Custom Domains

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Overview

By default, your Pocketsflow pages use these URLs:

• Creator page: https://yourname.pocketsflow.com
• Products: https://pocketsflow.com/p/product-slug
• Checkout: https://pocketsflow.com/checkout/product-id

Custom domains let you replace these with your own branded URLs like:

• https://yourdomain.com
• https://shop.yourdomain.com
• https://courses.yourdomain.com

Benefits:

• ✅ Professional branding
• ✅ Better SEO and memorability
• ✅ Higher trust and conversion rates
• ✅ Consistent brand experience
• ✅ Keeps original URLs as backup

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What You Can Customize

Custom domains can point to different parts of your Pocketsflow presence:

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Requirements

Before starting, you need:

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1. Domain Ownership

Purchase a domain from any registrar:

• Recommended: Cloudflare, Google Domains, Namecheap, GoDaddy
• Budget: $10-15/year for .com domain
• Alternative TLDs: .io, .co, .xyz (varies in price)

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2. DNS Access

You must be able to:

• Log in to domain registrar account
• Access DNS management panel
• Create or modify DNS records (CNAME, A records)

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3. Decision: Root vs. Subdomain

Root Domain (yourdomain.com):

• ✅ Shortest, most memorable
• ✅ Best for primary brand
• ❌ Cannot use domain for other purposes
• ❌ Slightly more complex DNS setup

Subdomain (shop.yourdomain.com):

• ✅ Keep main site separate
• ✅ Easier DNS setup (CNAME only)
• ✅ Can have multiple (shop, courses, store)
• ❌ Slightly longer URL

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Step-by-Step Setup Guide

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Step 1: Add Domain in Pocketsflow

1. Go to Settings → Custom Domains
2. Click Add Custom Domain
3. Enter your domain:
   • Root: yourdomain.com
   • Subdomain: shop.yourdomain.com
4. Click Add Domain

What happens next:

• Pocketsflow creates DNS record instructions
• Domain status shows as “Pending Verification”
• You’ll see DNS records to add

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Step 2: Configure DNS Records

Copy the DNS records from Pocketsflow dashboard and add them to your DNS provider.

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For Subdomain (Recommended)

Record Type: CNAME Provider-specific steps: Cloudflare:

1. Log in to Cloudflare
2. Select your domain
3. Go to DNS → Records
4. Click Add record
5. Select CNAME
6. Enter name: shop
7. Target: Pocketsflow CNAME value
8. ⚠️ Important: Toggle off “Proxy status” (gray cloud, not orange)
9. Click Save

Google Domains:

1. Sign in to Google Domains
2. Select your domain
3. Click DNS in left sidebar
4. Scroll to Custom resource records
5. Name: shop
6. Type: CNAME
7. Data: Pocketsflow CNAME value
8. Click Add

Namecheap:

1. Sign in to Namecheap
2. Domain List → Manage your domain
3. Advanced DNS tab
4. Click Add New Record
5. Type: CNAME
6. Host: shop
7. Value: Pocketsflow CNAME value
8. Click Save

GoDaddy:

1. Sign in to GoDaddy
2. My Products → DNS for your domain
3. Click Add under Records
4. Type: CNAME
5. Name: shop
6. Value: Pocketsflow CNAME value
7. TTL: 1 hour
8. Click Save

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For Root Domain

Record Type: A Record (or ALIAS/ANAME if supported) Option A - A Records (Most providers): Add these A records: Option B - ALIAS/ANAME (Cloudflare, DNSimple):

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Step 3: Verify Domain

After adding DNS records:

1. Return to Settings → Custom Domains in Pocketsflow
2. Find your domain in the list
3. Click Verify Domain or Check Status
4. Wait for verification

Verification process:

• Pocketsflow checks DNS records
• Can take 5 minutes to 48 hours for DNS propagation
• Status updates automatically
• Email notification when verified

Domain statuses:

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Step 4: SSL Certificate

Once verified, Pocketsflow automatically:

1. Issues free SSL certificate (via Let’s Encrypt)
2. Enables HTTPS on your domain
3. Redirects HTTP → HTTPS automatically

SSL status: Check in Custom Domains dashboard Typical timeline:

• Verification → SSL issued: 15 minutes - 2 hours
• Full propagation: Up to 24-48 hours globally

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Testing Your Custom Domain

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Before Sharing Publicly

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DNS Propagation Check

Use these tools to check DNS propagation:

• whatsmydns.net
• dnschecker.org

Enter your domain and check CNAME or A records are correct globally.

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Managing Custom Domains

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Viewing Domain Settings

Settings → Custom Domains shows:

• Domain name
• Verification status
• SSL certificate status
• Target (Creator Page, Product, etc.)
• Date added
• Last verified

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Updating Domain Target

Change what your domain points to:

1. Settings → Custom Domains
2. Click domain name
3. Select new target:
   • Creator Page
   • Specific product
4. Click Update

Domain stays verified, just changes destination.

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Removing Domain

To disconnect a domain:

1. Settings → Custom Domains
2. Click domain
3. Click Remove Domain
4. Confirm removal

After removal:

• Original pocketsflow.com URLs still work
• Optionally delete DNS records from provider
• Domain can be reconnected later

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Multiple Domains

You can connect multiple domains to different pages: Example setup: Use cases:

• Different product categories
• Geographic regions (.com, .co.uk)
• Rebrand transition (keep old domain working)
• A/B testing different URLs

Limits: Check your Pocketsflow plan for domain limits (usually 3-10 domains)

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Common DNS Providers

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Cloudflare (Recommended)

Why Cloudflare:

• Free DNS management
• Fast propagation (5-10 minutes)
• Easy interface
• Free CDN and DDoS protection

Setup steps:

1. Transfer nameservers to Cloudflare (if domain elsewhere)
2. Add CNAME record
3. Disable proxy (gray cloud)
4. Save changes

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Google Domains

Steps:

1. DNS → Custom records
2. Add CNAME: shop → pocketsflow value
3. Save
4. Propagation: 10-30 minutes

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Namecheap

Steps:

1. Advanced DNS tab
2. Add CNAME Record
3. Save
4. Propagation: 30 minutes - 2 hours

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GoDaddy

Steps:

1. DNS Management
2. Add CNAME record
3. Save
4. Propagation: 30 minutes - 4 hours

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Troubleshooting

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Domain Not Verifying

Problem: Status stuck on “Pending” after 24 hours Solutions:

1. Check DNS records:
   • Log in to DNS provider
   • Verify CNAME/A record exists exactly as shown
   • Check for typos in value
2. Check TTL: Set to 3600 or Auto
3. Cloudflare users: Ensure proxy is OFF (gray cloud)
4. Multiple records: Remove duplicate DNS records
5. DNS cache: Clear your DNS cache:
   • Windows: ipconfig /flushdns
   • Mac: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache
6. Contact support: If still failing after 48 hours

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SSL Certificate Issues

Problem: “Not Secure” warning or certificate errors Solutions:

1. Wait: SSL can take up to 2 hours after verification
2. Check status: Settings → Custom Domains → SSL Status
3. Force HTTPS: Clear browser cache, use https:// explicitly
4. Certificate renewal: Automatic, but can take time

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”DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN” Error

Problem: Browser cannot find domain Solutions:

1. DNS not propagated: Wait 24-48 hours
2. Wrong DNS records: Double-check CNAME/A record values
3. Nameservers: Ensure domain’s nameservers are correct
4. Try different network: Test on mobile data vs. WiFi

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Cloudflare “Too Many Redirects”

Problem: Redirect loop Solution: Turn off Cloudflare proxy (orange cloud → gray cloud)

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Domain Points to Wrong Page

Problem: Domain shows different content Solutions:

1. Check target: Settings → Custom Domains → verify target
2. Update target: Change to correct page
3. Clear cache: Hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R)

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Email vs. Web Domains

Important distinction: Web Domain (this guide):

• For accessing your Pocketsflow pages
• CNAME or A records
• Configured in Settings → Custom Domains

Email Sending Domain (separate):

• For sending newsletters from your domain
• SPF, DKIM, DMARC records
• Configured in Settings → Email

See Newsletter for email domain setup.

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SEO Considerations

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Benefits of Custom Domains

SEO improvements:

• ✅ Brand recognition in search results
• ✅ Keyword-rich URLs possible
• ✅ Link authority stays with your domain
• ✅ Professional appearance increases CTR

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Best Practices

1. Use HTTPS: Automatic with Pocketsflow
2. Descriptive subdomains: courses.example.com > c.example.com
3. Consistent URLs: Don’t change frequently
4. 301 redirects: Keep old URLs working if changing

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URL Structure

Good:

• courses.creator.com - Clear purpose
• shop.brand.com - Brand focused

Avoid:

• cr.example.com - Unclear abbreviation
• 8t3kls.example.com - Random characters

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Advanced: Domain Forwarding

If you want multiple domains to point to same content: Option 1 - DNS (Recommended):

• Point both domains’ DNS to Pocketsflow
• Add both in Settings → Custom Domains

Option 2 - HTTP Redirect:

• Use registrar’s forwarding feature
• Forward olddomain.com → newdomain.com
• Then only add newdomain.com to Pocketsflow

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FAQ

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Can I use www subdomain?

Yes! Add both:

• yourdomain.com (root)
• www.yourdomain.com (subdomain)

Both will work and redirect to same page.

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Do I need to renew the domain?

Yes, renew with your registrar annually (usually $10-15/year). Pocketsflow doesn’t charge for custom domains.

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Can I transfer my domain?

Yes, custom domains can be transferred between registrars without affecting Pocketsflow connection. Just update DNS records at new registrar.

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What if my registrar doesn’t support CNAME for root?

Use a subdomain (www or shop) instead, or switch to a registrar that supports ALIAS/ANAME records (Cloudflare, DNS Simple).

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Can I use internationalized domain (IDN)?

Yes, domains with special characters are supported (e.g., café.com, münchen.de).

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Next Steps