> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nxtdev.xyz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Get Started: Claim Your First nxtdev.xyz Subdomain

> Sign in, link your GitHub account, claim a subdomain label, and add your first DNS record. Your nxtdev.xyz subdomain goes live in under two minutes.

This guide walks you through claiming a subdomain under `nxtdev.xyz` and pointing it at a real host. The whole process takes under two minutes.

## Prerequisites

* A GitHub account — required for identity verification before you can claim
* The host you want to point to (a Vercel deployment, a VPS IP address, etc.)

<Steps>
  <Step title="Sign up or sign in">
    Go to [nxtdev.xyz](https://nxtdev.xyz) and create an account or sign in. You can register with your email address or continue directly with GitHub.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Link your GitHub account">
    Before you can claim a subdomain, you must connect a GitHub account for identity verification. Open **Settings** in the dashboard and click **Connect GitHub**. You only need to do this once.

    <Note>
      The claim form on the Domains page stays disabled until GitHub verification is complete. If you signed in with GitHub during registration, this step may already be done.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Claim a subdomain">
    Navigate to **Dashboard > Domains**. In the "Claim a subdomain" card, enter a base label — for example, `alice` — and submit the form. nxtdev.xyz registers `alice.nxtdev.xyz` under your account.

    Label rules:

    * 4–32 characters
    * Lowercase letters, digits, and hyphens only (`a-z`, `0-9`, `-`)
    * Cannot start or end with a hyphen, or contain `--`

    <Tip>
      You can claim up to 2 subdomains on the free tier. The dashboard shows how many you have used next to the claim form.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a DNS record">
    Click **Records** next to your new subdomain to open the DNS editor. Add a record that points to your host.

    Use `@` as the host name to target the apex (`alice.nxtdev.xyz`), or use a relative name like `api` to target `api.alice.nxtdev.xyz`.

    **Vercel deployment (CNAME)**

    ```text theme={null}
    Type:   CNAME
    Host:   @
    Value:  cname.vercel-dns.com
    TTL:    Auto
    ```

    **VPS or dedicated server (A record)**

    ```text theme={null}
    Type:   A
    Host:   @
    Value:  203.0.113.42
    TTL:    60
    ```

    <Warning>
      Private IP ranges (`10.x.x.x`, `192.168.x.x`, `172.16–31.x.x`) are blocked on `A` and `AAAA` records. Use a public IP address.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify propagation">
    After saving the record, click **Check propagation** on the record row. nxtdev.xyz queries public resolvers and shows what they currently return for your record.

    Because the DNS infrastructure runs on Cloudflare, most records are visible globally within 60 seconds.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What's next

Your subdomain is live. Here are a few things you can do from here:

* Add more record types — `MX` for email, `TXT` for SPF/DKIM, `SRV` for game servers
* Read [DNS records](/dns/overview) for the full reference on each record type
* Read [Delegation](/delegation/overview) if you want to point your own nameservers at your subdomain