By default, your client-facing links (invoices, forms, schedulers, and client portals) use hello.dubsado.com. Connecting a custom domain swaps that out for your own branded URL, like portal.yourdomain.com, so clients never see the Dubsado domain.
What a custom domain does
Connecting a custom domain replaces hello.dubsado.com with your own domain across every client-facing link: invoices, forms, schedulers, and client portals. The custom part only replaces the section before your domain (for example, portal in portal.yourdomain.com). The characters after .com stay the same, since they point to your specific invoices and forms.
Setting up a custom domain is a two-part process. First you'll create a CNAME record with your domain host, then you'll verify it inside Dubsado.
To get started, go to Settings ➔ URL customization. You can reach Settings by clicking your name at the bottom of the left navigation.
This same page also holds your URL metadata settings, the browser tab title, favicon, and social media preview information clients see when they open your links.
Only Admin and Owner roles can access URL customization settings.
Create a CNAME record with your domain host
The first step happens outside Dubsado, with your domain host.
Every domain host is different. This guide may not cover everything for your specific host. Reach out to your host or check their help docs if you get stuck.
To create a CNAME on your domain:
Decide what your CNAME will be, the first part of your URL (for example,
apporportal; other common choices arehelp,client, ordashboard).Sign in to your domain host and locate your DNS settings (often under cPanel or an advanced settings area).
Add a new DNS record.
Select CNAME as the record type.
Find the field called Record or Name and enter the CNAME you chose.
In the data or value field, enter
ssl.dubsado.com. This is where the CNAME maps to.
If you'd rather follow guided, step-by-step instructions, click Start guided setup on the URL customization page to walk through these same steps in a modal.
After you create the CNAME, it can take a few hours (up to 48 hours) for the record to become active. Verification in Dubsado won't work until the CNAME is active.
Verify your URL in Dubsado
Once your CNAME is active, head back to Dubsado to verify it and connect your domain.
Go to Settings ➔ URL customization.
In the Custom domain setup card, enter your CNAME URL in the URL field (prefixed with
https://; for example,portal.domainexample.com).Click Verify. The button shows a spinner while Dubsado checks your CNAME.
Once verification succeeds, your connected domain appears in the card.
You can also verify through the guided setup: click Start guided setup, then use the URL field and Verify URL button in Step 2: Verify your URL.
If verification returns an error, your CNAME likely wasn't set up correctly. Contact your domain host to double check the record.
If you already have your CNAME set up, you can skip the guided setup and verify directly in the URL field.
Once connected: what you'll see
Once your domain is verified, the Custom domain setup card shows your live portal link on your custom domain instead of the URL field.
To disconnect your custom domain, click Reset. This removes your custom domain and reverts your links back to hello.dubsado.com.
Resetting your custom domain reverts your links to hello.dubsado.com. Any forms or links you already sent using your custom URL will no longer work.
FAQ
Can I change my CNAME?
Yes, but we don't recommend it. Changing your CNAME breaks all previously sent links that used the old one, so you'd need to resend everything with the new CNAME.
Can I use the same CNAME with more than one workspace?
No. Two workspaces can't have the same CNAME verified at the same time.
I kept my domain but changed hosts. Will my CNAME still work?
No. After you move to a new host, you'll need to set up your CNAME record again by following the steps in this article.
I'm using Cloudflare and having trouble setting up a CNAME.
Turn off or disable the proxy for that record. You want to see a grey cloud, not an orange one.