you're juggling a few different projects, you'll probably wonder about connecting more than one domain. With Notion's built-in add-on, you're limited to connecting one custom domain to one workspace. If your goal is to run several separate websites from different Notion pages, each with its own domain, you'll need to look at a third-party service.

These tools are built for exactly that. They let you manage a whole portfolio of Notion-powered sites from a single dashboard. This is perfect for:

• Agencies that spin up microsites for clients.

• Founders who need separate landing pages for different products.

• Creators who want a personal portfolio and a separate project blog.

Each site links to a different Notion page and gets its own custom settings. It’s a level of flexibility you just can't get with the native option.

Key Insight: Notion's native tool is solid for a single site. But for managing multiple websites, each with its own Notion custom domain, third-party builders are the way to go.

Security and Privacy Concerns

Security is a huge topic. People naturally want to know how safe their public Notion site really is. By default, any Notion page you share on the web is public for anyone to see. That’s fine for a blog, but what if you need to lock down sensitive info?

This is a big limitation of Notion's native features. There’s no built-in password protection for public pages. If you need to restrict access, a third-party tool is your only option. Many of these builders offer real security features like password protection or even limiting access by email domain—a must-have for private client portals or internal team wikis. You can learn more about how to password protect your Notion pages and keep your content safe.

Finally, what happens if Notion goes down? It’s a fair question. If you’re using Notion's direct integration, your site goes down when Notion does. Many of the better third-party builders, however, cache your site. This means that even if Notion has a temporary outage, your website stays up and running for your visitors. It’s a simple feature that adds a huge layer of professionalism and reliability.