Configure a Subdomain's hosting, HTTPS, and DNS

Every Subdomain on your Custom Domain has its own hosting, HTTPS, and DNS settings, whether it serves Sites or redirects visitors to another domain. The settings belong to the Subdomain, not to each Site, so any change applies to every Site on the Subdomain. For more information on the hosting options and when to choose each one, please read our documentation on what a Subdomain is.

Before we begin, this article assumes you have added a Subdomain to your Custom Domain.

Open the page for a Subdomain#

Each Subdomain has its own page, with a Hosting, HTTPS, and DNS section.

To open the page for a Subdomain:

1. Log in to CloudCannon.
2. Select the Organization your Custom Domain is connected to.
3. Click the Custom Domains link in the App Sidebar. CloudCannon will open the Domains Browser.
4. Click the Card for the domain you want to configure. CloudCannon will open the Summary tab of the Domain page.
5. Click the Subdomains tab. CloudCannon will open the list of Subdomains on your Custom Domain.
6. Click the Card for the Subdomain in the list.

CloudCannon will open the page for the Subdomain.

You can also reach the same settings from the Context Menu of each Subdomain in the list, which has the Configure hosting, Configure HTTPS, Check DNS now, and View DNS history options. In the same menu, the Open Subdomain page option opens these settings, and the Visit live Subdomain option opens the Subdomain itself in a new browser tab. For a Subdomain that serves a Site, the Custom Domain page under Site Settings for that Site also shows the page for the Subdomain, under the Subdomain settings heading.

Change the hosting option for a Subdomain#

Every new Subdomain starts on CloudCannon Hosting. You can switch it to Cloudflare Proxy or Single Origin. Cloudflare Proxy isn't available while your domain uses CloudCannon DNS, so the Hosting for [Subdomain] modal doesn't offer it there.

The hosting option decides which DNS record the Subdomain needs. On external DNS, changing the hosting option can mean updating the record at your DNS Provider. On CloudCannon DNS, once your domain's nameservers point at CloudCannon DNS, CloudCannon updates the record for you when you save.

To change the hosting option for a Subdomain:

1. Navigate to the page for the Subdomain.
2. Click the Configure hosting button in the Hosting section. CloudCannon will open the Hosting for [Subdomain] modal.
3. Select the hosting option you want. CloudCannon will show the DNS record the option needs, and say whether the record changes.
4. Click the Save hosting button.

CloudCannon will change how visitors reach the Subdomain. On external DNS, if the record has to change, update it at your DNS Provider. For the records each hosting option needs, and for setting up Cloudflare Proxy, please read our documentation on configuring external DNS.

The hosting diagram

The Hosting section shows how visitors reach the Subdomain as a diagram. The diagram depends on the hosting option:

• CloudCannon Hosting — Visitors, the CloudCannon CDN, and the CloudCannon Origin.
• Cloudflare Proxy — Visitors, Your Cloudflare, and the CloudCannon Origin.
• Single Origin — Visitors and the CloudCannon Origin. Your Base Domain on external DNS uses this diagram too, because its A records point straight at the CloudCannon Origin.

Each connection in the diagram is labeled with its state, such as Reaching CloudCannon, Not reaching CloudCannon, Waiting for DNS to update, Not checked yet, or Connected securely. A green line means the connection works, and a red line with an exclamation mark shows where visitors stop reaching CloudCannon. Click a connection to see what CloudCannon found, including the DNS records, the result of its test request, and when it last checked, along with what to change if the connection isn't working. The View the DNS record button (View the DNS records when there is more than one) scrolls to the DNS section, the Configure hosting button opens the Hosting for [Subdomain] modal, the Check DNS now button runs a new check, and the View check history button opens the history of checks. For a minute after a check, the Check DNS now button is disabled, with the tooltip Checked less than a minute ago. You can check again in a minute. Press Escape or click the Close details icon to close the details.

Change how a Subdomain gets its certificate#

Each Subdomain has its own SSL Certificate. The Configure HTTPS button in the HTTPS section opens the HTTPS for [Subdomain] modal. Under SSL certificate, you choose Let CloudCannon issue and renew it, which is recommended, or Use an SSL certificate you upload. With the second option, you select the certificate in the Uploaded SSL certificate dropdown below the options. Under HTTP, you choose whether to redirect http:// visitors to https://, and the minimum TLS version the Subdomain accepts in the Minimum TLS version dropdown.

The HTTPS section also explains the state of the certificate, and what to do if it needs attention.

For instructions, please read our documentation on adding an auto-generated SSL Certificate, adding a Custom SSL Certificate, increasing the minimum TLS version for your domains, and resolving SSL Certificate errors.

Check the DNS for a Subdomain#

The DNS section of the Subdomain page says whether the Subdomain points at CloudCannon, and shows a table with the record the Subdomain Needs, the records CloudCannon Found, and the Status of the record. The footer of the table says how often CloudCannon checks and when it last checked, with the View DNS check history icon and the Check now button. The status is one of:

• Configured — The Subdomain reaches CloudCannon.
• Not pointing at CloudCannon — A record for the Subdomain points somewhere else.
• No DNS Record — CloudCannon found no record for the Subdomain.
• Not checked yet — CloudCannon hasn't checked the Subdomain yet.
• Checking — You added the Subdomain or marked its record as updated in the last 48 hours, and CloudCannon is still looking for the record. The 48 hours also start again when you change the Subdomain's hosting or your domain's DNS Provider. After 48 hours, the status shows what CloudCannon found. CloudCannon checks daily, and hourly for up to seven days after you mark the record as updated.
• Waiting for nameservers — On CloudCannon DNS, the nameservers of your domain don't point at CloudCannon DNS yet. The record answers once they do.

If the Subdomain isn't connected, the sentence above the record says what to do:

• CloudCannon DNS — Click the Fix button, and CloudCannon replaces or removes the records that stop the Subdomain from reaching CloudCannon. Fixing the record also requires the base-domain:settings:dns:write permission. Without it, the Fix button is disabled, and hovering over it shows which permission you need. For more information, please read our documentation on fixing the DNS record for a Subdomain.
• External DNS — Add the record at your DNS Provider, using the Copy icon next to its value, then click the I've updated it button. The Copy icon shows Copied! once it has copied the value. CloudCannon checks hourly for up to seven days, and emails you when the Subdomain is live. If CloudCannon still can't find the record 48 hours after you marked it as updated, the section lists what usually fixes it. For more information, please read our documentation on adding the records.

When the Subdomain has TXT records to add for its certificate, the DNS section points you to them under HTTPS. For the wildcard SSL Certificate of your Base Domain, it points you to Wildcard certificate records on the DNS tab instead.

To check the DNS for a Subdomain:

1. Navigate to the page for the Subdomain.
2. Click the Check now button in the footer of the table in the DNS section.

CloudCannon will check the Subdomain's DNS and update the DNS section. To see earlier checks, click the View DNS check history icon next to the Check now button. CloudCannon will open the DNS checks for [Subdomain] modal.

The DNS checks for [Subdomain] modal lists earlier checks, most recent first. Back-to-back checks with the same result share a row. Each row shows the result of the check, the DNS answer CloudCannon received, whether a test request reached CloudCannon, and when the check ran. A check that couldn't complete is marked Couldn't check, and doesn't change the Subdomain's status. Click the Load older results button to see more. CloudCannon removes results older than 90 days, except the latest complete check.

You can check the DNS for each Subdomain at most once a minute. For a minute after a check, the Check now button is disabled, with the tooltip Checked less than a minute ago. You can check again in a minute. Checking requires the base-domain:settings:details:write permission, and without it the Check now and I've updated it buttons are disabled. Hovering over a disabled button shows the permission it needs. CloudCannon also checks every Subdomain daily, and, on external DNS, every hour for up to seven days after you click the I've updated it button. If CloudCannon couldn't complete the latest check, the section says when the check failed, and keeps the last known status.