Domain Connect protocol

Domain Connect is an open standard (from the Domain Connect community, IETF-track but informal) that lets SaaS apps configure DNS at a customer's DNS provider through a redirect flow, instead of asking the customer to manually copy records.

The customer clicks "connect my domain" in your app. They get redirected to their DNS provider (GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Namecheap, etc.), log in if they're not already, see a screen that says "Foo SaaS wants to add these records to example.com," click approve, and they're back at your app with DNS configured. No DNS panel, no copy-pasting.

The win is enormous: a 6-step manual process turns into 2 clicks.

How it works (the simple sync flow)

1. Your SaaS publishes a Domain Connect template at a public URL. The template lists the DNS records you want added: _acme-challenge TXT for ACME validation, www CNAME pointing at your edge, an apex ALIAS or A record, etc.
2. Customer enters their domain in your UI.
3. You query their DNS provider's well-known endpoint: https://_domainconnect.<their-domain> (TXT record) or https://<dns-provider>/.well-known/domainconnect.
4. You get back the DNS provider's apiUrl and signing requirements.
5. You generate a sync redirect URL containing the template ID, variable values (subdomains, IPs), and a return URL.
6. Customer clicks, lands at DNS provider, approves, returns to your app.
7. The records are live within the provider's TTL.

How it works (the async/OAuth flow)

For deeper integrations, Domain Connect supports OAuth-style consent so your app can keep applying changes without user interaction (e.g., if you need to renew DKIM keys later). User approves once; you get a token; you push DNS changes via API.

Who supports it

GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Network Solutions, IONOS (1&1), 123-reg, Wix, Squarespace, and a handful of smaller providers. Notable gaps: Namecheap doesn't support it natively, Google Domains never did before Squarespace bought them, AWS Route53 doesn't.

So as of 2026, Domain Connect covers maybe 40-50% of your customer base depending on segment. The other 50% still need manual DNS instructions.

In a custom-domain SaaS

The flow your customer sees should be:

1. Detect their DNS provider via NS lookup.
2. If supported: trigger the Domain Connect flow.
3. If not supported: fall back to "here are the records, copy these to your DNS panel."

Build the manual flow first. Add Domain Connect as an enhancement for the providers that cover the biggest chunk of your audience (GoDaddy + Cloudflare = ~30% of all domains, so those two alone are worth implementing).