Custom Domains

Overview

The Nudj platform provides comprehensive domain management capabilities, allowing you to white-label your community platform with custom domains. This enterprise feature includes automatic SSL provisioning, DNS verification, and multi-tenant support through Vercel integration.

Domain Capabilities

Custom Domains - Add your own domains for complete white-labeling
Automatic SSL - SSL certificates provisioned automatically via Vercel
DNS Verification - Real-time DNS status checking and validation
Multi-Tenant Support - Separate domains for different organizations
System Protection - Protected system domains for API and core services
CDN Integration - Global content delivery network for performance

Accessing Domain Settings

Navigate to domain configuration:

Go to Admin → Settings → Organisation
Click the Domains tab
View and manage custom domains

Domain changes take effect immediately but DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours. SSL certificates are automatically provisioned within minutes of successful DNS verification.

Domain Types

System Domains (Protected)

These domains are automatically generated and cannot be removed:

API Domain

Format: api.{org}.nudj.cxPrimary API endpoint for integrations

User Domain

Format: {org}.nudj.cxDefault platform access URL

Chatbot Domains

Formats:

{org}-v2.nudj.cx
{org}-sv2.nudj.cx
{org}-dv2.nudj.cx

AI chatbot and versioned endpoints

Preview Domains

Format: pr-{number}-api.nudj.cxPull request preview environments

Add your own domains for complete white-label experience:

Apex Domains
Subdomains

Root-level domains (e.g., example.com)

Type: A Record
Name: @ (or blank)
Value: 76.76.21.21
TTL: 3600

Characteristics:

Direct domain without subdomain
Requires A record configuration
Best for primary brand presence
Supports www redirect

Adding Custom Domains

Step-by-Step Setup

Enter Domain

Input your domain name (without https://)

Example: platform.company.com
Validates format automatically
Checks for uniqueness across platform

Configure DNS

Add required DNS records at your provider:

Copy provided DNS values
Access your DNS provider’s control panel
Add A or CNAME record as specified

Verify Configuration

System checks DNS propagation:

Real-time verification status
Automatic retry every 30 seconds
Visual indicators for progress

SSL Provisioning

Automatic SSL certificate generation:

Begins after DNS verification
Usually completes in 1-5 minutes
No manual intervention required

Test Access

Verify domain is working:

Access your custom domain
Check SSL certificate validity
Test all platform features

DNS Provider Guides

Cloudflare

Log in to Cloudflare dashboard
Select your domain
Go to DNS settings
Add record:
- Type: CNAME (for subdomains) or A (for apex)
- Name: Your subdomain or @
- Content: cname.vercel-dns.com or 76.76.21.21
- Proxy status: DNS only (gray cloud)
Save changes

Disable Cloudflare proxy (orange cloud) initially for verification

GoDaddy

Sign in to GoDaddy Domain Control Center
Select your domain
Click “DNS” or “Manage DNS”
Add record:
- Click “Add” in the Records section
- Select record type (A or CNAME)
- Enter values from Nudj platform
Save record

Note: GoDaddy may take 1-2 hours for changes

Namecheap

Sign in to Namecheap account
Go to Domain List
Click “Manage” next to your domain
Select “Advanced DNS” tab
Add new record:
- Choose record type
- Enter host and value
- TTL: Automatic
Save all changes

Google Domains

Sign in to Google Domains
Select your domain
Navigate to DNS settings
Scroll to “Custom resource records”
Add record with provided values
Click “Add”

Google Domains typically updates within 5-10 minutes

Route 53 (AWS)

Open Route 53 console
Select “Hosted zones”
Choose your domain
Click “Create record”
Enter:
- Record name (subdomain or leave blank)
- Record type (A or CNAME)
- Value from Nudj
Create record

Route 53 changes are usually instant

Domain Verification

DNS Checking Process

The platform performs automated DNS verification:

// DNS verification flow
{
  stages: [
    {
      step: "DNS Lookup",
      checks: ["Record exists", "Correct type", "Valid value"],
      timeout: 5000
    },
    {
      step: "SSL Readiness",
      checks: ["Domain reachable", "Certificate request possible"],
      timeout: 10000
    },
    {
      step: "Final Validation",
      checks: ["HTTPS accessible", "Content serving"],
      timeout: 15000
    }
  ]
}

Verification Status Indicators

Status	Icon	Description	Action Required
Pending	🟡	DNS not yet configured	Add DNS records
Checking	🔄	Verification in progress	Wait for completion
Active	✅	Domain verified and SSL active	None - working
Invalid	❌	DNS configuration incorrect	Check DNS settings
SSL Pending	🔒	DNS OK, SSL provisioning	Wait 1-5 minutes

Troubleshooting DNS Issues

DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours, though it’s usually much faster (5-30 minutes).

Common verification problems:

Record not found

Verify record was saved at DNS provider
Check for typos in record values
Wait for DNS propagation (up to 48 hours)
Try clearing local DNS cache

Wrong record type

Apex domains need A records
Subdomains need CNAME records
Cannot mix record types for same hostname
Remove conflicting records

SSL certificate errors

Wait for automatic provisioning (1-5 minutes)
Ensure DNS is fully propagated
Check for CAA records blocking Let’s Encrypt
Contact support if persists after 1 hour

Cloudflare proxy issues

Disable Cloudflare proxy (gray cloud)
Use “DNS only” mode for initial setup
Can re-enable proxy after verification
Check Cloudflare SSL settings

Managing Domains

Domain Operations

View Status
Remove Domain
Update Domain

Monitor domain health:

{
  domain: "platform.company.com",
  status: "active",
  ssl: {
    status: "issued",
    issuer: "Let's Encrypt",
    expiry: "2024-04-15"
  },
  dns: {
    verified: true,
    lastCheck: "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"
  }
}

Multiple Domains

You can add multiple custom domains:

// Example multi-domain setup
{
  domains: [
    {
      type: "primary",
      domain: "platform.company.com",
      purpose: "Main platform access"
    },
    {
      type: "alias",
      domain: "app.company.com",
      purpose: "Alternative access"
    },
    {
      type: "campaign",
      domain: "event2024.company.com",
      purpose: "Special event domain"
    }
  ]
}

Security Considerations

SSL/TLS Configuration

All custom domains receive:

Automatic SSL: Let’s Encrypt certificates
Auto-renewal: Certificates renewed before expiry
TLS 1.2+: Modern encryption standards
HSTS: HTTP Strict Transport Security headers

Security Headers

Custom domains include security headers:

Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains
X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff
X-Frame-Options: DENY
X-XSS-Protection: 1; mode=block
Content-Security-Policy: default-src 'self'

Domain Validation

Security checks performed:

Ownership verification: DNS record validation
Uniqueness check: Prevent domain conflicts
Malicious pattern detection: Block suspicious domains
Certificate transparency: Public certificate logs

White-Label Best Practices

Use Subdomains

Easier to manage and faster to propagate

Plan DNS Changes

Schedule during low-traffic periods

Keep System Domains

Maintain fallback access options

Monitor SSL Expiry

Track certificate renewal dates

Document DNS Setup

Record DNS provider and settings

Test Thoroughly

Verify all features on new domain

Advanced Configuration

Redirect Rules

Configure domain redirects:

{
  redirects: [
    {
      from: "www.platform.company.com",
      to: "platform.company.com",
      type: 301,
      preservePath: true
    },
    {
      from: "old-domain.com",
      to: "platform.company.com",
      type: 302,
      preserveQuery: true
    }
  ]
}

CORS Configuration

Set allowed origins for API access:

{
  cors: {
    allowedOrigins: [
      "https://platform.company.com",
      "https://app.company.com"
    ],
    allowedMethods: ["GET", "POST", "PUT", "DELETE"],
    allowCredentials: true,
    maxAge: 86400
  }
}

Performance Optimization

CDN Integration

Custom domains benefit from CDN:

Global edge locations: 200+ locations worldwide
Automatic caching: Static assets cached
DDoS protection: Built-in protection
Compression: Automatic gzip/brotli

Performance Metrics

Metric	Target	Typical
DNS Lookup	< 50ms	20-30ms
SSL Handshake	< 100ms	50-80ms
Time to First Byte	< 200ms	100-150ms
Page Load	< 2s	1-1.5s

Monitoring and Logs

Domain Monitoring

Track domain health:

Uptime monitoring: 99.9% SLA
SSL expiry alerts: 30-day warnings
DNS change detection: Configuration alerts
Performance metrics: Response times

Access Logs

Domain-specific logging:

{
  timestamp: "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  domain: "platform.company.com",
  method: "GET",
  path: "/api/health",
  status: 200,
  duration: 45,
  ip: "192.168.1.1",
  userAgent: "Mozilla/5.0..."
}

API Reference

Replace {org-subdomain} with your organization’s subdomain and {base-domain} with:

nudj.cx for production
nudjdev.nudj.cx for development
nudjstaging.nudj.cx for staging

# Export your API token: export NUDJ_API_TOKEN='your-api-token-here'
curl -X GET https://{org-subdomain}.{base-domain}/api/v2/admin/domains \
  -H "x-api-token: ${NUDJ_API_TOKEN}"

Troubleshooting

Domain not accessible

Verify DNS records are correct
Check DNS propagation status
Ensure SSL certificate is issued
Test with different DNS servers
Clear browser cache

SSL warnings

Wait for certificate provisioning
Check domain matches certificate
Verify no conflicting CAA records
Ensure DNS is fully propagated
Contact support if persists

Cannot add domain

Check domain format is valid
Ensure domain not already used
Verify organization permissions
Check domain limit not exceeded
Remove special characters

Slow performance

Check CDN is active
Verify DNS provider performance
Test from different locations
Review security settings
Check for rate limiting

API access issues

Update CORS configuration
Check authentication headers
Verify API domain is active
Review security policies
Check rate limits

Migration Guide

Moving from Existing Domain

Prepare New Domain

Add new domain to platform
Verify DNS configuration
Test all functionality

Update Communications

Notify users of domain change
Update documentation
Change marketing materials

Set Up Redirects

Configure 301 redirects
Preserve SEO value
Monitor redirect chains

Monitor Transition

Track both domains
Check for broken links
Monitor user access patterns

Deprecate Old Domain

Maintain redirects for 6-12 months
Eventually remove old domain
Update all references

Branding & Theming

Customize visual identity

SSL Configuration

Advanced SSL settings

API Authentication

Configure API access

White Label Guide

Complete white-label setup

Getting Started

Dashboard & People

Core Engagement Features

Gamification System

Organization Settings

Advanced Features & Workflows

​Overview

Domain Capabilities

​Accessing Domain Settings

​Domain Types

​System Domains (Protected)

API Domain

User Domain

Chatbot Domains

Preview Domains

​Custom Domains

​Adding Custom Domains

​Step-by-Step Setup

​DNS Provider Guides

​Domain Verification

​DNS Checking Process

​Verification Status Indicators

​Troubleshooting DNS Issues

​Managing Domains

​Domain Operations

​Multiple Domains

​Security Considerations

​SSL/TLS Configuration

​Security Headers

​Domain Validation

​White-Label Best Practices

Use Subdomains

Plan DNS Changes

Keep System Domains

Monitor SSL Expiry

Document DNS Setup

Test Thoroughly

​Advanced Configuration

​Redirect Rules

​CORS Configuration

​Performance Optimization

​CDN Integration

​Performance Metrics

​Monitoring and Logs

​Domain Monitoring

​Access Logs

​API Reference

​Troubleshooting

​Migration Guide

​Moving from Existing Domain

​Related Resources

Branding & Theming

SSL Configuration

API Authentication

White Label Guide

Overview

Accessing Domain Settings

Domain Types

System Domains (Protected)

Custom Domains

Adding Custom Domains

Step-by-Step Setup

DNS Provider Guides

Domain Verification

DNS Checking Process

Verification Status Indicators

Troubleshooting DNS Issues

Managing Domains

Domain Operations

Multiple Domains

Security Considerations

SSL/TLS Configuration

Security Headers

Domain Validation

White-Label Best Practices

Advanced Configuration

Redirect Rules

CORS Configuration

Performance Optimization

CDN Integration

Performance Metrics

Monitoring and Logs

Domain Monitoring

Access Logs

API Reference

Troubleshooting

Migration Guide

Moving from Existing Domain

Related Resources