How to reclaim a deleted .vercel.app domain on the same Vercel account

I have a project called risk-calculator. I previously deleted the project from Vercel, It had the domain: https://risk-calculator-nu.vercel.app/

Problem

I re-uploaded the project with the SAME ACCOUNT and now it has a new domain but I need to use that old domain and it’s very important. When I try adding the old domain in the Domains page, I get the following output:

Current Behavior

Clicking Verify & Claim renders the red error:

Error: TXT record not found: The verification TXT record was not found. Please add the record shown above to your DNS configuration and wait a few minutes for it to propagate before trying again.

  • I only deployed the project on Vercel, not another platform.
  • I don’t have another account, I only use one.

The domain troubleshooting guide can help with most custom domain configuration issues. You might be able to use that guide to solve it before a human is available to help you. Then you can come back here and share the answer for bonus points.

You can also use v0 to narrow down the possibilities.

Hi @coolnewsguy, welcome to the Vercel Community!

The .vercel.app domains from a deleted project are released back in the pool.

I tried adding a similar domain using the Add Existing method and didn’t get this error. Are you using the Add Existing button on the Domains settings?

Yes, I’m using the Add Existing button on the Domains but still the same error.
I even tried editing it in the project page:

It’s important to note I only use a hobby team.

1 Like

Hi @coolnewsguy, thanks for adding more information. I’m discussing with our why this is the case. I’ll update here when I have some new details. For now, please use an alternate domain.

Hi @coolnewsguy, it looks like my suspicion was correct and this domain has been taken up by a team that you’re not part of. I recommend using another domain from Vercel or purchasing a new one so you can transfer it between projects.

Solution summary

The fix is to choose a different domain name, as .vercel.app domains from deleted projects are released back into the public pool and can be claimed by other users. If another team has already claimed the domain, it cannot be recovered by the original owner through the dashboard; using a custom domain is recommended for permanent ownership and transferability.