DeploymentCustom Domain

Custom Domain Configuration

This guide will help you complete the entire process from purchasing a domain to successfully configuring a custom domain, allowing your ClackyAI project to be accessed via a personalized domain name.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, please ensure:

  • You have a Starter or higher subscription plan
  • Your project has been successfully deployed on the ClackyAI platform

Step 1: Purchase a Domain

Before configuring a custom domain, you need to own a domain. Here are recommended domain registrars and the purchasing process.

Recommended Domain Registrars

Here are some reliable domain registrars that provide good service and reasonable prices:

How to Purchase a Domain

  1. Choose a Domain Registrar

    • Select an appropriate registrar based on your needs
    • Consider pricing, service quality, and payment methods

  2. Search for Available Domains

    • Search for your desired domain name on the registrar’s website
    • Check if the domain is available
    • Choose an appropriate top-level domain (.com, .net, .io, .ai, etc.)

  3. Complete the Purchase

    • Add the domain to your cart
    • Select the registration period (recommend at least 1 year)
    • Consider adding privacy protection (recommended)
    • Complete the payment

Step 2: Add Custom Domain in ClackyAI

After purchasing a domain, you need to add and configure this domain on the ClackyAI platform.

Steps to Add a Domain

  1. Enter Thread Page

    • Go to your published project and enter the Thread page
    • Click the Publish button in the top-right corner
    • Click View Detail in the Publish menu
    • Find the Add Custom Domain option

  2. Add New Domain

    • Click the Add Custom Domain button
    • Enter your purchased full domain name (e.g., yourdomain.com)
    • Click continue

  3. View DNS Configuration Information

    • ClackyAI will automatically generate the required DNS records
    • Note down the displayed CNAME target value (usually something like xxx.clacky.app or similar format)
    • Keep this page open, you’ll need to come back to verify later

Domain Configuration Examples

Assuming you purchased the domain example.com, you can choose:

  • Use root domain: example.com (recommended)
  • Use custom subdomain: app.example.com or blog.example.com

Step 3: Configure CNAME Records

Now you need to add CNAME records in your domain registrar’s DNS management panel to point your domain to ClackyAI’s servers.

What is a CNAME Record?

A CNAME (Canonical Name) record is a type of DNS record used to point one domain name to another domain name. Through CNAME records, your custom domain can point to the domain provided by ClackyAI.

Configuration Steps

1. Log in to Domain Management Panel

Depending on your chosen domain registrar, log in to the respective management panel:

  • Namecheap: Dashboard → Domain List → Manage → Advanced DNS
  • GoDaddy: My Products → Domains → DNS Management
  • Cloudflare: Select your domain → DNS → Records
  • Porkbun: Account → Domain Management → DNS Records

2. Add CNAME Record

On the DNS management page, add a new CNAME record:

FieldValueDescription
TypeCNAMESelect CNAME as record type
Host/Name@ or subdomainFor root domain use @ or leave empty (depends on provider)
For subdomain use the subdomain name (e.g., app, blog)
Value/Targetxxx.clacky.appThe target address copied from ClackyAI project settings
TTLAuto or 3600Keep the default value

3. Configuration Example

Configuration using root domain:

Type: CNAME
Host: @ (or leave empty)
Value: your-project.clacky.app
TTL: 3600 (or Auto)

Configuration using custom subdomain:

Type: CNAME
Host: app
Value: your-project.clacky.app
TTL: 3600 (or Auto)

4. Important: Set Proxy Status (if using Cloudflare)

If you’re using Cloudflare to manage DNS:

  • Disable proxy feature: Set Proxy status to DNS only (gray cloud icon)
  • This is because ClackyAI needs to directly manage SSL certificates and domain verification

5. Save Configuration

  • Click Save or Add Record button
  • DNS records typically take effect within a few minutes, but full propagation may take up to 24 hours

Configuration Guide for Major DNS Providers

Cloudflare Configuration Steps

  1. Log in to Cloudflare and select your domain
  2. Go to DNS → Records
  3. Click Add record
  4. Configure as follows:
    • Type: CNAME
    • Name: @ (for root domain, or your subdomain name)
    • Target: your-project.clacky.app (copied from ClackyAI)
    • Proxy status: DNS only ⚠️
    • TTL: Auto
  5. Click Save

Namecheap Configuration Steps

  1. Log in to Namecheap console
  2. Go to Domain List → Find your domain → Click Manage
  3. Go to Advanced DNS tab
  4. Click Add New Record
  5. Configure as follows:
    • Type: CNAME Record
    • Host: @ (for root domain, or your subdomain name)
    • Value: your-project.clacky.app (copied from ClackyAI)
    • TTL: Automatic
  6. Click Save All Changes

GoDaddy Configuration Steps

  1. Log in to GoDaddy console
  2. Go to My Products → Domains → Click your domain
  3. Find the DNS section, click Manage DNS
  4. In the Records section, click Add
  5. Configure as follows:
    • Type: CNAME
    • Name: @ (for root domain, or your subdomain name)
    • Value: your-project.clacky.app (copied from ClackyAI)
    • TTL: 1 Hour (or default value)
  6. Click Save

Step 4: Verify Domain Configuration

After configuring DNS records, you need to verify on the ClackyAI platform whether the domain configuration was successful.

Verification Steps

  1. Wait for DNS Propagation

    • Usually takes 5-30 minutes
    • You can use online tools to check DNS propagation status

  2. Click Verify in ClackyAI

    • Return to the setting page
    • Find the domain you just added
    • Click the Verify button

  3. Check Verification Result

    • If verification succeeds, your domain status will change to Active
    • ClackyAI will automatically configure an SSL certificate for your domain
    • Your project can now be accessed via your custom domain!

  4. Visit Your Website

    • Enter your custom domain in the browser
    • Check if the website loads properly
    • Confirm that HTTPS is working (lock icon appears in browser address bar)

FAQ

How long does it take for DNS records to take effect?

  • Typical case: Takes effect within 5-30 minutes
  • Full propagation: Up to 24-48 hours maximum
  • Speed up method: Set a shorter TTL value (e.g., 300 seconds)

What to do if verification fails?

If domain verification fails, please check:

  1. Are DNS records correct

    • Use DNS Checker to check if CNAME records have taken effect
    • Confirm that the record value exactly matches the value provided by ClackyAI

  2. Cloudflare Proxy Status

    • If using Cloudflare, ensure proxy status is DNS only (gray cloud)

  3. Wait Time

    • DNS propagation takes time, please be patient
    • Try verifying again after 10-15 minutes

  4. Clear DNS Cache

    • Windows: Open Command Prompt, run ipconfig /flushdns
    • macOS: Open Terminal, run sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
    • Linux: Run sudo systemd-resolve --flush-caches

Can I use a root domain?

Yes, ClackyAI fully supports root domain configuration. Most modern DNS providers (like Cloudflare, Namecheap, etc.) support CNAME Flattening, allowing you to directly add CNAME records for root domains. If your DNS provider doesn’t support this feature, please contact ClackyAI support for alternative configuration methods.

What about using www subdomain?

For more information about using the www subdomain, including its benefits and configuration methods, please refer to the About www Subdomain section below.

How is SSL certificate configured?

ClackyAI automatically configures SSL certificates for your custom domain:

  • Automatic issuance: Uses Let’s Encrypt or similar services
  • Automatic renewal: No manual operation needed
  • Force HTTPS: Automatically redirects HTTP requests to HTTPS

You don’t need to perform any manual operations, ClackyAI handles all SSL-related configurations.

Can I configure multiple domains?

Yes, you can configure multiple custom domains for the same project:

  • Repeat the above steps to add DNS records for each domain
  • Add and verify each domain in ClackyAI project settings
  • All domains will point to the same project

Do I need to update the domain configuration after setup?

Generally, domain configuration doesn’t need to be updated after completion. However, note the following situations:

  • Changing domain registrar: Need to reconfigure DNS records with the new registrar
  • DNS provider change: Need to add records with the new DNS provider
  • ClackyAI updates: If ClackyAI requires DNS record updates, you’ll be notified in advance

Recommended Diagnostic Tools

Use these tools to help diagnose DNS configuration issues:

Check using dig command (for Linux/macOS)

# Check CNAME record
dig www.yourdomain.com CNAME
 
# Check complete DNS resolution chain
dig www.yourdomain.com +trace

Check using nslookup command (for Windows)

# Check domain resolution
nslookup www.yourdomain.com
 
# Specify query type
nslookup -type=CNAME www.yourdomain.com

Next Steps

After completing custom domain configuration, you might also want to:

About www Subdomain

While we recommend using root domains (e.g., yourdomain.com) in the main configuration guide for simplicity, using the www subdomain (e.g., www.yourdomain.com) has several advantages worth considering.

Benefits of Using www Subdomain

1. Better Cookie Management

When you set cookies on a root domain, they are automatically shared with all subdomains:

  • Root domain cookies: Setting cookies on example.com means they’re sent to api.example.com, blog.example.com, and all other subdomains
  • www subdomain cookies: Setting cookies on www.example.com isolates them to just the www subdomain
  • Performance benefit: Reduces unnecessary cookie transfer, especially beneficial if you have API servers or CDN services on other subdomains

2. Easier CDN Integration

Using www subdomain provides more flexibility when integrating CDN services:

  • Can set up cdn.example.com for static resources without cookie interference
  • More flexible DNS configuration for different services
  • Makes it easier to implement multi-region optimization strategies

3. More Flexible DNS Management

  • www subdomain uses standard CNAME records, supported by all DNS providers
  • Root domain may require special record types (ALIAS, ANAME) depending on the provider
  • www subdomain is easier to migrate and manage

4. Better Service Isolation

Using subdomains allows you to better separate different services:

  • www.example.com - Main website
  • api.example.com - API service
  • blog.example.com - Blog
  • app.example.com - Web application

How to Configure www Subdomain

Configuring a www subdomain is nearly identical to configuring a root domain. The only difference is in the DNS configuration:

DNS Record Configuration:

Type: CNAME
Host: www          (Use "www" instead of "@")
Value: your-project.clacky.app
TTL: 3600 (or Auto)

Key difference: The Host field uses www instead of @.

All other steps (adding domain in ClackyAI, verification, SSL configuration) are exactly the same as root domain configuration.

Configure Root Domain Redirect (Optional but Recommended)

To ensure users can access your site whether they type example.com or www.example.com, it’s recommended to set up a redirect.

Use DNS Provider’s Redirect Feature

Many DNS providers (like Namecheap, GoDaddy) offer URL redirect functionality:

  1. Find the URL redirect or domain forwarding feature in your DNS management panel
  2. Set example.com to redirect to www.example.com
  3. Choose 301 permanent redirect
  4. Enable “Include path” to preserve URL paths

Configuration Example (Cloudflare):

Here’s a complete example of setting up both www subdomain and root domain redirect using Cloudflare:

Configure www subdomain:

Type: CNAME
Name: www
Target: your-project.clacky.app
Proxy status: DNS only (gray cloud)
TTL: Auto

Configure root domain redirect:

  1. Add a Page Rule:

    • URL pattern: example.com/*
    • Setting: Forwarding URL - 301 Permanent Redirect
    • Destination: https://www.example.com/$1

  2. Or add both CNAME records:

    Type: CNAME
Name: @
Target: your-project.clacky.app
Proxy status: DNS only
TTL: Auto

Choosing Between Root Domain and www Subdomain

Choose root domain if:

  • You want shorter, cleaner URLs
  • You don’t have complex multi-subdomain architecture
  • You prefer simpler configuration

Choose www subdomain if:

  • You need better cookie management
  • You plan to use multiple subdomains for different services
  • You want maximum compatibility with all DNS providers
  • You need more flexible CDN integration

Common www Subdomain Issues

Issue: Users visiting root domain can’t access the site

Solution: Set up root domain redirect or add both domains in ClackyAI.

Issue: Cookies showing up on subdomains

Solution: Ensure your application sets cookies specifically for www.example.com rather than .example.com.

Issue: SEO concerns about duplicate content

Solution: Use 301 redirect to point one domain to the other, and set the correct canonical URL in your website’s HTML:

<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.example.com/your-page" />
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