How to set up your custom domain: a step-by-step DNS guide
The exact records to add, where to add them, and how to tell when your branded portal is live — with the common mistakes to avoid.
Putting your client portal on your own domain sounds technical, but it comes down to adding a few DNS records and waiting for a certificate to issue. This is the whole process, start to finish, with the parts that trip people up called out so you don't lose an afternoon to them.
Before you start
Decide the exact hostname your clients will use — something like portal.yourfirm.com.au or support.yourfirm.com.au. Use a subdomain you are not already using for something else, and make sure you have access to your domain's DNS settings (usually at your registrar or wherever your website is hosted). That is all you need.
Step 1 — add the domain in Finye
Go to Settings → Custom domain, enter your hostname and save. Finye provisions the hostname behind the scenes and immediately shows you the DNS records to add. Leave that page open; you'll copy from it in the next step.
Step 2 — add the DNS records
You'll see two kinds of record. Add them exactly as shown:
- A CNAME record that points your hostname at our fallback origin. This is what actually routes visitors to your workspace.
- One or more TXT records (names beginning with
_acme-challenge and _cf-custom-hostname). These prove you control the domain so the TLS certificate can be issued.
Copy each value precisely — a trailing space or a missing character is the single most common reason a domain stays stuck. Most DNS providers apply changes within minutes, though some take longer to propagate.
Step 3 — verify and go live
Back in Finye, click “Check status.” This forces a fresh re-check rather than reading a cached result — important, because if your DNS was briefly wrong the old error can otherwise linger. Once the records are correct the status flips to Active, the HTTPS padlock appears, and your clients can reach the portal at your address. If it is still pending, wait a few minutes and check again; a background job also keeps re-checking, so it will often go live on its own.
Common mistakes
- Editing the wrong zone: add the records at the DNS host that is actually authoritative for your domain, not an old one.
- A conflicting existing record: if the subdomain already has an A or CNAME record, remove it first — you can't have two.
- Testing in a cached browser: if something looked wrong and you fixed it, re-test in a fresh incognito window; browsers cache redirects aggressively.
Takeaway: Pick your hostname, add the CNAME and TXT records exactly as Finye shows them, then click “Check status” — the certificate and renewals are handled for you from there.