Connect a Custom Domain: DNS Setup by Provider
Point your own domain to the ISPbills Partner platform with a single CNAME record to app.ispbills.com, then verify it. Includes step-by-step guides for Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Hostinger, Namecheap, ResellerClub and other providers.
Point your own domain to the ISPbills Partner platform with a single CNAME record to app.ispbills.com, then verify it. Includes step-by-step guides for Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Hostinger, Namecheap, ResellerClub and other providers.
On this page
Your Partner website can run on your own domain, such as billing.yourbrand.com. You do this by adding one DNS record at whichever company manages your domain’s DNS, then verifying it inside the Partner portal. This guide explains the single rule that applies everywhere, then links to exact steps for the most common providers.
For the full domain workflow (managed subdomain, adding the hostname, making it primary), see Partner Website, Branding and Domains.
The one rule: a CNAME to app.ispbills.com
Whatever provider you use, you always create the same record:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Record type | CNAME |
| Name / Host / Alias | your chosen subdomain only — for billing.yourbrand.com enter billing |
| Value / Target / Points to / Destination | app.ispbills.com |
| TTL | Automatic, or the lowest available (e.g. 3600 / 1 hour) |
| Proxy / Cloud / CDN | Off — DNS only |
That is the entire change. ISPbills issues and renews the HTTPS certificate for your domain automatically once the record is verified.
Do not enable a proxy/CDN on this record (for example Cloudflare’s orange cloud). A proxy hides your CNAME from the public internet, so verification cannot see it and will fail. Keep the record DNS only at least until the domain shows Active.
Use a subdomain — the root/apex domain is not supported directly
Point a subdomain such as billing., portal., app., my. or www. at ISPbills. You cannot point the bare root/apex domain (yourbrand.com with no prefix) at ISPbills, because:
- the DNS standard does not allow a CNAME on the apex; and
- ISPbills verifies your domain by reading a CNAME record. Provider “apex workarounds” — Cloudflare CNAME-flattening, or ALIAS/ANAME records on Namecheap, Route 53 and others — publish A records at the apex, not a CNAME, so verification will not find one and will fail. A plain A record does not work either.
So the apex is always set up as a subdomain plus a redirect. See Use your root/apex domain (yourbrand.com) below.
Use your root/apex domain (yourbrand.com)
If you want visitors who type the bare yourbrand.com to reach your Partner site, use this two-part pattern:
- Set up a subdomain as your real ISPbills domain — for example
www.yourbrand.comorbilling.yourbrand.com— with the CNAME above, and make it primary in Partner → Domains. This is the address ISPbills actually serves and secures. - Forward the apex to that subdomain. In your registrar/DNS provider, add domain forwarding (also called URL redirect, URL forwarding or redirect rule) that sends
yourbrand.com→https://www.yourbrand.comas a permanent (301) redirect, with forward path/query enabled if offered.
Where to find forwarding, by provider:
| Provider | Where to set up apex → subdomain forwarding |
|---|---|
| Cloudflare | Rules → Redirect Rules (or a Bulk Redirect): match yourbrand.com/*, redirect to https://www.yourbrand.com/$1, 301. A DNS-only “dummy” A record like 192.0.2.1 on the apex is needed so the rule can run. |
| GoDaddy | Domain Settings → Forwarding → Add Forwarding: forward to https://www.yourbrand.com, Permanent (301). |
| Namecheap | Domain List → Manage → Redirect Domain (URL Redirect record with host @), type Permanent (301). |
| Hostinger | Domains → Manage → Redirects (or a URL-redirect DNS record), 301 to your subdomain. |
| ResellerClub / BigRock | Manage DNS → URL Forwarding for host @ (or the registrar’s Domain Forwarding add-on). |
| Other / cPanel | Use the panel’s Redirects tool, or an apex URL-forwarding record if offered. |
After forwarding is live, typing yourbrand.com lands the visitor on your verified www. / billing. site over HTTPS.
Prefer the subdomain to be www.yourbrand.com if you want the “main” address to look like a root domain to customers — most people never notice the www., and it is the only apex-friendly option that ISPbills can verify and secure.
Provider guides
- Cloudflare
- GoDaddy
- Hostinger
- Namecheap
- ResellerClub (and BigRock / other Orderbox panels)
- Any other provider
After you add the record
- Wait for DNS to publish. This is usually a few minutes but can take up to a few hours.
- Open Partner → Domains and add the full hostname (for example
billing.yourbrand.com) with nohttps://and no trailing path. - Select Verify DNS.
- When the status becomes Active, set it as your primary domain.
You can check that the record is public with a free tool such as dnschecker.org — search your subdomain as a CNAME and confirm it returns app.ispbills.com.
If verification fails
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
| “CNAME must point to app.ispbills.com” | Confirm the record type is CNAME and the value is exactly app.ispbills.com with no extra path, https://, or trailing text. |
| Record saved but not found | Wait longer for propagation, then re-check. Confirm you edited DNS at the company your domain’s nameservers actually point to. |
| Still fails on Cloudflare | Set the record’s proxy status to DNS only (grey cloud), not Proxied (orange cloud). |
| Root/apex domain will not save as CNAME, or apex verification fails | The apex cannot be pointed directly — CNAME-flattening/ALIAS publish A records, which do not verify. Use a subdomain (e.g. www.yourbrand.com) and forward the apex to it. See Use your root/apex domain. |
If the record is correct and public but still will not verify after a few hours, open a ticket from Partner → Support with your hostname.