Buy an App Service domain and configure an app with it

App Service domains are custom domains that are managed directly in Azure. They make it easy to manage custom domains for Azure App Service. This article shows you how to buy an App Service domain and configure an App Service app with it.

Prerequisites

Note

Some subscriptions types would be required to have sufficient history on Azure prior to creating an App Service Domain. Free trial and credit based subscriptions are not eligible to create an App Service Domain.

Buy and map an App Service domain

For pricing information on App Service domains, visit the App Service Pricing page and scroll down to App Service Domain.

  1. In the Azure portal, navigate to your app's management page.

  2. In the left menu for your app, select Custom domains.

  3. Select Buy App Service domain.

    A screenshot showing how to open the App Service domain wizard.

    Note

    You can also create an App Service domain independently from an app by going to the App Service Domains view and select Add, or navigating to the create page directly. But since it's independent from your app, you won't be able to assign hostnames like www to your app as if you launch it from your app's Custom domains page.

  4. In the Basics tab, configure the settings using the following table:

    Setting Description
    Subscription The subscription to use to buy the domain.
    Resource Group The resource group to put the domain in. For example, the resource group your app is in.
    Domain Type the domain you want. For example, contoso.com. If the domain you want isn't available, you can select from a list of suggestions of available domains, or try a different domain.

    Note

    The following top-level domains are supported by App Service domains: com, net, co.uk, org, nl, in, biz, org.uk, and co.in.

  5. Select Next: Contact information and supply your information as required by ICANN for the domain registration.

    It's important that you fill out all required fields with as much accuracy as possible. Incorrect data for contact information can result in failure to buy the domain.

  6. Select Next: Hostname assignment and verify the default hostnames to map to your app:

    Hostname Description
    root(@) The root or apex subdomain. If you buy the contoso.com domain, then it's the root domain. Select No if you don't want to map it to your app.
    'www' subdomain If you buy the contoso.com domain, the www subdomain would be www.contoso.com. Select No if you don't want to map it to your app.

    Note

    If you didn't launch the App Service domain wizard from an app's Custom domains page, you won't see this tab. You can still add them later by following the steps at Map a hostname manually.

  7. Select Next: Advanced and configure the optional settings:

    Setting Description
    Auto renewal Your App Service domain is registered to you at one-year increments. Enable auto renewal so that your domain registration doesn't expire and that you retain ownership of the domain. Your Azure subscription is automatically charged the yearly domain registration fee at the time of renewal. If you leave it disabled, you must renew it manually.
    Privacy protection Enabled by default. Privacy protection hides your domain registration contact information from the WHOIS database. Privacy protection is already included in the yearly domain registration fee. To opt out, select Disable.
  8. Select Next: Tags and set the tags you want for your App Service domain. Tagging isn't required for using App Service domains, but is a feature in Azure that helps you manage your resources.

  9. Select Next: Review + create and review your domain order. When finished, select Create.

    Note

    App Service Domains use GoDaddy for domain registration and Azure DNS to host the domains. In addition to the yearly domain registration fee, usage charges for Azure DNS apply. For information, see Azure DNS Pricing.

  10. When the domain registration is complete, you see a Go to resource button. Select it to see its management page.

    A screenshot showing App Service domain creation completed.

You're now ready to assign an App Service app to this custom domain.

Note

Some subscriptions types would be required to have sufficient history on Azure prior to creating an App Service Domain. Free trial and credit based subscriptions are not eligible to create an App Service Domain.

Map a hostname manually

If launched from an app's Custom domains page, the App Service domain wizard already lets you map the root domain (like contoso.com) and the www subdomain (like www.contoso.com) to your app. You can map any other subdomain to your app, like shoppingcart (as in shoppingcart.contoso.com).

  1. In the Azure portal, navigate to your app's management page.

  2. In the left menu for your app, select Custom domains.

  3. Select Add custom domain.

    A screenshot showing how to open the Add custom domain dialog.

  4. For Domain provider, select App Service Domain.

  5. For TLS/SSL certificate, select App Service Managed Certificate if your app is in Basic tier or higher. If you want to remain in Shared tier, or if you want to use your own certificate, select Add certificate later.

  6. For TLS/SSL type, select the binding type you want.

    Setting Description
    Custom domain The domain name to add the TLS/SSL binding for.
    Private Certificate Thumbprint The certificate to bind.
    TLS/SSL Type - SNI SSL: Multiple SNI SSL bindings may be added. This option allows multiple TLS/SSL certificates to secure multiple domains on the same IP address. Most modern browsers (including Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, and Opera) support SNI (for more information, see Server Name Indication).
    - IP SSL: Only one IP SSL binding may be added. This option allows only one TLS/SSL certificate to secure a dedicated public IP address. After you configure the binding, follow the steps in 2. Remap records for IP based SSL.
    IP SSL is supported only in Standard tier or above.
  7. In App Service Domain, select an App Service domain in your subscription.

    Note

    To map from an App Service domain in a different subscription, see Map an externally purchased domain. In this case, Azure DNS is the external domain provider, and you need to add the required DNS records manually.

  8. In Domain type, configure the domain type you want to map:

    Domain type Description
    Root domain The root or apex subdomain. If you buy the contoso.com domain, then it's the root domain.
    Subdomain In the Subdomain textbox, specify a subdomain like www or shoppingcart.
  9. Select Add.

    A screenshot showing how to map an App Service domain in the Add custom domain dialog.

  10. You should see the custom domain added to the list. You may also see a red X with No binding.

    If you selected App Service Managed Certificate earlier, wait a few minutes for App Service to create the managed certificate for your custom domain. When the process is complete, the red X becomes a green check mark with Secured. If you selected Add certificate later, this red X will remain until you add a private certificate for the domain and configure the binding.

    A screenshot showing the custom domains page with the new secured custom domain.

    Note

    Unless you configure a certificate binding for your custom domain, Any HTTPS request from a browser to the domain will receive an error or warning, depending on the browser.

  11. Test the mapping by navigating to it (like shoppingcart.contoso.com) in the browser.

Renew the domain

The App Service domain you bought is valid for one year from the time of purchase. You can configure to renew your domain automatically, which will charge your payment method when your domain renews the following year. You can also manually renew your domain name up to 90 days ahead of domain expiration.

Note

For .nl domains, you can only manually renew the domain starting 90 days ahead of domain expiration and up to the 20th of the month before the expiration date. You will not be able to renew the domain after this period even if the domain has not yet expired.

If you want to configure automatic renewal, or if you want to manually renew your domain, follow the steps here.

  1. In the search bar, search for and select App Service Domains.

    A screenshot showing how to open the App Service domain view.

  2. Select the domain you want to configure.

  3. From the left navigation of the domain, select Domain renewal. To start renewing your domain automatically, select On, otherwise select Off. The setting takes effect immediately. If automatic renewal is enabled, on the day after your domain expiration date, Azure attempts to bill you for the domain name renewal.

    Screenshot that shows the option to automatically renew your domain.

    Note

    When navigating away from the page, disregard the "Your unsaved edits will be discarded" error by selecting OK.

To manually renew your domain, select Renew domain. However, this button isn't active until 90 days before the domain's expiration date.

If your domain renewal is successful, you receive an email notification within 24 hours.

Manage custom DNS records

In Azure, DNS records for an App Service Domain are managed using Azure DNS. You can add, remove, and update DNS records, just like for an externally purchased domain. To manage custom DNS records:

  1. In the search bar, search for and select App Service Domains.

    A screenshot showing how to open the App Service domain view in the manage custom DNS records section.

  2. Select the domain you want to configure.

  3. From the Overview page, select Manage DNS records.

    Screenshot that shows where to access the DNS records.

For information on how to edit DNS records, see How to manage DNS Zones in the Azure portal.

Update contact information

After you purchase the App Service Domain, you can still update the domain contact information if needed. It is important to keep this contact information up to date so that you can receive notifications about your domain and receive verification emails if you decide to transfer out your domain. To update your contact information:

  1. In the search bar, search for and select App Service Domains.

    A screenshot showing how to open the App Service domain view.

  2. Select the domain you want to configure.

  3. From the left navigation of the domain, select Advance domain management (preview). To update your contact information, click on Edit contact.

    Screenshot showing where to update contact information for a purchased domain.

  4. A rightside plane will pop up and you will need to update the necessary fields then click on Submit.

  5. Once you submit the request, it might take some time for your contact information to update.

    Note

    If you have Privacy disabled and have updated the name or organization information, an email verification will be sent to the email address on file for confirmation. Additionally, if you updated your email address, a verification email will be sent first to the previous email on file for confirmation, and once that is completed, another email would be sent to the new email on file for confirmation. The contact information will not update until after you have confirmed via email.

Disable privacy protection

Important

Once you disable privacy protection, you can no longer re-enable privacy protection again.

Privacy protection hides your domain registration contact information from the WHOIS database. If opted-in during domain creation, privacy protection is already included in the yearly domain registration fee for no additional cost. However, there are some scenarios, such as transfering domain out, where you would need to Disable privacy protection, you can do that by:

  1. In the search bar, search for and select App Service Domains.

    A screenshot showing how to open the App Service domain view.

  2. Select the domain you want to configure.

  3. From the left navigation of the domain, select Advance domain management (preview). To disable privacy protection, click on Disable in the Domain Privacy section.

    Screenshot showing where to disable privacy for a purchased domain.

Cancel purchase (delete domain)

After you purchase the App Service Domain, you have five days to cancel your purchase for a full refund. After five days, you can delete the App Service Domain, but can't receive a refund.

  1. In the search bar, search for and select App Service Domains.

    A screenshot showing how to open the App Service domain view in the manage custom DNS records section.

  2. Select the domain you want to configure.

  3. In the domain's left navigation, select Locks.

    A delete lock has been created for your domain. As long as a delete lock exists, you can't delete the App Service domain.

  4. Select Delete to remove the lock.

  5. In the domain's left navigation, select Overview.

  6. If the cancellation period on the purchased domain hasn't elapsed, select Cancel purchase. Otherwise, you see a Delete button instead. To delete the domain without a refund, select Delete.

    Screenshot that shows where to delete or cancel a purchased domain.

  7. Confirm the operation by selecting Yes.

    After the operation is complete, the domain is released from your subscription and available for anyone to purchase again.

Frequently asked questions

Why do I see "This subscription does not have the billing support to purchase an App Service domain"?

Free subscriptions, which don't require a confirmed credit card, do not have the permissions to buy App Service domains in Azure.

Why do I get a SubscriptionExceededMaxDomainLimit error when creating an App Service domain?

The number of App Service domains a subscription can have depends on the subscription type. Subscriptions that have a monthly credit allotment, like Visual Studio Enterprise Subscription, have a limit of 1 App Service domain. To increase your limit, convert to a pay-per-use subscription.

How do I direct the default URL to a custom directory?

This is not a DNS resolution scenario. By default, App Service directs web requests to the root directory of your app code. To direct them to a subdirectory, such as public, see Redirect to a custom directory.

Next steps

Learn how to bind a custom TLS/SSL certificate to App Service.