Set up a Cheap Web and Email Domain for the Apple Developer Program

The Apple Developer Program requires small businesses to have their own website and a domain-based email address. This means the domain should match your business name.

For example, if your business is called “CoolBeans,” you’ll need a website like “coolbeans.com” and an email address such as “something@coolbeans.com.” Apple will verify the website and send a confirmation code to the email address, so both need to be valid—there’s no way around it.

If you’re like me, you might have run your business for years without needing a dedicated website or email. But if you’re aiming to join the program, here’s how I got this done quickly and affordably.

I recommend registering your domain through Cloudflare, as they offer domains at near-cost pricing. The standout feature for me, though, is their email routing. This allows you to receive domain-based emails without paying for an email hosting service. You can set up forwarding rules to send emails from your domain to your personal inbox. For instance, if your domain is “coolbeans.com,” you can route emails sent to “info@coolbeans.com” directly to “me@gmail.com.” It’s perfect for receiving the verification code required for the developer program.

To create a basic website, I used ChatGPT to generate a single HTML file with all scripts and styles inline, featuring placeholder content about my business. I then zipped up the file and uploaded it to Cloudflare.

In the end, I’m only paying $5 a year for my domain—and that’s it. Not bad!