Custom Domain

Master this essential documentation concept

Quick Definition

A custom domain is a personalized web address (like docs.yourcompany.com) that documentation teams use to host their content under their organization's brand, rather than using generic platform URLs (like platform.com/yourcompany/docs). This creates a professional, branded experience while maintaining control over the documentation's web presence and SEO value.

How Custom Domain Works

graph TD A[Documentation Team] --> B[Choose Custom Domain] B --> C[Configure DNS Settings] C --> D[docs.company.com] D --> E[Documentation Platform] E --> F[SSL Certificate Applied] F --> G[Branded Documentation Site] H[Users] --> I[Visit docs.company.com] I --> G G --> J[Professional Experience] G --> K[SEO Benefits] G --> L[Brand Consistency] M[Search Engines] --> D D --> N[Domain Authority] N --> O[Higher Rankings]

Understanding Custom Domain

A custom domain allows documentation teams to present their content under their organization's branded web address, creating a seamless user experience that reinforces brand identity and builds trust with users accessing technical documentation.

Key Features

  • Brand-consistent URL structure that matches your organization's domain
  • SSL certificate support for secure HTTPS connections
  • DNS configuration flexibility for subdomain management
  • SEO ownership that builds authority under your domain
  • Custom redirects and URL routing capabilities

Benefits for Documentation Teams

  • Enhanced credibility and professional appearance for technical content
  • Improved SEO performance as search rankings benefit your main domain
  • Consistent user experience across all company digital properties
  • Greater control over analytics and traffic data
  • Reduced dependency on third-party platform branding
  • Easier migration between documentation platforms without losing SEO value

Common Misconceptions

  • Custom domains don't require advanced technical knowledge to implement
  • They work with most modern documentation platforms, not just self-hosted solutions
  • SSL certificates are typically handled automatically by the platform
  • Custom domains don't significantly impact page loading speeds when properly configured

Real-World Documentation Use Cases

Enterprise API Documentation Branding

Problem

A SaaS company's API documentation hosted on a generic platform URL (platform.com/company-docs) lacks credibility with enterprise customers and doesn't contribute to the company's domain authority.

Solution

Implement a custom domain like api.company.com to host all API documentation, creating a professional branded experience that builds trust with enterprise developers.

Implementation

1. Register or configure subdomain (api.company.com) 2. Update DNS CNAME records to point to documentation platform 3. Configure SSL certificate 4. Set up redirects from old URLs 5. Update all internal links and marketing materials

Expected Outcome

Increased developer trust, improved SEO rankings for API-related searches, and seamless brand experience leading to higher API adoption rates among enterprise customers.

Multi-Product Documentation Consolidation

Problem

A growing tech company has documentation scattered across different platforms with inconsistent URLs, making it difficult for users to find comprehensive product information and hurting overall brand cohesion.

Solution

Establish a unified custom domain structure like help.company.com with organized subdirectories for each product, centralizing all documentation under one branded domain.

Implementation

1. Plan URL structure (help.company.com/product-a, /product-b) 2. Set up custom domain with documentation platform 3. Migrate existing content to new structure 4. Implement proper redirects from old URLs 5. Create unified navigation and search

Expected Outcome

Improved user experience with centralized documentation, better SEO performance, reduced support tickets due to easier information discovery, and stronger brand consistency across all products.

White-Label Documentation for Partners

Problem

A B2B software provider needs to offer documentation to partners under their own branding, but the current generic platform URLs expose the underlying documentation system and break the white-label experience.

Solution

Configure custom domains for each partner (docs.partner1.com, docs.partner2.com) that serve the same content with partner-specific branding and styling.

Implementation

1. Set up custom domain capability with documentation platform 2. Create partner-specific DNS configurations 3. Implement dynamic branding based on domain 4. Configure SSL for each partner domain 5. Set up analytics tracking per partner

Expected Outcome

Seamless white-label experience for partners, increased partner satisfaction and adoption, maintained brand consistency for each partner relationship, and better tracking of partner-specific documentation usage.

Internal Documentation Security and Access

Problem

An enterprise needs to host internal documentation that requires secure access controls, but using external platform URLs raises security concerns and doesn't integrate well with existing corporate infrastructure.

Solution

Deploy custom domain on internal subdomain (docs.internal.company.com) with integrated authentication and access controls that align with corporate security policies.

Implementation

1. Configure internal subdomain with IT department 2. Set up custom domain with documentation platform 3. Integrate with corporate SSO/LDAP 4. Configure access controls and permissions 5. Implement audit logging and compliance features

Expected Outcome

Enhanced security posture, seamless integration with existing corporate systems, improved compliance with internal policies, and better user adoption due to familiar domain structure.

Best Practices

✓ Choose Intuitive Subdomain Structure

Select subdomains that clearly communicate the purpose and make logical sense to your users. The subdomain should immediately convey that users are accessing documentation or help content.

✓ Do: Use clear, descriptive subdomains like docs.company.com, help.company.com, or api.company.com that align with user expectations and are easy to remember.
✗ Don't: Avoid confusing or overly technical subdomains like kb.company.com, support.company.com (if it's not support), or random abbreviations that users won't associate with documentation.

✓ Implement Proper SSL and Security

Ensure your custom domain has proper SSL certificates and security configurations to protect user data and maintain trust, especially for sensitive technical documentation.

✓ Do: Use HTTPS with valid SSL certificates, implement proper security headers, and regularly monitor certificate expiration dates to prevent access issues.
✗ Don't: Never launch with HTTP-only access, ignore SSL certificate warnings, or assume the documentation platform handles all security aspects without verification.

✓ Plan URL Structure for SEO and Usability

Design a logical URL hierarchy that supports both search engine optimization and user navigation, making it easy to find and share specific documentation pages.

✓ Do: Create clean, descriptive URLs like docs.company.com/api/authentication that reflect content hierarchy and include relevant keywords for better SEO.
✗ Don't: Use complex query parameters, random page IDs, or deeply nested structures that make URLs difficult to share or remember.

✓ Set Up Comprehensive Redirects

When migrating to a custom domain, implement proper redirects from old URLs to maintain SEO value and ensure existing bookmarks and links continue to work.

✓ Do: Create 301 redirects for all existing URLs, test redirect chains, and monitor for broken links during the transition period.
✗ Don't: Leave old URLs returning 404 errors, create redirect loops, or assume users will find new URLs without proper redirection from old ones.

✓ Monitor Performance and Analytics

Regularly track your custom domain's performance, including page load times, search rankings, and user engagement metrics to ensure optimal documentation experience.

✓ Do: Set up Google Analytics, monitor Core Web Vitals, track search console data, and establish baseline metrics to measure improvement over time.
✗ Don't: Ignore performance metrics after initial setup, rely solely on platform analytics without comprehensive tracking, or fail to monitor for DNS or SSL issues that could impact accessibility.

How Docsie Helps with Custom Domain

Modern documentation platforms like Docsie streamline custom domain implementation, making it accessible to documentation teams without requiring extensive technical expertise or IT department involvement.

  • One-click custom domain setup with automatic SSL certificate provisioning and renewal
  • Built-in DNS guidance and validation tools that simplify the configuration process
  • Seamless integration with existing brand assets including custom styling and logos
  • Advanced analytics and SEO tools that maximize the benefits of custom domain ownership
  • Automatic redirect management during platform migrations to preserve SEO value
  • Multi-domain support for organizations managing multiple product lines or partner relationships
  • Enterprise-grade security features including SSO integration and access controls
  • Performance optimization with global CDN support for fast loading times worldwide
See How Docsie Can Help

Related Documentation Terms

Version Control 2 shared articles Knowledge Base 2 shared articles SSL 2 shared articles API 1 shared articles Product Documentation 1 shared articles

Build Better Documentation with Docsie

Join thousands of teams creating outstanding documentation

Start Free Trial