Custom domain (CNAME)

👉 How to add and configure a custom domain (CNAME)
🔎 Custom domain particularities
❌ Delete a custom domain
❓ FAQs

You can now link your custom domain to the platform to personalize your Sessions Workspace account. Remember, the process requires you to have a domain purchased and already set up.

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If you need help setting up your CNAME, please see the documentation for your domain provider. Here are some useful links: 👉 Godaddy: Add a CNAME record 👉 Namecheap: How to Create a CNAME Record For Your Domain 👉 Google Domains: Add a CNAME record to your domain’s DNS records 👉 Cloudflare: What is a CNAME record and how to add one

👉 How to add and configure a custom domain (CNAME)

Go to My Profile (lower left corner).
Click View Profile.
Click on Custom domain.

Switch on the Apply custom domain button.
Add your domain when prompted (e.g., testexample.com).

From the table, copy the CNAME value and go to your DNS settings page.
Add this value as CNAME for the following records in your DNS configuration that you need to create:

Sessions app: <your.domain>
Sessions services: event.<your.domain>

api.<your.domain>

auth.<your.domain>

Back in Sessions, you’ll see two statuses next to your domain: “Waiting for DNS” and “Waiting for SSL”. This step can take a few minutes to process.

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Please check your domain settings if the “Waiting for DNS” status hasn’t changed after more than 5 minutes. There might be an issue there.

If everything is in order, the status will eventually change to Ready.

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If the domain is invalid or has been previously added, you’ll get an error. It's not possible to link the same custom domain to multiple workspaces or two domains under the same workspace. You’ll need to choose a different domain.

🔎 Custom domain particularities

Only Workspace Administrators can set up custom domains.
The Sessions domain will still be available to you. You can access both at any given time.
Email notifications will be sent for your custom domain, if the custom domain is active and ready. The invitation link that your participants will receive will be for this domain (your.domain/session/etc.). When the custom domain is disabled, the links will be sent with the Sessions domain (app.sessions.us/session/etc.).
For security reasons, every action that requires authentication between Sessions and outside providers, will be done on the Sessions domain. This includes:

Sync for Calendars: You will be redirected to the Sessions domain in a new tab. After you manage your connections, you will be able to see them both in the Sessions domain and your custom domain.
Any integration that requires authentication (Google Word, Google Slides, Google Sheets, etc.): You will be redirected to the Sessions domain in a new tab. After the sync is done, you can use the tools in the Sessions domain or your custom domain.

In the Lobby of Planned sessions or during live gatherings, you will be able to start the sync process for tools that require it (Google Word, Google Sheets, Notion, Evernote).

You will also be redirected to a new tab to the Sessions domain, where the authentication process will take place. When it is done, you will need to refresh the original tab with your Planned session or live meeting for the changes to take effect.

To avoid this hassle, we advise you to review these steps before the session or event is live.

❌ Delete a custom domain

Once you switch off the toggle, it will completely delete the link to your custom domain.

Note: If you’ve created sessions or events and invited others, they will see an error message when trying to access the gathering’s link on your custom domain. They will not be redirected to the Sessions domain.

Temporary workaround: Go to your Sessions account and make a change to your session’s name or date. This will trigger an email notification for your participants that you’ve made changes to the session, and it will include the session’s link from the Sessions domain.

❓ FAQs

F.A.Q.	Answer
Does the Custom Domain feature require me to transfer my Domain to you?	No. You retain ownership and rights to your domain and subdomains. By configuring the feature you are only forwarding traffic to Sessions for the selected subdomains. You can disable the feature anytime and remove any entries from your DNS Configuration.
How many Domains can I add? / Can I have more than 1 custom domain?	For the time being, only one domain can be added per organization.
Can I rename the custom domain? / Can I change the custom domain?	No. In order to change it, you have to disable the Custom Domain feature and re-enable it and go over the setup again.
Why do I have to use a subdomain?	Due to the way DNS systems work, you cannot define a CNAME record for your root domain. Your root domain is used to host your website and for emails. Due to this, Sessions can only use a subdomain for this feature.
Why do I have to add 4 CNAME records to my DNS?	Sessions has multiple services that provide distinct core functionalities. Some of these services are tied to the application domain. As such, these services also need CNAME records in order to function properly.
What is the purpose of the additional 3 subdomains?	Each of them points to a core service, as follows: Api - all data is sent and fetched via the API service; Auth - ensures security and authentication within the app; Event - when you organize an event in Sessions, this service handles all the data and additional functionality
During the configuration, the 4 CNAME values you provide do not have my domain? Is this right?	Yes. Your DNS system will automatically append your domain for those values. You can read more about this here: http://www.dns-sd.org/trailingdotsindomainnames.html
The Value for the CNAME record is “cname.sessions.us.” It has a trailing dot. Is this right?	Yes. A dot at the end of a value means that your DNS system should not automatically add your domain. You can read more about it here: http://www.dns-sd.org/trailingdotsindomainnames.html
What does “Issuing SSL Certificate” mean? And what are they used for?	A SSL Certificate is used to encrypt traffic over the internet to secure communications. Each domain/subdomain requires a distinct SSL Certificate.
I have my own SSL certificate. Why do you have to issue them for my subdomains?	The SSL Certificate for a Domain/subdomain must reside on the system that is serving it. Since SSL certificates are critical for security, we cannot request you to share your certificates with us. As such, we issue SSL certificates for the required subdomains.
The status for the custom domain is stuck in “Pending” and the subdomains show “Validating DNS”	It can take up to 15 minutes for the system to validate the subdomain entries in your DNS. However, if after 15 minutes, the system still shows this status, please check your DNS configuration and contact support.
The status for the custom domain is stuck in “Pending” and the subdomains show “Issuing SSL Certificate”	Usually issuing the certificates can take up to 15 minutes. However, at peak loads, it can take up to an hour. If the status does not change after this time, please contact support.
The status for the custom domain is Active and all subdomains show all green, but I’m still seeing “sessions.us” as the domain.	The application does not automatically redirect you to the domain you configured. Please go to the Custom Domain page and click the “Visit Domain” link.
After configuring the Custom Domain, how can I use it in the emails sent by Sessions?	After the Custom Domain is configured, all emails will use it automatically without any other action required on your side.