Create a Subdomain in NicNames DNS with an A or CNAME Record

Create a separate address such as app.example.com without moving the main website. In NicNames DNS, use an A record when a service gives you an IPv4 address, or a CNAME when it gives you a host name. Preserve existing records, save once, and verify the public answer.

1. Copy the exact destination from the service

Start with the setup instructions from the website, app or hosting service that will use the subdomain. It should tell you both the record type and destination. Use an A record only when it supplies an IPv4 address. Use a CNAME only when it supplies a host name, such as a provider-specific target.

Choose the subdomain label that the service expects—for example, app, docs or status. Do not paste https://, a page path or a port into an A or CNAME destination. If the provider asks for additional TXT verification, keep that as a separate record and follow its exact name and value.

For a provider-specific example, see how a Framer site can use a NicNames subdomain. Always use the current values shown by your own service rather than copying values from a different setup.

2. Confirm where the domain's DNS is active

In NicNames, open ClassicDNS, select the domain and review Name-Servers. If the domain uses NicNames Free Name-Servers, open DNS Records → Manage. If it uses custom nameservers, make the record at the DNS provider named by those servers; editing an inactive NicNames zone will not change the public answer.

Review existing rows for the intended name before adding anything. A CNAME cannot share its name with an A, AAAA, TXT, MX or another CNAME record. If app already exists, identify what uses it before replacing or removing it. A new subdomain normally does not require changes to the root domain, www, MX records or unrelated TXT records.

3. Add either the A record or the CNAME

Choose + Add record in the NicNames DNS table. In Name, enter only the intended subdomain label as shown by the editor, such as app. Keep the displayed TTL unless the service gives a specific reason to change it.

If the provider supplied an IPv4 address, leave Type set to A and enter that exact value in IPv4 address. If it supplied a host name, change Type to CNAME and enter that exact value in Host alias. A CNAME is suitable for a subdomain; do not use one for the bare domain unless a service and DNS provider explicitly support an apex-alias feature.

Check the name, type and destination once more, then save the table once. Avoid creating both an A and CNAME for the same label as a retry.

4. Verify DNS before troubleshooting the application

Use the service's connection or verification screen and compare the detected record with the value you saved. Then open the full subdomain in a browser. DNS can be correct before the website, application or HTTPS certificate is ready, so treat the provider's status separately from the DNS answer.

If the old destination still appears, confirm the authoritative nameservers, the exact subdomain label and the saved record before making another change. TTL controls how long resolvers may cache an answer, so an older result can remain temporarily. Our DNS troubleshooting checklist helps distinguish an incorrect record from a cached response. If the correct record format or destination is unclear, contact NicNames Support before removing existing entries.