Starting April 14, 2020, sites without a custom domain are being moved from site-name.netlify.com to site-name.netlify.app . New websites will also have URLs ending with netlify.app by default. Custom domains set on old, or new, sites will behave in the same way as before!

It’s important to note all of your existing sites will continue to operate properly using their current URLs.

Why? We’re investing in the security and stability of our infrastructure, and this step helps in our efforts to enhance those.

There’s no action required on your part , but we wanted to inform you well ahead of the change in case you have any questions. Additional details are provided below if you’d like to read more. Thanks for being part of the Netlify community!

Will my current sites continue to work?

Absolutely. Any sites already deployed to site-name.netlify.com will continue to operate, just as they do now. Traffic to any site-name.netlify.com address will be forwarded to site-name.netlify.app seamlessly and automatically, using an HTTP 301 redirect. (This tells browsers and search engines that the site has moved, so they know the new location.)

Importantly, we have no plans to ever stop forwarding netlify.com addresses or force a migration. We understand your established domain names and inbound links to your site are important to you. After the update, links to your sites will continue to work, just as they do now. The only change will be that netlify.app will display in the URL bar, whether visitors click on a link or type your site name in directly.

Will this impact my SEO?

No. Forwarding traffic to a new domain extension using a 301 redirect is a proven technique that search engines are well aware of. Your inbound links will not be affected. Your search engine rankings will not be affected.

What if I have a custom domain?

There will be minimal impact to sites with custom domains, and almost certainly no need to update your DNS records. This is true whether you purchased a domain through us or brought it with you from another provider.

Will my site take longer to load?

It takes just a couple of milliseconds to direct a .com URL to .app . Your users will not perceive any additional load time. And since browsers cache 301 redirects locally, there will be no speed impact for page loads after the first connection.

What about HTTPS?

We’re doing our part for a more secure web. Every Netlify site deployed uses a free certificate from Let’s Encrypt. Your certificates will continue to work and your sites will continue to be encrypted with no action required.

Do I need to update my site or application?

In most cases, no. This change is very unlikely to impact the way your application functions, as all requests will automatically be forwarded to netlify.app on your behalf.

What about new sites?

Any site you deploy after April 14, 2020 will receive a shiny new .app URL that you’ll see displayed in the Netlify dashboard. However, for simplicity’s sake, even new sites will be forwarded to the right place should anyone mistakenly type the netlify.com domain. We want things to be as simple and seamless as possible.

What if I use a proxy in front of Netlify?

Since Netlify operates as a global CDN, we don’t encourage customers to use proxies or services like CloudFlare in front of Netlify. Using a non-Netlify proxy isn’t a configuration we officially support. (For more details, read the community post ‘why not proxy to Netlify.’) If you do need to use a third-party proxy, you will want to carefully test your application after the migration. Some proxies expect content returned and won’t be successful navigating the 301 redirect.

What if I have questions or concerns?

Let us know in the thread below and we’ll be happy to talk through them with you