I am attempting to point a custom domain purchased via GoDaddy to a Next.js application hosted on Vercel. Despite following the recommended configurations and waiting for propagation, the domain fails to resolve.
Steps Taken
1. A & CNAME Method
I initially removed existing DNS records on GoDaddy and added the following as suggested by the Vercel dashboard:
A Record: @ → 76.76.21.21
CNAME Record: www → cname.vercel-dns.com
(I also tried an alternative set of values provided in a tutorial: 216.198.79.1 and a specific hash-based Vercel CNAME, but neither worked).
2. Nameserver Method
When the A/CNAME records failed to propagate, I attempted to switch the nameservers on GoDaddy to:
ns1.vercel-dns.com
ns2.vercel-dns.com
(This actually was my first approach).
The Issue
In both scenarios, I waited over 48 hours for changes to take effect. However, the Vercel dashboard still shows:
Error: Invalid Configuration or Waiting for DNS
The site is unreachable.
Debugging Performed
Checked DNSChecker.org for both A and CNAME records; the results consistently show Not Found or old records for most global nodes.
Verified that there are no conflicting Parked records or Forwarding settings active on the GoDaddy panel.
Contacted GoDaddy Support: I reached out to GoDaddy support directly; they confirmed the configuration was correct on their end and stated changes would reflect within 48 hours. It has now been 4 days since that confirmation, and the records still have not updated.
Questions
Is there a specific “Order of Operations” when switching from GoDaddy’s default DNS to Vercel’s nameservers that I might be missing?
Could GoDaddy’s Premium DNS or DNSSEC settings (if enabled) prevent these records from updating?
Are there any known issues with Vercel’s 76.76.21.21 IP being blocked or requiring specific TTL settings on GoDaddy?
Current setup given in the pictures below, since I am no longer using 76.76.21.21:
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, thank you for the reply. I actually have tried both of the solutions you suggested as you can also see in the pictures given at the end of the description that A and CNAME records from Vercel are matching. Now just to prove that it doesn’t work with nameservers either I changed the nameservers on godaddy to
Hello again Anshuman, as I said I now changed the nameservers to given nameservers for my app by Vercel as can be seen in the images attached. It hasn’t been 48 hours yet but as you can also confirm no change happend on https://dnschecker.org/#A/hemklart.se either. Just like before
Since no change has been made I swiched back to GoDaddy’s own nameservers and talked with their support. Now I have corrected DNS records but the issue still persists
Hi @turhanergene, I’m sad to hear this didn’t work out. I would urge you to ask GoDaddy about these NS records which can’t be deleted. I’m sure they’ll have some answer because there’s nothing Vercel can do unless the DNS records propagate.
