Publishing Your Campaign Using a Custom Domain

Overview

Using a custom domain for your ShortStack campaign gives your contest or promotion a professional look and helps reinforce your brand. Instead of a ShortStack-generated URL, you can have something like https://contests.my-company.com/april-2025. This guide walks you through everything you need to know—even if you’ve never worked with DNS before—to get a custom domain pointing to your ShortStack campaign.

URL Structure Overview

https://contests.my-company.com/april-2025

To ensure correct routing, identify the specific component of the URL you intend to modify:

• Protocol: ShortStack handles HTTPS encryption automatically upon publication.
• Subdomain: The prefix (e.g., contests) used to partition campaign traffic.
• Root Domain: The apex domain (e.g., my-company.com) registered with your registrar.
• Path: The slug (e.g., /april-2025) defined within the ShortStack builder.

DNS Configuration Scenarios

Choose the scenario that matches your architectural requirements. Note that DNS changes may take up to 48 hours to propagate globally.

Scenario A: Root Domain (Apex) with WWW Support

Use this if the root domain is dedicated primarily to ShortStack campaigns.

1. Root Domain A Record

• Type: A
• Host: @ (or leave blank depending on registrar)
• Value: Select ShortStack IP
• TTL: Default (e.g., 3600)

2. WWW CNAME Record

• Type: CNAME
• Host: www
• Value: my-company.com

Scenario B: Individual Subdomains

Use this if your root domain points to an existing website and you only want specific subdomains (e.g., contests.my-company.com) to route to ShortStack.

Subdomain A Record

• Type: A
• Host: contests (or your chosen prefix)
• Value: Select ShortStack IP

Scenario C: Wildcard Subdomains

Use this to automatically route any undefined subdomain to ShortStack.

Wildcard CNAME Record

• Type: CNAME
• Host: *
• Value: my-company.com (Requires the Root Domain A record from Scenario A to be active).

ShortStack IP Addresses

Select one IP address based on the geographic location of your primary audience. Do not multiplex these records.

Example DNS Configurations

Example 1: Root Domain + "www"

Both my-company.com and www.my-company.com serve your campaign.

• A Record: Host @ points to 52.73.46.134
• CNAME Record: Host www points to my-company.com

Example 2: Individual Subdomain (Root Used Elsewhere)

Your main website remains untouched; only the subdomain routes to ShortStack.

• A Record (Existing): Host @ points to your web host IP.
• A Record (New): Host contests points to 13.211.199.127

Deployment and Verification

1. Finalizing the Build

In the ShortStack campaign builder, proceed to the Publish step. Select "Custom Domain" and input the exact domain or subdomain configured in your DNS settings.

2. SSL Provisioning

ShortStack automatically provisions SSL certificates once the DNS is resolved and the campaign is published.

Note: Accessing the URL via HTTPS before publishing will result in a certificate error.

3. Troubleshooting

• Propagation: Changes can take 10 minutes to 48 hours.
• Verification: Use DNS Checker to verify the A record or CNAME is live.
• Error "No records found": Ensure you didn't accidentally create a CNAME where an A record was required. For subdomains, the Host field should only contain the prefix (e.g., contests), not the full domain.

Glossary of Terms

DNS: The system that translates domain names into IP addresses.

A Record: Points a domain or subdomain directly to an IPv4 address.

CNAME: Points a domain or subdomain to another domain name (alias).

TTL (Time to Live): The duration (in seconds) that a DNS record is cached before a refresh is requested.

Propagation: The time it takes for DNS changes to update across all global servers.

Additional Resources

DNS Checker – Live global propagation monitoring.

WhatsMyDNS – Alternative propagation tool.

ShortStack Support: Contact our team on chat or at support@shortstack.com for persistent SSL or configuration issues.