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Claim Your Free Developer Domain with is-a.dev

· 4 min read
Animesh Kotka
Animesh Kotka
Full Stack Blockchian Developer

In today’s tech-driven world, having a personal domain sets you apart as a developer. Whether you're showcasing a portfolio, hosting projects, or sharing your blog, is-a.dev offers a free, professional subdomain tailored specifically for developers.

This guide will walk you through the steps to claim your is-a.dev subdomain effortlessly.

Why Choose is-a.dev?​

is-a.dev provides free subdomains to developers who want to establish an online presence. It's part of the .dev domain family, known for its Google-backed security and HTTPS enforcement by default.

Key benefits:​

  • Professionalism: Perfect for portfolios and technical projects.
  • Free for Life: No hidden costs.
  • Easy Integration: Works seamlessly with platforms like GitHub Pages, Netlify, or Vercel.

How to Get Your is-a.dev Domain​

Follow these three simple steps to set up your is-a.dev domain:

1. Setting up the Repository​

First, visit the is-a-dev/register repository on GitHub. If you don't already have a GitHub account, sign up here.

Here’s what to do next:

  1. Fork and Clone the Register Repository:
  • On top corner, you will see fork option button.
  • By clicking it, we will create a fork for the register repo. forked
  • Once forked, you can clone the repo by https/ssh.
note

If want to know more about how to handle multiple ssh key for git, checkout out my blog here

2. Creating the JSON File​

  1. Navigate to the domains folder:

    • In the repository, go to the domains/ folder.
    • Click the Add file button and select Create new file.

  2. Name the JSON File:

    • Name the file after the subdomain you want.
    • Example: If you want john-doe.is-a.dev, name your file john-doe.json.

    Naming Requirements:

    • Must be 2–63 characters long.
    • Only dashes (-) are allowed; no underscores (_).
    • Use standard English characters.
      animesh-kotka

After naming your file you need to put the JSON content into it, here is an example JSON structure:

  1. Add the JSON Content:
    Use this template for your JSON file:

    {
     "description": "Describe the use of this subdomain",
     "repo": "https://github.com/github-username/github-repository",
     "owner": {
         "username": "github-username",
         "email": "[email protected]"
         },
     "record": {
         "CNAME": "github-username.github.io"
         }
     }
    • Replace your-github-username with your GitHub username.
    • For RECORDTYPE set it to what you require for your use. You can see the records, in this case I am using my GitHub Page. In your case, you use s3 static hosting url as well.

3. Create your pull request:​

Now you should be greeted with a screen which looks like this:

PR Link

All you need to do here is fill out the requirements and place an x between the [ ] (so it looks like [x]) for each requirement you meet. Please make sure you meet all the requirements before creating the pull request.

Once you have filled out the requirements you can then click the Create pull request button and you're done!

4. Wait for Approval​

Your pull request will now be reviewed by the maintainers.

  • Typical wait time: 12-24 hours (sometimes longer).
  • Keep an eye on your PR in case maintainers request changes.

Once merged, your is-a.dev subdomain will be live and ready to use!

Issues with GitHub Pages​

  • After the pull request is merged, you may see a 404 error on subdomain.is-a.dev or the wrong site. To fix this, go to your GitHub pages repository's Settings > GitHub pages > Custom Domain and add subdomain.is-a.dev in the given field. Only do this after your pull request is merged.
  • Check the Enforce HTTPS checkbox below the custom domain input.
  • Wait some time and your site should be live!