A domain name locked to a cloud server, illustrating a domain stuck with a hosting provider.

Infrastructure

Netlify users report stuck domains

TL;DR: A Netlify user reported their custom domain remains locked by the platform even after being removed from their project. This prevents them from connecting the domain to a new hosting provider, indicating a potential backend issue where domains are not being fully released from Netlify's system.

By Ashish KaleNetlify Communityjust now1 min readupdated 3h ago

Source

Key facts

Category: Infrastructure
Impact: Low
Published: just now
Source: Netlify Community

Full summary

A user reports their custom domain is still claimed by Netlify after removal, preventing them from migrating it to a new host.

A user on the Netlify Community forum reported an issue where a custom domain remains locked by the platform's backend systems after being removed from a project. The user followed the standard procedure to detach the domain from their site via the Netlify dashboard. However, when attempting to connect the domain to a new hosting service, an error message indicated it was still claimed by Netlify. This suggests a discrepancy between the user-facing dashboard and the underlying infrastructure that manages domain configurations. The user also noted a delay of over 24 hours in receiving a response from Netlify support, compounding the difficulty in resolving the time-sensitive problem.

This situation is significant for developers and businesses that rely on Netlify for hosting. The inability to quickly and cleanly release a domain can disrupt migration plans, delay project launches, and potentially cause service downtime. It creates a form of unintentional platform lock-in, where users cannot freely move their digital assets to other services. For CTOs and IT teams, this highlights a potential operational risk in the domain management lifecycle on the platform. The delayed support response further complicates the issue, leaving users without a clear or timely path to resolution for a problem that directly impacts their online presence.

Why it matters

This issue highlights a potential flaw in Netlify's domain management system, where removing a domain from the UI doesn't guarantee its release from the backend. It can cause significant migration delays and service interruptions for developers and businesses trying to move their web properties.

Business impact

Businesses relying on Netlify face operational risks if they cannot quickly migrate domains to other services. This can delay product launches, disrupt services, and lead to a frustrating user experience, effectively creating a temporary, unintentional platform lock-in that impacts business agility.