# Custom Domain name issue "forum does not exist"

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/custom-domain-name-issue-forum-does-not-exist/279282
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [September 17, 2023, 8:29am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/custom-domain-name-issue-forum-does-not-exist/279282 "2023-09-17T08:29:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 2

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### Author: ![JammyDodger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/jammydodger/32/254611_2.png) [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [September 17, 2023, 8:41am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/custom-domain-name-issue-forum-does-not-exist/279282/2 "2023-09-17T08:41:33Z")

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I think if you want to use an apex/root domain rather than a subdomain for this (eg. community.aidojo.world) then you’d need a DNS provider that supports it.

There’s some special instructions here that may be useful:

> [@Configure your hosted Discourse site to run at the root or apex domain (e.g. example.com)](https://meta.discourse.org/t/configure-your-hosted-discourse-site-to-run-at-the-root-or-apex-domain-e-g-example-com/60951):
>
> Most hosted discourse instances are on a subdomain: forum.example.com talk.example.com www.example.com This is our general recommendation in almost all cases, and it works great. However, if you wish to use a root domain or apex domain for your hosted discourse, like so example.com this turns out to be surprisingly difficult in a hosting scenario, due to the vagaries of how DNS works. thinking It is possible, however, you must use a DNS provider that specifically supports it! DNS pro…

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