How to add a domain to your account

You can add a domain to the domain selector in your account, which means that you will be able to create custom URLs using that domain.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Before beginning, if adding a root domain, please verify that your domain host supports either "ANAME" or "ALIAS" type DNS records.

Our platform is designed to allow you to take a root domain such as example.com and create multiple new app/website URLs from that root domain. (e.g. jane-smith.example.com, jaredjones.example.com or example.com/Jane-Smith)

You will be able to add an ID in front of the domain to create a URL such as jane-smith.example.com.  An ID as a prefix is called a "subdomain."  And you will be able to add an ID after the domain to create a URL such as example.com/JaneSmith. An ID as a suffix is called a "pathname."

In order to allow us to create these new URLs, your domain host must support both CNAME and ALIAS or ANAME type DNS records. The CNAME records allow us to create subdomains of your root domain and the ALIAS or ANAME records allow us to add pathnames to it. 

The exception is that if you are adding a subdomain to our platform as your base domain, then your domain host will only need to support CNAME type records.

Note also that new IDs have to be unique and cannot be added if they already exist on the platform.

Overview of the two step process to add a domain:

Step 1 is domain control validation. In order to create secure URLs using your domain, we must obtain a special "wild card" security certificate (SSL cert) for your domain. Before we can order this certificte, we have to validate control of the domain, which means that you will need to add a validation DNS CNAME record on your domain host dashboard.

To review step 1: We give you a validation DNS record; you add it to your domain as a CNAME DNS record; then we validate control and order your SSL cert. 

Step 2 is for you to add two additional DNS records that we provide to your domain. Once we obtain the SSL certificate, we will generate two DNS records. After you add these records to your domain, it will then appear in the domain selector on the Tapps dashboard.

In sum, you will add 3 DNS records in total to the selected domain from your domain host dashboard. You will first add a Validation record and wait briefly while we obtain an SSL Cert. After we receive the SSL Cert., we will generate two additional DNS records that you will also add to the selected domain. 

Now let's get started.

Detailed Directions:

1. Choose the "Domains" option under the settings gear on the upper right of your dashboard. This page will list all of the domains added to your account.

2. Tap the "Add New Domain" button and enter the domain you want to add and then tap "Create."

The platform will then generate a Validation DNS  record, which may take a few moments. Tap "Refresh" to see if it is complete.

A highlighted "View Validation Records" button will appear when complete.

3. Tap "View Validation Records" to get the validation CNAME record. Here's a example validation record:

4. Add the domain validation record to your domain

• Log in to your domain host to update the domain's DNS records
• Navigate to the selected domain
• Choose to "Add a CNAME" (Check your domain host's documentation if you need help here)
• Paste the Name record in the “Name” field, which may also be called the “Host” field
  • Note: Some platforms will require you to delete the root domain from the Name record (i.e. using the above example, you may need to delete “.zipcrawler.com.“ from the Name record)
• Paste the Value record in the “Value” field
• Save the record.
• Now, we will validate the domain and order the SSL Certificate on your behalf

5. When we receive the Cert, we will report it as "ISSUED." Again, tap refresh to see when this completes. You will then tap "Enable Domain," and we will generate the final DNS records.

6. This will take only a moment, and when complete, tap "View DNS Records" to get the final DNS records.

 Here is an example of the DNS records:

7. Add these DNS records to your domain.

Log in to your domain host to update the domain's DNS (domain name server) records

Navigate to the selected domain

7.a. Adding the first DNS record will allow you to create pathnames, which follow your domain in a URL. (e.g example.com/PATHNAME)

• Add the "Name" as an ALIAS or ANAME if it is a root domain and as a CNAME if is a SUBDOMAIN. ("Example.com" is a root domain and "card.example.com" is a subdomain). 
  • For most domain hosts, when you add an ALIAS/ANAME, you will enter a “@” in the Name/Host field or will leave the field blank. Said differently, you will not include the domain (e.g. “.example.com.” in the Name/Host field.
• Add the DNS "Value" to the Value or Record Data field and save.

7.b Adding the second DNS record will allow you to create subdomains with your domain (e.g. subdomain.example.com)

• From the your domain host, add the second DNS record as a CNAME. Paste the Name record in the Name/Host field as "*" or as "*.example.com". Most platforms will use only the "*".
• Add the DNS "Value" to the Value or Record Data field and save.

And that's it

8. The domain will appear alphabetically in the domain selector of your Tapps dashboard and you can use it to create new apps, though there will be a period before the app will work on the web.

Most DNS updates take effect within an hour, but could take up to 48 hours to update globally. 

Notes and Examples
Note: Some DNS providers will only offer "A" type records for root domains. Unfortunately, "A" records require a static IP addresses, which do not work with cloud infrastructure platforms like Tapps. Since Tapps uses dynamic IP addresses, it’s necessary to use a CNAME-like record (often referred to as ALIAS or ANAME records) so that you can point your root domain to another domain. 

Namecheap

A completed record on Namecheap has a CNAME validation record, an ALIAS record to allow pathnames, and a CNAME record for adding subdomains.

Register.to

Here the Name field of the ALIAS record was left blank, and the CNAME Record was