Role That Can Set A Custom Domain: Owner

Zendo Plans For Which The Feature Is Available: Pro & Max

Example we’ll be using to showcase how this feature works: clients.getzendo.io, changing it to clients.domain-name.com

Table Of Contents

What Is A Domain?
What Does The Custom Domain Feature Do In Zendo?
Who Can Access This Feature?
Step-By-Step Guide To Connecting A Custom Domain In Zendo
A Few Important Things To Note
End Result
FAQ

What Is A Domain?

A domain is a branded name that is used to identify a website. So instead of having to type in the IP address in the search bar to reach the website you’re looking for, you’re typing the domain name, e.g. getzendo.io or forbes.com.

The domain name (or the URL we see) makes it easier to memorize the website we want to visit, instead of having to remember random strings of numbers.

What Does The Custom Domain Feature Do In Zendo?

The Custom Domain feature in Zendo allows you to connect your own domain to your Zendo workspace so that you can white label the URL of your client portal.

Basically getting rid of the getzendo.io suffix in the URL of your client portal, turning it, for example, from clients.getzendo.io to clients.domain-name.com

This gives your clients a more branded and consistent experience, which in turn looks more professional.

Who Can Access This Feature?

The Custom Domain feature is available to Zendo users who are subscribed to any of the paid plans: Pro or Max.

Users on the free Essential plan cannot access the Custom Domain feature.

Moreover, it’s only the workspace Owner who can connect a Custom Domain in Zendo.

Step-By-Step Guide To Connecting A Custom Domain In Zendo

There are two main steps of adding a custom domain to Zendo: adding a CNAME record in the DNS settings of your website’s hosting provider and then updating the domain in Zendo’s Custom Domain settings.

Step One: Adding A CNAME Record In Your Domain’s DNS Settings

The first step to connect your domain to a Zendo workspace is adding a new CNAME record in your domain’s DNS settings.

This process usually takes a few minutes to complete. All you have to do is:

Log in to your domain’s hosting account and find the DNS or DNS Zone settings

Click Add a new CNAME record and enter the needed data:



Type: CNAME
Host/Name: type in your preferred subdomain’s name, for example, support, clients, or dashboard
Value/Destination address/Target domain: copy the "custom.getzendo.io" value here

"custom.getzendo.io" is a fixed value. → Do not type in your workspace URL or change this value in any way.

The host/name will be the prefix to your client portal, personalize it.

Once the subdomain you’ve added starts redirecting, i.e., loads a 404 Zendo page, you can move on to the next step.

Note that: DNS changes usually take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes to be updated, but it may take even up to 48 hours to get configured. You can use a DNSChecker to see if the CNAME propagation was successful.


The process of adding a new CNAME record in the DNS settings may vary between different host providers.

You can find some example tutorials for adding a CNAME record here:

Cloudflare: https://developers.cloudflare.com/dns/manage-dns-records/how-to/create-dns-records/

cPanel: https://support.cpanel.net/hc/en-us/articles/360053593854-How-to-add-a-DNS-record-in-cPanel-and-WHM

NameCheap: https://www.namecheap.com/support/knowledgebase/article.aspx/9646/2237/how-to-create-a-cname-record-for-your-domain/

GoDaddy: https://www.godaddy.com/help/add-a-cname-record-19236

DNS (Domain Name Server) is an internet service that helps translate a human-friendly domain name to an IP address that is understandable by computers. If you don’t know how to access it, please contact us using the chat.

Step Two: Add The New Subdomain As Your Custom Domain In Zendo’s Settings

Log in to Zendo and choose "Client portal" from the left sidebar under Settings & Customization. From the drop-down options, select "White Label", and stay in the General tab. Scroll down and find the "Custom domain URL" settings.

Type the created subdomain’s name in the Custom domain URL tab. In our example case that was: clients.domain-name.com.

Save the changes.

And you’re done! Your Zendo workspace and client facing URLs will now also be available on the custom domain you've set.

A Few Important Things To Note

Zendo will not automatically redirect your previous workspace to the new custom domain URL: both are running and available simultaneously, just in case you run into any problems with the custom workspace, you can still reach your non-white-labeled platform.

The domain that sends out and collects emails does not change after connecting your custom domain. To change that, connect a custom email domain.

Entering the workspace with the custom domain connected forces us to log in into our account again.

Currently, we support only CNAME delegation which means that you can delegate a subdomain. Support for TLD domains will be added in the future.

Changing the "custom.getzendo.io" value is one of the most common mistakes made during the process of connecting a custom domain. To ensure a smooth connection, copy the "custom.getzendo.io" value exactly as is.

End Result

Our example client portal now successfully changed its URL from clients.getzendo.io to clients.domain-name.com.

"clients" represents an example subdomain name we want our client portal to have, while "domain-name.com" represents an example domain name.

That URL is now white labeled, meaning that your clients will no longer see the getzendo.io suffix in the URL when using your client portal created in Zendo.

Note that the old URL of your workspace is still available and working. As was already mentioned, Zendo does not automatically redirect the old URL to a new custom domain one. So to make sure your clients see the new white labeled URL of your workspace, share the new link with them.

PS: remember that you can fully white label your Zendo workspace to fit your branding by adding your logo, customizing the colors, adding your own email signature, your custom help center, or even your own chatbot!

You can learn more about customizing your workspace here.

If you need help connecting a custom domain to your Zendo workspace or need more information on the process, don’t hesitate to reach out to us via our support chat.

FAQ

Who Can Access The Custom Domain Feature In Zendo?

To add a custom domain in Zendo, first you have to make sure that you’re the Owner of your workspace and that you are subscribed to a paid plan. Otherwise, you won’t be able to access the Custom Domain feature.

Will Zendo Automatically Redirect My Workspace To The New Custom Domain?

Zendo will not automatically redirect your workspace to the new custom domain added. Both workspaces' URLs (the original one and custom) now work simultaneously. You can use the new white label URL to ensure a branded experience for your clients, but you also have a backup option to reach, just in case of any issues with the custom domain URL.

Can I Change The Custom Domain To A Different One Once I Have Already Set One?

Yes! All you have to do is repeat the steps we’ve mentioned earlier to set up a new custom domain and connect it with Zendo. Add a CNAME record in the DNS settings of your domain’s hosting provider and switch the old custom domain for the new one in Zendo’s settings.

Updated on: 11/03/2024