Custom Domains
This guide provides step-by-step instructions for businesses looking to set up a custom branded domain for your loyalty website host ted by Perkville and emails sent by Perkville.
Setting up a custom branded domain
Custom branding your loyalty website’s domain enhances your brand's visibility and trust by ensuring that your customers access the rewards platform from a domain that reflects your business name. Follow these instructions to set up and configure your custom branded domain.
Configure DNS Settings
Access Your DNS Provider: Log in to your domain's DNS provider (e.g., GoDaddy, Cloudflare, etc.).
Create a CNAME Record:
CNAME Setup: You will will need to create a CNAME DNS record that points the domain you are using (e.g., rewards.mybiz.com) to a subdomain that Perkville controls.
Subdomain Information: Typically, we will use a related naming scheme such as mybiz.perkville.com. We will provide you with the exact subdomain information once we have configured the URL.
Example:
Host: rewards (if your subdomain is rewards.mybiz.com)
Type: CNAME
Value: mybiz.perkville.com
Save Changes: After setting up the CNAME record, save the changes in your DNS provider's dashboard.
Please allow up to 48 hours for the DNS changes to propagate
Provide TLS/SSL Certificates
To ensure secure connections for your custom branded domain, you will need to provide Perkville with TLS/SSL certificates for the domain you have set up. This includes:
The SSL certificate file (usually in .crt or .pem format).
The private key file (usually in .key or .pem format).
Any intermediate certificates (if applicable).
Please send these files securely to Perkville’s support team.
Notify Perkville
Once you have completed the DNS setup and provided the necessary TLS/SSL certificates, please notify Perkville by emailing [email protected] with the following details:
Your chosen subdomain
Confirmation that the DNS record has been set up
Include the TLS/SSL certificates you received from a certificate authority.
While you can send the certificate and private key files in the body of the email, it is a best practice to use a secure, private, and time-sensitive link to share these. This method ensures that the certificates are only accessible by the intended recipient and for a limited time.
Perkville will then complete the configuration on our end to ensure that your custom branded domain is active and secure.
After successful testing, your custom branded domain will be fully operational. All customer access to the rewards platform will now occur under your chosen subdomain, maintaining consistency with your brand.
Setting up custom branded emails
Custom branding your email communications ensures that your customers receive emails from a domain that reflects your business name, enhancing brand trust and recognition. As part of this process, you will need to set up a few DNS records to ensure proper email authentication and security.
Choose Your Custom Branded Email Domain
When choosing the domain for sending emails, use a Subdomain of a top-level domain you own. Sending emails from a subdomain (e.g., rewards.mybiz.com or points.mybiz.com) rather than the top-level domain (mybiz.com) is advisable. This avoids potential conflicts if you use other email services for different purposes, such as marketing campaigns. Consider using the same domain as your rewards program or another relevant subdomain. Once you decide, please provide this information to Perkville, and our team will assist you with the necessary DNS records setup.
Once you have chosen the subdomain for sending emails, notify Perkville by emailing [email protected]. We will guide you through the next steps and provide the necessary DNS records.
Configure DNS Settings
To ensure that emails sent on behalf of your brand are authenticated and trusted, you’ll need to provide certain DNS records. The specific records and values will be generated based on your chosen domain and provided to you by Perkville.
Here’s what you’ll need to do:
CNAME Records: Perkville will provide you with CNAME records that need to be added to your DNS settings. These typically include records for domain authentication and link branding.
TXT Records: You will also receive TXT records that must be added to your DNS settings, including SPF, DKIM, and (optionally) DMARC records.
Link Branding Setup: To ensure that all links and tracked images in your emails appear to come from your domain, additional CNAME records will be provided. These records will allow links to be branded with your domain, improving trust and deliverability.
Notify Perkville: After adding the necessary DNS records to your domain’s DNS settings, provide Perkville with confirmation and any required details, such as screenshots, to ensure proper setup.
Perkville will then complete the configuration on our end to ensure that your custom branded email settings, including link branding, are active.
Testing and Verification
After Perkville has completed the setup, we recommend sending a test email:
Assign Points to a Test User: Add points to a test user in your Perkville account through the admin dashboard. This action will automatically create the test user if they do not already exist and trigger an email notification.
Verify Email Delivery: Ensure that the test user receives the email from your custom branded domain and check that the email is properly authenticated.
After successful testing, your custom branded emails will be fully operational. All customer communications from the loyalty program will now occur under your custom branded email domain, maintaining consistency with your brand.
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