Using a Custom Domain for Your Event Website

 

A custom domain makes your event look official, keeps branding consistent, and improves trust at the exact moments that matter: registration, payments, and emails. This guide gets you live in minutes, with guardrails to protect SEO and email deliverability.

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Prerequisites

You need your Dryfta site URL eg., eventname.dryfta.com, access to your domain’s DNS, and about 10 minutes.

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5 steps to live

1. Pick your host name
   Choose a subdomain like eventname.yourdomain.com. Subdomains are simple, reliable, and widely supported.

2. Create the DNS record
   Add a CNAME at your DNS provider.

3. Tell Dryfta about the domain
   In Dryfta Admin Dashboard, go to Settings > Custom Domain settings, enter eventname.yourdomain.com, and save. Dryfta will provision SSL automatically once DNS resolves.

4. Verify it is live
   Visit https://eventname.yourdomain.com. You should see the padlock and your site loading normally. Test a few key pages like registration, program schedule, and login.

5. Update links
   Change menu links, email templates, ads, QR codes, and social profiles to use your new branded URL.

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Two small decisions that avoid big headaches

• Subdomain or apex
  Use a subdomain like eventname.yourdomain.com. Apex domains eg., yourdomain.com can require special DNS features such as ANAME. If you still want the apex, create an A record, and point www to Dryfta IP Address 3.10.47.209.

• www versus non-www
  Pick one as canonical and redirect the other. Consistency helps SEO and analytics.

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Why a custom domain beats a shared domain

• Brand trust and recall. People recognize your domain, which improves clicks and conversions.

• Cleaner SEO. Your brand collects the links and authority, not a shared host.

• Better email experience. Links in campaigns match your sender domain, which supports inbox trust when SPF, and DKIM pass.

• Analytics clarity. One branded host reduces referral noise and keeps sessions intact.

• SSO and integrations. Many services whitelist only branded subdomains.

• Portability. Keep your public URL stable if your internal setup changes later.

• Fewer support questions. Attendees are less likely to ask if the site is legitimate.

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Tiny SEO and email guardrails

• Search Console and sitemap
  Add the new property in Google Search Console, then resubmit your sitemap from the new domain.

• Email authentication
  If your campaigns link to the new domain, make sure your sender domain is authenticated so SPF, and DKIM show pass in message headers.

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Troubleshooting

• Domain not resolving
  Check that you used a CNAME, not an A record. Remove any existing A record on the same host. Give DNS a few minutes to propagate, then test with the commands below.

• SSL still pending
  The certificate issues only after DNS points to Dryfta. It takes up to 24 hours for the custom domain SSL to go live.

• Mixed content warning
  Look for hardcoded http:// links in menus, widgets, and custom content pages. Update them to https://eventname.yourdomain.com or use relative paths where possible.

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Copy, paste, and verify

Subdomain to Dryfta (recommended)

Root Domain to Dryfta

Type: A
Host:   www
Value:  3.10.47.209
TTL:    300

www to Dryfta, apex redirects to www

Type: CNAME
Host:   www
Value:  eventname.dryfta.com
TTL:    300

Quick checklist for launch

• CNAME added, no conflicting A record/s.

• Custom domain saved in Dryfta Admin and SSL shows green in the browser.

• Top navigation, registration, login, and online payment checkout tested.

• Email sender domain authenticated, test email shows SPF, DKIM pass.

That is all you need for a clean, professional custom URL on Dryfta with minimal risk and maximum brand lift.