Custom domain was working on GitHub Pages — now suddenly “already taken” / domain were verified

[guillaumelauzier]

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Hi everyone,

I’m running into a confusing issue with GitHub Pages.

I have a custom domain (scenographist.com) that was previously working correctly with my repository. The site was resolving properly and the domain had already been verified in my GitHub account.

Now when I try to use it again, GitHub says that:

• the domain must be verified, or
• the custom domain is already taken

But:

• The domain is verified in my GitHub settings
• It was already working earlier with this repository
• It has not been assigned to any other repo or account
• DNS records are correctly configured (Cloudflare with GitHub Pages A records)

So I’m confused about what could have changed. It seems like the domain is somehow still locked somewhere internally, but there is no visible repository currently using it.

Has anyone experienced a situation where:

• a domain worked previously
• then suddenly GitHub refuses to attach it again
• even though it’s verified and not used elsewhere?

Is there a way to see where GitHub thinks the domain is assigned, or to force release/reset the domain mapping?

Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks!

[DevFoxxx]

Hi @guillaumelauzier,

This is a known issue when using GitHub Pages with Cloudflare, often related to how GitHub’s validation logic interacts with proxied records.

Since your domain is already verified at the account level, you might want to try these specific steps:

• Disable Cloudflare Proxy: Change your DNS records from "Proxied" (Orange Cloud) to "DNS Only" (Grey Cloud). GitHub often fails to "see" the verification or the correct A records if Cloudflare's proxy is active during the initial handshake. You can turn it back on once the domain is successfully attached and the SSL certificate is issued.
• Stale CNAME Records: Double-check that no other repository (or an old branch/fork) still contains a CNAME file pointing to this domain. GitHub's routing table can sometimes hold onto these "ghost" mappings.
• Re-trigger Verification: Even if it shows as verified in your Organization/User settings, try removing and re-adding the domain there. This sometimes forces a refresh of the permissions across the Pages infrastructure.

If the "already taken" error persists after disabling the proxy, it usually indicates a stale entry in GitHub's internal database that only their support team can manually clear.

Hope this helps you resolve the conflict!

[queenofcorgis]

Hey there! 👋

Thanks for posting in the GitHub Community, @guillaumelauzier ! We're happy you're here. You are more likely to get a useful response if you are posting in the applicable category. The Accessibility category is a place for our community to discuss and provide feedback on the digital accessibility of GitHub products. Digital accessibility means that GitHub tools, and technologies, are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them.

I've gone ahead and moved this to the correct category for you, Pages. Good luck!