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This guide explains how to configure a custom domain in GoDaddy to work with ngrok.
GoDaddy does not support CNAMEs as apex records. An apex record is a DNS record at the root (or apex) of a DNS zone. For example, in the DNS zone example.com, an apex record also has the fully qualified name example.com (this is sometimes called a naked domain). By convention, the relative name @ is used to represent apex records.

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What you’ll need

  • A custom domain added in ngrok with a subdomain (for example, myapp.example.com). GoDaddy requires a subdomain because it does not support CNAMEs as apex records.
  • A GoDaddy account with a domain.

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1. Find your reserved domain in ngrok

In your ngrok dashboard, go to Domains and click the domain you want to use. Click DNS Targets. This provides you with the relevant CNAME values to use in later steps.

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2. Add a CNAME record

Open the DNS management page for your domain in GoDaddy and add a new CNAME record. GoDaddy’s Add a CNAME record guide covers where to find these controls in their DNS panel. Use the values from ngrok for the record:
  • Host (or Name): the subdomain you want to use (for example, www if your domain in ngrok is www.example.com).
  • Points to (or Value): the CNAME target provided by ngrok (for example, ptenvq2ejdlptgyr.5mql8tts8aeqxhrtv.ngrok-cname.com).
Leave the TTL at its default and save the record.

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3. Verify DNS status in ngrok

Once you’ve configured the DNS records in GoDaddy, return to the ngrok dashboard and click the Check Status button on the bottom of the DNS Details page. It may take a few minutes to an hour for the DNS records to propagate. ngrok will continue to check at a regular interval. Once you see a green checkmark, your domain is configured. To use your new domain in the ngrok agent, add --url your.domain.com to the end of any command. For example: ngrok http 80 --url your.domain.com.