How do I set up a custom domain name (CNAME) in ActiveCampaign?

You can mask your myaccount.activehosted.com URL with your own domain name by using a domain alias. Doing so will change the URL in which you log in to use your ActiveCampaign account. In addition, any links generated from your ActiveCampaign account will reflect your domain alias.

Take note

• It can take up to 48 hours for your CNAME to propagate
• A CNAME record maps an alias name to a single canonical domain name, allowing you to point one domain to another. A CNAME cannot be used for multiple accounts simultaneously because it can only point to a single destination. This is not a limitation on our end but rather an intended design of the Domain Name System (DNS) protocol

Step 1: Set up a CNAME

To use a custom domain name with ActiveCampaign, you must first set up a DNS record for a CNAME (or Canonical Name) with your domain registrar or hosting provider.

To illustrate, we will use a Godaddy account to add a CNAME. The instructions below are specific to Godaddy, and your hosting provider may have different instructions.

1. Log into your Godaddy account.
2. Click “Domains.”
3. Click the “Manage DNS” link.
4. Click "Add" and select CNAME from the dropdown list.
5. Complete the fields listed:
   
   • Name: the sub-domain of the site. Ex. if your site is yourdomain.com, you can type in newsletter under host to have the newsletter.yourdomain.com URL
   • Value: type in your ActiveCampaign.com account. Ex. acdemo.activehosted.com
   • TTL: Time to Live, you can put in 43200 (for seconds) or 12 (for hours)
6. Click "Save Zone File."

Step 2: Add the CNAME to your ActiveCampaign account

1. Log into your ActiveCampaign account.
2. Click "Settings" on the bottom left of your screen. 
3. From the left side menu, select “Domains.”
4. Type in the Domain Alias you created with your domain registrar or hosting provider.
5. Click “Save Settings."

You’re all set! Now, all you have to do is go to your Domain Alias URL to log in to your ActiveCampaign account.

About wildcard domains

You can use a wildcard domain for accounts that share the same domain (for example, activecampaign.com). If you use a wildcard domain (for example, "*.activehosted.com"), then you will need to configure where it points to in your DNS.

Add a new CNAME with a wildcard domain

Note that these steps are for GoDaddy. Steps may vary with your DNS provider.

1. Log into your GoDaddy account. 
2. Click “Domains.”
3. Click “Manage DNS.”
4. Click "Add" and select CNAME from the dropdown list.
5. Complete the fields listed:
   
   • Host: The host name should be set to the wildcard (" * ")
   • Points to: This is the URL you are setting as the destination for the host. You will need to type managed-cname-fallback.activehosted.com in this field
   • TTL: Time to Live, you can put in 43200 (for seconds) or 12 (for hours)
6. Click “Save.”

Fix your existing CNAME 

Note that these steps are for GoDaddy. Steps may vary with your DNS provider.

1. Log into your GoDaddy account.
2. Click “Domains.”
3. Click “Manage DNS.”
4. Click the pencil icon.
5. Complete the fields listed:
   
   • Host: The host name should be set to the wildcard (" * ")
   • Points to: This is the URL you are setting as the destination for the host. You will need to type managed-cname-fallback.activehosted.com in this field
   • TTL: Time to Live, you can put in 43200 (for seconds) or 12 (for hours)
6. Click “Save.”