1. Your first step will be owning a domain.
This will be referred to as the "APEX domain." An example of an APEX domain would be "yourwebsite.com". If you don't own a domain yet, you can find many services through Google that will help you purchase one for under $20 (ex: GoDaddy).
2. Next, you'll need to add a subdomain to your APEX domain.
(This step will be completed through your DNS provider)
You will need to use a subdomain with your APEX domain. This could be anything you'd like, such as: "share.yourwebsite.com", "s.yourwebsite.com" etc.
3. Next, you will need to add a CNAME record:
(This step will be completed through your DNS provider.)
We only support CNAME records so this means that we do require adding a subdomain. You can add your CNAME record by:
- Adding your Host (name): Selected subdomain like "www", "share," "custom," or "s" from the examples above.
- Then add your value. You want to make sure your domain is pointing towards: custom.getcloudapp.com
- The ‘TTL’ value tells you how long your domain will take to launch. The default value is fine.
4. Time to upload your SSL certificates in CloudApp.
You will then need to decide how you'd like to generate your SSL certificates. This can be through your web hosting provider, or you can let us do the heavy lifting for you! We offer a free integration that will generate your certificates for you through LetsEncrypt.
If you're using our LetsEncrypt integration, follow these steps:
(This step will be completed within your CloudApp portal)
Type your custom domain in the "LetsEncrypt" field as seen below. This can be found under the "Customize" settings of your Team page.
If you choose to use other SSL certificates, follow these steps:
- Go to your web dashboard here: https://share.getcloudapp.com/dashboard
- Click on ‘settings’ under your account name
- Click the ‘Customize’ tab
- Select the option ‘upload a custom SSL certificate’
- Upload your Certificate, Private Key, and Certificate Chain.
If you choose to upload your own SSL certificate, you will need to keep up on your own renewal dates so your certificate doesn’t expire.
I’ve set up my custom domain and followed all steps however it doesn’t seem to work
Once everything is set and all configurations seem to be correct you will need to make sure your CNAME record is propagated.
To confirm your CNAME record has been propagated open Terminal in MacOs or CMD in Windows and type: nslookup <your custom domain>
The TTL (Time to Live) value that you’ve set on your record to launch your domain is the base limit for when their record will be active. Please note that DNS propagation can take up to 72 hours.
If you need further assistance or have additional questions, we’d be happy to help! Please contact our support team at support@getcloudapp.com