Bolt.new custom domain: put your site on your own name
Short answer: You can put a Bolt.new site on your own domain without Bolt's paid plan. Export the project from Bolt as a zip, build it once so you have a dist folder, and drop that folder on dropthehassle.com: it goes live on a free HTTPS link right away, no account needed. Then buy a .com there with no DNS settings, or connect a domain you already own with one A record.
You already built it. Now it's live under your name. Bolt can attach a domain on its paid plan. If you'd rather not pay a monthly plan just so a finished site can have a name, here's the other way, in plain steps.
Your AI can publish. It can never spend your money.
Built it with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Cursor, Replit, v0, Windsurf or by hand? Same steps.
Last updated: 30 September 2026. The export path (project title, then Export, then Download) matches Bolt's project files page. The downgrade line is from Bolt's domains page.
First, one thing to know
What Bolt gives you when you export is the project (the recipe). A web host needs the built site: a folder of plain files, usually called dist, that a browser can open. Building takes one or two commands, and you only redo it when you change something.
Step 1. Export from Bolt
- In Bolt, click the project title at the top.
- Choose Export, then Download. You get a .zip file.
- Unzip it (double-click on a Mac; right-click, then Extract All on Windows).
Your environment variables (keys, like the address of your database) are not in the download. If your site uses any, put them in a file called .env in the project folder before you build.
Step 2. Build it once
Look inside the folder.
- Only an
index.html(and maybe images and CSS), nopackage.json? It's already built. Skip to step 3. - There's a
package.json? Then build it:
- Install Node.js from nodejs.org (the "LTS" version).
- Open a terminal in the project folder (the window where you type commands). On a Mac: right-click the folder, then Services, then New Terminal at Folder (or open Terminal, type
cdwith a space, drag the folder in, press Enter). On Windows: open the folder, click the address bar, typecmd, press Enter. - Run these two commands, one at a time:
npm install
npm run buildA dist folder appears. That's what you upload. A zip that still contains dist is accepted: that folder is published.
Using an AI coding tool? In Claude Code, Cursor or Codex you can ask: "Build this project and deploy the dist folder with npx -y dropthehassle deploy. Give me the live link and the claim link."
Step 3. Upload it
- Go to dropthehassle.com and click Upload (free). You do not sign in first.
- Click Drop your folder. The next screen says Drop your folder or .zip. Drop the
distfolder, or a .zip of it. The other control, or browse, picks a folder on your computer. It does not pick a zip. - Your site is live on a free address like
yourname.dropthehassle.app, with HTTPS. No account, no card.
Step 4. Claim it within 7 days
Click Claim this site, enter your email and the 6-digit code we send. Before you claim:
- the claim link works for 7 days, then an unclaimed site is removed;
- search engines are asked not to list the site ("noindex");
- a small bar at the bottom says Made with DropTheHassle and links to Claim this site. Visitors can close it. It also has a Report abuse link;
- the site can be at most 25 MB. After claiming, uploads can be up to 100 MB.
Step 5. Your own domain
- Buy it here: search the name in your dashboard and pay yourself. It's attached to your site automatically: no DNS settings. A .com is EUR 19 a year including VAT in the EU, or USD 19 elsewhere, the same every year.
- Already own one: add one A record at the company where you bought it. That's one line in the domain's settings that says which server your site lives on; the address to use is shown on your screen. HTTPS is set up for you.
Bolt, for comparison, asks for its paid plan plus DNS records at your registrar before a custom domain works. Current terms are on Bolt's domains page.
Good to know
- Refreshes and sub-pages work. When an address isn't a real file, the site serves your
index.html, so/pricingstill opens after a refresh. - Databases and logins stay where they are. We host the pages people see. If your Bolt app uses a database or login service (for example Supabase), that keeps running at its own provider. Add your new domain to its list of allowed login addresses.
- No server code. A site that needs its own server to run (Node, PHP, Python) can't be hosted here.
- Your AI can publish, but it can never spend your money. Buying the domain is your click.
Questions
Can I use a custom domain on Bolt.new for free?
Not inside Bolt: custom domains there need a paid plan. You can export the project, build it once and publish it on DropTheHassle for free, then add a domain. A .com is EUR 19 a year including VAT in the EU, or USD 19 elsewhere, the same every year.
How do I deploy my Bolt.new site to my own domain?
Export the project (project title, Export, Download), build it with npm install and npm run build, drop the dist folder on dropthehassle.com, claim it with your email, then buy a .com or add one A record for a domain you own.
What happens to my Bolt custom domain if I downgrade?
Bolt's domains page says custom domains are only available on paid plans, so after a downgrade you can't publish to your custom domain from Bolt. A site published here doesn't depend on that plan. That is the line on their domains page.
Why is my Bolt site blank after uploading?
Usually you uploaded the project instead of the built dist folder, or your keys were missing when you built. Put them in a .env file, build again and drop the new dist folder.
Does my database or login still work?
Yes, it stays where it is. We host the pages; your database or login service keeps running at its own provider. Add your new domain to its allowed login addresses.
Is the free link permanent?
Once you claim it, yes: the yourname.dropthehassle.app link is free and needs no card. You can rename it later; the old link redirects.