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Custom Domain

Learn how Custom Domains work and how to set one up.

Jody Johnson avatar
Written by Jody Johnson
Updated over 7 months ago

All About Custom Domains

Using a custom domain allows you to enhance the branded experience you can provide through Demio. Adding one and setting it to your default will serve all public pages through the domain, including:

  • Registration pages (including any pages used to manage registrations)

  • Join Links / Room links

  • Recording pages

Furthermore, all of your previous links will redirect to the new link using the custom domain. This automatic redirect ensures that even if you set up the domain after creating/sharing an existing event, all of your links will continue to work.

The unique hash of each page is not customizable at this time and it will show up in the page URL after your domain. If you set mydomain.com as your custom domain, you'll be able to use https://mydomain.com/ref/PicnlHPvtlgu instead of the default registration page URL https://my.demio.com/ref/PicnlHPvtlgu, but you won't be able to customize the "/ref/PicnlHPvtlgu" portion of the URL.

Custom Domains are available to Users on the Premium plan or higher. Haven't purchased a plan yet and are looking for more information? You can contact us for more details.

If you already have a paid Demio plan and want support on how to consider a Premium plan strategy built with Branding excellence in mind, you can book a direct demo with our customer success team!

Check out this quick how-to video first:

Setting It Up

Add Your Domain

To get started, you'll want to jump into your Branding settings. From here, you'll find the option to manage your current domain.

Add a new custom domain by selecting Add Custom Domain and adding the domain (root or sub-domain) that you'd like to use.

Tip: The setup will require you to point the domain to our servers, so ensure that the domain you add is available to use.

Add Host Records (Point Your Domain & Verify Ownership)

Now that you've added the domain, the next step will involve adding the custom host/DNS records from your domain registrar's dashboard to point your domain to our servers.

After you've added the domain, we'll generate and display the Host Records below your domain:

Tip: A root domain will generate two host records while a sub-domain will generate one. Make sure you add all the host records generated for your specific domain.

Each domain registrar has a different setup process, so your best bet is to jump into the help documentation (or contact the support) of your specific provider. Some domain providers do not support adding a root domain using CNAME values. If this is the case, you can view our workaround options.

Here are links to how-to guides from a few popular domain providers:

Once you've added the Host Records, it can take up to 48 hours to verify (it often happens sooner). You can check on your domain's connection status directly from the Branding settings.

Tip: You can also access the domain directly to confirm its connection. 😉

Set Your Default Domain

Now that you've connected your domain, you'll want to set it as the default. Demio will use your default domain to serve all of your public pages—if someone accessed a link using the non-default domain, it'd automatically redirect them to the custom domain, preventing any dead links.

That's it! All links (for current events and new events you create) will use the custom domain that you've added.

You may connect one Default Domain at a time, it is not currently possible to run two Custom Domains simultaneously.

You may connect one Default Domain at a time, it is not possible to run two Custom Domains simultaneously.

Tip: Ensure that the Host Records you added remain intact, as any changes will disrupt your domain's connection to our servers.


Workarounds: Adding a Root Domain

We'll explore a few workaround options if your domain provider doesn't support adding a root domain using CNAME values. This only affects root domains and certain domain providers—if you're using a sub-domain as your custom domain, you should be able to use the standard methods above.

Option 1: Assigning an A Record to the IP Address

When adding a custom root domain, you'll receive two host records—one @ value and another www value. Follow these custom steps:

1. Start by adding the www value as a CNAME record

2. Next, lookup the DNS record for the Demio target using this tool: DNS Lookup — the Demio target is the @ value that we display in the table.

3. Click on the URL shown under Canonical Name, then copy the displayed IP address.

4. Create an A record and add the copied IP address as it's value.

Option 2: Use Cloudflare to manage your domain's DNS

Cloudflare is a powerful tool used to manage web infrastructure, including the option to manage your domain's DNS records. Luckily, their DNS services are free to use.

In our case, it'll allow you to take an existing domain you own and allow you to point the root domain to Demio (using CNAME records), all without migrating your domain to a new provider. Create your free Cloudflare account and follow these custom steps:

1. First, you'll need to update your domain to use your Cloudflare account's custom nameservers. While each domain provider is a bit different, here's a helpful guide to walk you through the setup: Changing your domain nameservers to Cloudflare

2. Next, once your domain is successfully using Cloudflare to manage its DNS records, you can simply add the @ value and www values generated during your custom domain setup. Here's another helpful guide on adding those records: Managing DNS records in Cloudflare

That's it! Give it some time to validate and your domain should be connected successfully.

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