Custom Domains for Status Pages

Default StatusApp Domain

Every status page gets a free StatusApp-hosted domain:

Format: statusapp.io/{your-slug}

Example: statusapp.io/acme-status

Benefits:

• No setup required
• Free SSL/HTTPS
• Works immediately
• Fully functional

Limitations:

• Not your branded domain
• Doesn't match your main site
• Less professional appearance

Custom Domain Benefits

Professional Branding

Default: statusapp.io/yourcompany-status
Better: status.yourcompany.com
Best: health.yourcompany.com

Customer Trust

• Customers see your domain, not StatusApp's
• Appears part of your company's infrastructure
• Reinforces credibility

SEO

• Your domain shows in search results
• Helps with brand consistency
• Improves findability

Integration

• Matches your main website domain
• Seamless customer experience
• Professional appearance

Setting Up Custom Domain

Step 1: Choose Your Domain

Pick your custom domain:

Common Options:

• status.yourdomain.com (most common)
• statuspage.yourdomain.com
• health.yourdomain.com
• incidents.yourdomain.com
• uptime.yourdomain.com

Requirements:

• Must be a subdomain of your domain
• Can't use main domain (www.yourdomain.com)
• Subdomain must be available
• You must own/control the domain

Decision Points:

• Use short, memorable subdomain
• Keep consistent with brand
• Avoid technical names
• Plan for multiple status pages (separate subdomains)

Step 2: Get CNAME Record from StatusApp

1. Go to Settings → Status Pages
2. Click the status page to edit
3. Look for Custom Domain section
4. Copy the CNAME Record

Example CNAME Target:

cname.statusapp.io

StatusApp provides the target you need to point your DNS to.

Step 3: Configure DNS

Log into your DNS Provider:

Common providers:

• Cloudflare
• Route 53 (AWS)
• Namecheap
• GoDaddy
• Bluehost
• DigitalOcean

Create CNAME Record:

1. Access DNS management
2. Click Add Record or Add DNS Record
3. Fill in:
   • Type: CNAME
   • Name/Subdomain: status (the part before your domain)
   • Target/Value: cname.statusapp.io (from StatusApp)
   • TTL: 3600 or Auto (usually default)
4. Save record

Example Configuration:

Type:   CNAME
Name:   status
Target: cname.statusapp.io
TTL:    3600

Result: status.yourdomain.com will point to StatusApp

Step 4: Update StatusApp Settings

1. Go back to status page in StatusApp
2. Enter your custom domain: status.yourdomain.com
3. Click Verify Domain
4. StatusApp validates DNS
5. Wait for confirmation

Verification Process:

• StatusApp checks if CNAME exists
• Checks if it points to correct target
• May take 1-2 minutes
• Green checkmark appears when verified

Step 5: Wait for DNS Propagation

DNS changes take time to propagate globally:

Typical Timeline:

• Immediate (< 1 hour): In most cases
• Fast (1-4 hours): Standard timeline
• Slow (4-48 hours): Rare, depends on DNS provider

Check Propagation Status:

1. Use online tool: whatsmydns.net
2. Enter your subdomain: status.yourdomain.com
3. Check if CNAME record shows globally

Step 6: SSL Certificate

StatusApp automatically provisions SSL certificate:

Automatic Process:

• Detects new custom domain
• Requests Let's Encrypt certificate
• Issues certificate automatically
• Renews every 90 days automatically

Timeline:

• Usually: 5-15 minutes after DNS propagation
• Sometimes: Up to 1 hour if DNS delayed
• No action needed from you

Verification:

• Browser shows padlock icon (secure)
• No SSL warnings
• Shows your domain in certificate

Step 7: Test Custom Domain

1. Visit https://status.yourdomain.com in browser
2. Verify page loads
3. Check for SSL padlock icon
4. Verify your branding displays correctly
5. Test on mobile device
6. Test on different browsers

Troubleshooting DNS Issues

Domain Still Shows StatusApp Domain

Check DNS Configuration:

Use whatsmydns.net to verify CNAME exists
Verify CNAME points to cname.statusapp.io
Make sure TTL has expired (usually 3600 seconds = 1 hour)

Wait for Propagation:

• DNS changes take up to 48 hours globally
• Some regions faster than others
• Try from different location/network

Verify in StatusApp:

1. Check DNS verification status in StatusApp
2. Might show "Not Verified" if DNS not detected
3. Click verify again after DNS updates
4. Look for green checkmark

SSL Certificate Not Issuing

Wait Longer:

• Takes up to 1 hour sometimes
• Try again in 5 minutes
• Check in different browser

Verify DNS First:

• SSL can't issue without DNS propagation
• Check DNS is fully propagated
• StatusApp needs to reach your domain

Check Email:

• Let's Encrypt might send verification email
• Check spam/junk folder
• May need domain owner verification

Conflicting DNS Records

Check for A Records:

PROBLEM: Both CNAME and A record exist for same subdomain
SOLUTION: Delete A record, keep only CNAME

DNS can't have both CNAME and A record for same name

MX Records (if applicable):

• MX records on subdomains can cause issues
• If subdomain gets mail, might need different setup
• Contact support if both needed

CNAME Points to Wrong Target

Verify Correct Target:

StatusApp says:  cname.statusapp.io
Your DNS shows: something else

ACTION: Update your CNAME to correct target
Wait for TTL to expire and propagate

Advanced Configuration

Multiple Status Pages

Create separate custom domains for each status page:

Primary Status Page:
└─ status.yourdomain.com → statusapp.io/main-status

Secondary Status Page (e.g., Operations):
└─ ops-status.yourdomain.com → statusapp.io/ops-status

Incident Status Page:
└─ incidents.yourdomain.com → statusapp.io/incidents

Each with own custom domain and CNAME record

Custom Subdomain per Team

Different teams with different status pages:

Product Team:
└─ status-product.yourdomain.com

Infrastructure Team:
└─ status-infra.yourdomain.com

Sales Team:
└─ status-sales.yourdomain.com

Removing Custom Domain

To go back to StatusApp domain:

1. Go to status page settings
2. Delete or clear custom domain field
3. Click Save
4. Status page reverts to statusapp.io/{slug}
5. Can optionally remove CNAME record from DNS

After Removal:

• Custom domain stops working
• CNAME record in DNS becomes unused
• StatusApp domain works immediately

Plan Requirements

Custom domains availability by plan:

Plan	Custom Domains
Starter	✗ Not available
Professional	Plan-based (check your plan)
Business	✓ Available
Enterprise	✓ Available

Note: Custom domain availability on Professional plans depends on your specific plan configuration. Check Settings → Plan to see your enabled features.

Upgrade to Business or Enterprise plan for guaranteed custom domain access.

Best Practices

1. Use Recognizable Subdomain

Good: status.company.com (easy to remember)
Good: health.company.com (professional)
Bad: sp1.company.com (confusing)
Bad: asdf.company.com (unprofessional)

2. Plan for Scale

If multiple status pages planned:
├─ status.yourdomain.com (main)
├─ ops-status.yourdomain.com (operations)
└─ incident-status.yourdomain.com (incidents)

Use descriptive subdomains
Reserve main 'status' for primary page

3. Communicate to Customers

After setting up custom domain:

1. Update website links to use new domain
2. Update documentation and runbooks
3. Update email communications
4. Share new URL with customers
5. Old StatusApp domain still works (can redirect)

4. Monitor SSL Certificate

StatusApp handles renewal automatically
But worth checking occasionally:
- Certificate details in browser
- Matches your domain
- No expiration warnings
- Renew works every 90 days

5. Keep CNAME Record

Keep DNS record active permanently:
- Status page relies on it
- Removing breaks custom domain
- Easy to add back if removed
- Low cost to maintain

Testing Checklist

Before making custom domain public:

• Custom domain DNS verified in StatusApp
• Domain loads in browser (HTTPS)
• SSL certificate shows (padlock icon)
• No security warnings
• Branding displays correctly
• Works on mobile
• Works on different browsers
• Email notifications still send
• All monitors display correctly
• Incidents display properly

FAQ

Q: Can I use my main domain (www.yourdomain.com)? A: No, custom domains must be subdomains. Use status.yourdomain.com instead.

Q: Will my current URL stop working? A: No, StatusApp domain continues working. Custom domain is in addition, not replacement.

Q: Can I change custom domains later? A: Yes, update DNS and StatusApp settings. Both domains work during transition.

Q: How long until SSL certificate is issued? A: Usually 5-15 minutes after DNS propagation completes.

Q: Do I need to renew SSL manually? A: No, StatusApp handles renewal automatically every 90 days.

Q: What if I remove my custom domain? A: Status page reverts to StatusApp domain immediately. You can re-add custom domain anytime.

Next Steps

• Creating Status Pages - Set up your status page
• Embedding Status Pages - Embed on your website
• Incidents - Manage incidents on status page