If you've recently updated your custom domain and are running into an unfamiliar error message, this article will walk you through how to resolve the error and get your domain up and running into no time.
Error Messages
Below, you will find a list of possible error messages. Choose the error message that you're seeing from the list to navigate to the related troubleshooting steps!
Browser errors:
Podia dashboard errors:
Error 525 Handshake
This error can usually be fixed by removing your domain and connecting it again.
Here’s how:
From the Admin dashboard, click Settings > Domain in the sidebar menu.
Click Remove next to your domain.
Click Remove in the Remove domain popover to confirm.
Click Connect domain and follow the steps in the Entri window to connect your domain again.
When your domain shows as Connected, open it in your browser to check that it’s live. If you still see the error, reach out to us.
ERR_SSL_VERSION_OR_CIPHER_MISMATCH
This error usually means there’s a problem with your domain connection or your SSL setup. Work through these checks in order.
Step 1: Checking your domain’s status
From the Admin dashboard, click Settings > Domain in the sidebar menu, then look at the Custom domain area.
Your domain isn’t listed: click Connect domain and follow the steps in the Entri window to connect it. Podia will issue a new SSL certificate once the domain connects.
Your domain shows Connecting or Checking domain: wait for the status to change to Connected. This can take up to 48 hours.
Your domain shows Connected: move on to the next check.
Step 2: Checking your CNAME record
A missing or incorrect CNAME record is the most common cause of SSL errors, even when your domain shows as Connected. When you connect through Entri, Entri adds this record for you.
If you’ve edited your DNS settings since then, or you added the record yourself, sign in to your domain provider and confirm there’s a CNAME record with these values:
Name:
www, or your subdomain, such ascoursesPoints to / Value:
sites.podia.com
If the record is missing, add it. If it points to your own Podia subdomain, such as myschool.podia.com, change it to sites.podia.com. DNS changes can take 24 to 48 hours to take effect.
If you’d rather not edit the record yourself, remove your domain and connect it again with Connect domain. Entri will add the correct record for you.
Step 3: Adding CAA records
If your domain is connected and your CNAME record points to sites.podia.com, your DNS settings may be blocking SSL certificates. Add these three CAA records in your domain provider’s DNS settings. [VERIFY]
0 issue "pki.goog"0 issue "digicert.com"0 issue "letsencrypt.org"
Try adding the values with quotes first, such as "digicert.com". Some domain providers don’t accept quotes, so remove them if the record won’t save. DNS changes can take some time to take effect.
CAA records block issuance
FThis message means your DNS settings don’t allow Podia’s SSL providers to issue a certificate for your domain. To fix it, add three CAA records in your domain provider’s DNS settings:
0 issue "pki.goog"0 issue "digicert.com"0 issue "letsencrypt.org"
Try the values with quotes first. If the record won’t save, or the error doesn’t go away after you save it, try again without the quotes. Whether quotes are needed depends on your domain provider.
"Something went wrong"
📌 This section applies only to creators who have a custom domain connected. If the URL showing the error ends in .podia.com (e.g., yourname.podia.com), this is your native Podia subdomain — DNS configuration is not the cause, and the steps below will not help. Please contact support instead.
The most common reason for this error is that the DNS settings are pointing to your personalized Podia subdomain instead of the generic value it needs to be pointed toward.
The generic value you will use is sites.podia.com
Example:
🚫 myschool.podia.com
🚫 mysubdomain.podia.com
🚫 marketingcourses.podia.com
✅ sites.podia.com
To fix it, remove your domain and connect it again with Connect domain. Entri will add the correct record for you. If you’re adding the records yourself, enter the exact records Entri generated for your domain registrar.
Other issues
If you’re seeing an error that isn’t listed here, or your domain still isn’t working, reach out to us. Include a screenshot of the error and of your DNS settings so our team can take a closer look.
FAQs
Why is my Podia subdomain giving an SSL Mismatch error?
Why is my Podia subdomain giving an SSL Mismatch error?
Make sure your address doesn’t use www together with your Podia subdomain, such as www.mysite.podia.com.
An address can’t use two subdomains like this, so remove the www: mysite.podia.com.
I've received an email from my domain registrar about an issue with my SSL certificate. What do I do?
I've received an email from my domain registrar about an issue with my SSL certificate. What do I do?
Why do some links on my site still go to my Podia subdomain after connecting a custom domain?
Why do some links on my site still go to my Podia subdomain after connecting a custom domain?
Your header links do not automatically update when you connect a custom domain. If those links were originally created using your Podia subdomain, they'll continue directing visitors there until they're updated.
To fix this, update the affected header links to use your custom domain or recreate them using Advanced Links. Advanced Links connect directly to pages on your site and will continue working even if URLs change in the future.