How I Connected hiijoshi.in Domain with Vercel DNS
Connecting a custom domain is an important step for making a website professional. A custom domain makes the website easy to remember and builds trust. For my portfolio website, I used the domain hiijoshi.in and managed DNS through Vercel.
While working on the domain setup, I learned an important point: DNS records must be added where the domain nameservers are managed. If nameservers point to Vercel, then DNS records should be added in Vercel, not in the domain seller panel.
Understanding Nameservers
Nameservers decide where DNS is managed. A domain can be purchased from one company, but DNS can be managed somewhere else. In my case, the domain was connected with Vercel nameservers.
That means if I want to add TXT records, CNAME records, or other DNS records, I need to add them inside Vercel DNS settings.
Why I Needed DNS Records
DNS records are used to connect the domain with hosting, verify ownership, and configure services. For example, Google Search Console gives a TXT record to verify domain ownership.
The TXT record usually looks like:
google-site-verification=example-code
This value should be copied from Google Search Console and added as a TXT record in the DNS provider.
Adding TXT Record in Vercel
I opened the Vercel dashboard, went to the domain settings, and added a new DNS record. The record type was TXT, the name was the root domain, and the value was the Google verification code.
After saving the record, I waited for DNS propagation. Sometimes DNS updates work quickly, and sometimes they take more time.
Verifying in Google Search Console
After adding the TXT record, I returned to Google Search Console and clicked verify. Once the DNS record was detected, the domain was verified successfully.
After verification, I submitted my sitemap.xml file. This helped Google discover the important pages of my website.
Common Mistake I Avoided
A common mistake is adding DNS records in the wrong place. If the domain is purchased from one provider but nameservers point to Vercel, then DNS changes in the original domain provider may not work.
Always check the active nameservers first. This saves time and avoids confusion.
What I Learned
This process helped me understand how domains, DNS, nameservers, TXT records, and Google Search Console verification work together. For developers, this is an important skill because most real projects need custom domain setup.
Conclusion
Connecting hiijoshi.in with Vercel DNS made my website more professional. After adding the Google verification TXT record, I verified the domain in Google Search Console and submitted the sitemap. This completed the basic search setup for my site.