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How to Set Up a Custom Domain

The guide provides step-by-step instructions for setting up custom domains for Speak AI's embeddable services.

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Written by Speak Ai
Updated this week

Follow these steps to set up a custom domain for your Speak AI service (Recorder, Player, or Library). The process is the same for all service types.

Step 1: Add Your Domain

  1. Go to Settings → Custom Domains

  2. Select your service type (Recorder, Player, or Library)

  3. Enter your custom domain (e.g., recorder.yourdomain.com, player.yourdomain.com, or library.yourdomain.com)

    • Do not include http:// or https://

    • Do not include trailing slashes

Step 2: Add DNS Records

After adding your domain, you’ll receive 2 CNAME records that need to be added to your domain’s DNS settings.

How to add:

  1. Log in to your domain provider’s DNS management panel

  2. Find the DNS records section

  3. Add the first CNAME record with the name and value provided by Speak AI

  4. Add the second CNAME record with the name and value provided by Speak AI

  5. Save the changes

NOTE: Ensure the Proxy Status is set to DNS Only!

Note: Copy the exact values provided - they must match exactly. If the second CNAME record is not immediately available, check back in a few minutes.

Step 3: Wait for Verification

Once you’ve added both CNAME records:

  1. DNS Propagation: DNS changes can take 5-15 minutes to propagate (sometimes up to 48 hours)

  2. Automatic Verification: Speak AI automatically checks your DNS records every 2 minutes. You’ll see status updates in your dashboard:

    • Pending: DNS records not yet verified

    • Verified: DNS records verified, processing

    • Active: Domain is ready to use

Total time: Typically 30-60 minutes from when DNS records are added, but can take up to 2 hours.

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue: DNS records not verifying

Possible causes:

  1. DNS propagation delay: Wait 15-30 minutes after adding records

  2. Incorrect values: Double-check that you copied the CNAME values exactly (including trailing dots if present)

  3. Wrong record type: Ensure you’re adding CNAME records, not A records

  4. Subdomain vs root domain: If using a subdomain (e.g., recorder.domain.com), add the CNAME at the subdomain level

Solution:

  • Verify records using DNS lookup tools (e.g., dig or online DNS checkers)

  • Ensure the CNAME value matches exactly what Speak AI provided

  • Try manually triggering verification from the dashboard

Issue: SSL certificate is not issuing

Possible causes:

  1. SSL validation CNAME not added correctly

  2. DNS propagation delay

  3. Certificate validation taking longer than expected

Solution:

  • Verify the SSL validation CNAME record is added correctly

  • Wait up to 30 minutes for certificate validation

  • Check that the SSL CNAME name and value match exactly

Checking Your Domain Status

You can check your domain status at any time:

  1. Go to Settings → Custom Domains

  2. Find your domain in the list

  3. Check the status indicators:

    • Domain CNAME: Shows if verified (green checkmark)

    • SSL Certificate: Shows status (Pending, Issued, Failed)

    • CloudFront Status: Shows deployment status

    • Overall Status: Pending, Verified, or Active

How to remove a custom domain

If you need to remove a custom domain:

  1. Go to Settings → Custom Domains

  2. Find the domain you want to remove

  3. Click Delete or Remove

  4. The system will automatically:

    • Remove the domain from CloudFront

    • Clean up the SSL certificate (if not in use elsewhere)

    • Remove the domain from your account

Important Notes

  • One domain per service: You can only have one active custom domain per service type at a time

  • DNS propagation: DNS changes can take time to propagate globally

  • Automatic processing: The system automatically verifies and activates domains - no manual steps needed after adding DNS records

  • HTTPS only: Custom domains are configured for HTTPS only

  • CloudFront deployment: Each domain gets its own CloudFront distribution, which takes 15-30 minutes to deploy

Need Help?

If you encounter any issues:

  1. Check the domain status in your dashboard

  2. Verify your DNS records are correct using DNS lookup tools

  3. Wait for DNS propagation (up to 48 hours in rare cases)

  4. Contact Speak AI support with:

    • Your domain name

    • The DNS records you added

    • Screenshots of your DNS configuration

    • Any error messages you’re seeing

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