The custom domain is already taken. Except it's not

[andreineculau]

Hi,
I’m faced with a weird situation where Github Pages complains that my domain ysoftware.se is already taken.

The story is that weeks ago I have created a repository, enabled Github Pages with ysoftware.se as a custom domain, worked fine, but realized I should have actually rename a github org instead of creating a new one and moving repos. So I have deleted the github pages repo (uncertain if i removed the custom domain first) and the organization.

Now, whenever I want to enable the custom domain, I get: The custom domain [ysoftware.se](http://ysoftware.se/) is already taken. Check out Troubleshooting custom domains and GitHub Pages - GitHub Docs for more information.

I have verified that ysoftwareab organization owns ysoftware.se and I’ve also verified the domain for github pages. I have even tried to push manually a CNAME file but I get the same error via mail.

Since I own ysoftware.se I can actually set up the A records etc so that github pages serves ysoftware.se, but when I request https://ysoftware.se I only get a 404 page from github . So it’s really pointing into the void, and not to some repository’s actual github pages’ content.

I contacted support last week, got a first reply that my DNS is not set up correctly, but that’s obviously not what the issue at hand is. It has been silent since then. I upgraded my account to Team, not sure if that escalates somehow my ticket, but 🤞.

While waiting for an update from github support, I was wondering if others faced similar issues, and after searching the support community, I see that a handful of people were as unlucky as I am, but it looks like many/all cases have been manually handled by github staff. So here I am pleading my case 🙏

Thanks in advance,
Andrei

[yoannchaudet]

Hello,

I just saw your support ticket and we may have an idea as to why the domain was not released how it should have.

An engineering on the team released the domain manually. Let us know if you still face issues.

[awangga]

@yoannchaudet i have same issue. my subdomain hijack by another people https://github.com/Wowyyyy/iteung.ulbi.ac.id
its a same case in this article : https://medium.com/@jehy/hijacking-domain-using-github-pages-41c80ac57523

i have verified my domain in : https://github.com/iteungweb/ but cannot use or add the domain in the https://github.com/iteungweb/iteungweb.github.io repositori

[kirakoki]

I have the same issue here! Can someone from the engineering team help me solve this ? @yoannchaudet

[5v3n]

My gh-pages website was defaced by an attacker too! I verified my domain in my account, the txt entries show up when checked. Still my website is down since a couple of days & github claims they can't see the txt records (although my account settings clearly say it's verified via that method). Why is it so easy to steal my gh-pages website for a random attacker, but so difficult to get it back?

[missflash]

I have a same issue. My custom domain (missflash.com) was successfully verified, but unknown site was connected.
yoannchaudet

[FANXING-0710]

Thank you for your answer, I've solved it.

[andreineculau]

All green now. As they say in Swedish: tusen tack! = a thousand thanks!
If there’s any detail to share, to keep in mind for next time something like this happens, please do! Maybe I should have done X, then Y, etc. Stuff like this.

[rbeer]

Having the same issue. Added the domain to my personal account, but needed it on an origanization. Removed it from the personal account and added it to the organization, without issues. Both via Settings → Pages.

It does not work when I’m now trying to add the domain directly to a Repository via its Settings → Pages. I have removed the domain from both accounts before, but I’m still getting the error.

[yoannchaudet]

Hello!

Please reach out to the support with the custom domain in question. They will be able to assist you.

[yoannchaudet]

You are very welcome.

In that specific case I believe you hit a bug and contacting support was a great call. Last I checked it was still being investigated (some event remained in a queue instead of being processed, hence the absence of release on the custom domain).

[rbeer]

I already did and they made me aware that I had the domain linked to another repo. I uploaded a CNAME file 3 years ago and wasn’t aware back then that doing so links the domain; so I forgot about it.

[jrtib]

Just saw this thread and I'm currently having the same issue. I only have 1 repo that I've ever used this custom domain for but took the site down for maintenance. When I tried to re-publish my site with the custom domain used before only for the 1 repository for my website I have this error stating that the custom domain is already taken.

[kutyel]

I'm having the same issue as well, even after I deleted my whole kutyel.github.io repo (the one using previously the same CNAME file), the domain keeps getting rejected even when I followed the steps in https://docs.github.com/en/pages/configuring-a-custom-domain-for-your-github-pages-site/verifying-your-custom-domain-for-github-pages to verify my domain. Opened a github support ticket and hope they fix it soon 🤞🏻

[jrtib]

I actually discovered that my custom domain had been hijacked by another user before I had verified it with GitHub myself, so basically they were able to confirm it was my custom domain and then released it from the squatter repo to my repo. Once a custom domain is assigned to a repo apparently you get this error if you try to add it to another repo (or at least in my case).

Has your website had any unusual activity recently? I would check for a domain squatter and if there is someone using your custom domain then support will probably be able to release it to you since you mentioned you've already verified it.

[kutyel]

I checked github but could not find any other repo using my domain in a CNAME file, so hope support will be able to fix it 😬

[wndxlori]

I'll just add my gripe. Same thing happened to one of my custom domains. I have since verified the domain (personal and org), but it takes 7 days (?!?!?!?!) for the domain to be released? That's some serious BS process. Seconds to steal, a week to recover. Anyway, I submitted a ticket, to see if I can't get someone to fix it sooner.

[wndxlori]

Support responded, and I have my domain back again. What a PITA.