You can run a real business on a free yourname.paginato.com address — plenty do. But at some point, a domain of your own becomes the cheapest credibility money can buy. Here is what it changes, and how painless connecting one has become.

What a custom domain actually buys you

• Trust at a glance. warungkopi.com signals commitment in a way no free address can. People type card numbers on domains, not on subdomains of things they don't recognise.
• Memorability. A short domain survives being said out loud — on the phone, on the radio, across a counter.
• Portability. The domain is registered to you. Links you earn, cards you print, rankings you build — they attach to your name and stay yours wherever you host, including if you ever leave.
• A matching email later. hello@yourname.com starts with owning the name.

How to connect one to Paginato

1. Register the domain at any registrar you like — it typically costs about the price of two coffees a year. Register it under your own account; it should always belong to you, not to whoever built your site.
2. Add it in your dashboard on the Starter plan or above, so we know which site the domain belongs to.
3. Point two DNS records at us — your dashboard shows exactly which. This is the only technical step, and it is copy-paste.

Then wait a few minutes. The HTTPS certificate is issued automatically the first time someone opens the domain — there is nothing to buy, install or renew, ever.

When to do it

Our honest advice: not on day one. Launch on the free address, make sure the idea has legs, then attach the domain once printing it somewhere permanent starts to feel likely. Connecting later loses nothing — the free address keeps redirecting to the new name.

Ready for a name of your own? Start your site free, and bring the domain when it matters.