Introduction
Build a Create React App project, push it to GitHub, deploy to Vercel, and connect your free is-cool-me subdomain — all in under 20 minutes.
What You Will Need
- A GitHub account with a Create React App project pushed to a repository
- An is-cool-me subdomain (free at dash.is-pro.dev)
- A Vercel account (free tier, connect with GitHub)
- 10-15 minutes of free time
Step 1: Push Your React App to GitHub
Initialize a Git repository in your Create React App project, commit all files, create a repository on GitHub, and push your code using git push origin main. Make sure your app builds locally with npm run build before pushing.
Step 2: Import Your Repository into Vercel
Log in to Vercel and click "Add New → Project". Select your GitHub repository. Vercel auto-detects Create React App and pre-fills the build command (npm run build) and output directory (build). Click "Deploy" and wait for the initial build to complete.
Step 3: Add Your is-cool-me Subdomain in Vercel
In your Vercel project dashboard, go to "Settings → Domains". Enter your is-cool-me subdomain (e.g., myapp.is-pro.dev). Vercel will display a CNAME target like cname.vercel-dns.com. Copy this value.
Step 4: Configure DNS in the is-cool-me Dashboard
Go to your is-cool-me dashboard, find your subdomain, and add a CNAME record pointing to the Vercel target. Once saved, Cloudflare provisions a free SSL certificate automatically. Propagation is nearly instant through Cloudflare's network.
Step 5: Verify the Deployment
Visit your subdomain in a browser. You should see your React app loading over HTTPS with a valid certificate. Run Vercel's deployment checks to confirm DNS resolution and SSL are working correctly. If you see a Vercel 404, double-check the CNAME target value.
Troubleshooting
Vercel shows a 404: Your CNAME record may not point to the correct target. Verify the domain settings in Vercel and confirm the DNS record in your is-cool-me dashboard matches exactly.
SSL certificate not provisioning: Cloudflare provisions certificates automatically but may take up to 5 minutes. Ensure your DNS is set to Proxied (orange cloud) in the is-cool-me dashboard.
Blank page after deploy: Check the browser console for errors. Create React App needs the homepage field in package.json if you're using client-side routing on a subdomain.