A free custom domain for GitHub Pages
GitHub Pages hosts your site free at username.github.io. A custom domain usually means buying one. With Namestead you can give the site a name like yourname.portfilio.live instead, free.
Your two options
| Way | What visitors see | Who can use it |
|---|---|---|
| Redirect | They type your name and land on username.github.io | Everyone, from the first sign-in |
| Direct DNS (CNAME) | Your name stays in the address bar; GitHub serves the site on it | Resolver tier and up |
Today: a redirect to your github.io address
- Sign in on namestead.dev and claim a name.
- Set it to Redirect and paste your site’s address, for example https://username.github.io.
- Save. The name forwards to your site over HTTPS.
At Resolver: connect the name with a CNAME
- In your Namestead dashboard, switch the name to Direct DNS and add a CNAME pointing to username.github.io (your GitHub username, not the repository name).
- In the repository, open Settings → Pages, type your Namestead name under Custom domain and save.
- Once GitHub’s DNS check passes, tick Enforce HTTPS. GitHub issues the certificate.
GitHub’s optional domain verification uses a TXT record at _github-pages-challenge-username in front of your name. You can add it as one of the name’s three TXT records; the site works without it.
How to reach Resolver
Resolver needs 150 Trust Points and a Namestead account at least 7 days old. Connecting a GitHub account with some history is one of the quickest ways to earn points.
Trust Points come from time on Namestead, connecting GitHub (its account age, public repositories and followers count), linking other accounts, keeping a name healthy, helping the project (a domain you asked for going live, an abuse report that was acted on) and contributing money. They have no cash value.
What about js.org?
js.org also gives GitHub Pages sites a free subdomain, through a pull request, if the site is about JavaScript. If your project fits, it’s a good choice. Namestead has no topic rule and no pull request; the comparison guide lists the differences.