Custom Domain Setup

This article covers the full custom domain process: the DNS records you need to add, where to add them, what each record does, and what to do if verification fails.

If you have not yet started domain setup, read Tenant Setup Overview first.

Why a custom domain

Your tenant ships with a default URL at your-studio.onserene.io. Connecting a custom domain:

• Lets your public contact form and newsletter widget use your own domain in API calls.
• Makes unsubscribe links and confirmation emails come from your domain, which improves deliverability.
• Establishes the address shown to subscribers in their email clients.

The DNS records

The portal gives you two records when you add a domain. Both must be in place before verification can pass.

CNAME record

The CNAME routes traffic for your subdomain to the Serene Creations infrastructure. Do not add a CNAME for a bare domain (example.com) — most registrars do not support CNAME on the root apex. Use a subdomain (www.example.com, portal.example.com, studio.example.com).

TXT record

The TXT record proves domain ownership. Without it, verification cannot confirm that you control the domain.

Adding records at common registrars

Cloudflare Registrar / Cloudflare DNS

1. Log in at dash.cloudflare.com and select your domain.
2. Open DNS → Records → Add record.
3. For the CNAME: set Type to CNAME, Name to your subdomain, Target to the value from the portal. Set Proxy status to DNS only (grey cloud) — do not proxy through Cloudflare, as this can interfere with SSL provisioning.
4. For the TXT: set Type to TXT, Name to the host shown, Content to the token.
5. Select Save for each.

Namecheap

1. Log in and select Domain List → Manage next to your domain.
2. Open the Advanced DNS tab.
3. Select Add New Record for each record.
4. Match the type, host, and value from the portal. Namecheap strips your root domain from the host field automatically — if the portal shows studio.example.com, enter only studio.

GoDaddy

1. Log in and navigate to My Products → DNS next to your domain.
2. Select Add and choose the record type.
3. For the CNAME, the “Points to” field is the target value from the portal.
4. Do not include a trailing dot in the target — GoDaddy adds one automatically.

Verifying the domain

After adding both records at your registrar:

1. Return to the portal at Settings → Domains.
2. Find your domain in the list and select Verify.
3. The portal performs a DNS lookup for both records. If both are found and match, verification passes.
4. SSL provisioning begins automatically and typically completes within 2 minutes.

If verification fails

“CNAME record not found”

• Double-check that you saved the record at your registrar.
• Confirm the host/name matches exactly what the portal showed.
• Wait 5 minutes and try again — some registrars take a moment to publish new records.

“TXT record mismatch”

• Ensure you copied the full token value from the portal, including any special characters.
• Some registrars wrap TXT values in quotes — paste the value without quotes; the registrar interface adds them.

“Verification timed out”

• DNS propagation can take up to a few hours in edge cases. The portal retries verification when you click the button — there is no background retry. Return and click Verify again after waiting.

SSL certificate

SSL is provisioned automatically via Cloudflare once domain verification passes. You do not need to generate or upload a certificate. The certificate covers the exact subdomain you verified.

Renewal is automatic. Expiry notifications are not sent — the platform handles renewal before the certificate expires.

Removing a domain

To remove a custom domain, go to Settings → Domains, select the domain, and choose Remove. Traffic reverts to the default your-studio.onserene.io URL. Remove the DNS records at your registrar after removing the domain from the portal.

Next steps

• Website integration — wire the contact form and newsletter widget now that your domain is connected.