Setting Up Your Custom Subdomain

Overview

Mutiny allows you to create personalized, on-brand GTM assets. By default, these assets are hosted on a Mutiny-branded domain. 

However, you can set up a custom subdomain of your company's domain. This means visitors to your Mutiny assets will see URLs that align with your brand (like discover.yourcompany.com) instead of a generic, Mutiny-branded domain.

If any of this feels like reading a foreign language, don’t worry, we’ve got your back! We have decoded all the technical details in the Extra Help section at the bottom of the article. 

What This Means For You:

• Custom assets that maintain brand consistency
• Use your own domain for a seamless visitor experience

Implementation Process Summary

1. Choose your desired subdomain, which should be dedicated to use exclusively with Mutiny (e.g., discover.yourcompany.com). Since the DNS can only route a subdomain to one destination at a time, it's important that the subdomain is unused and exclusive to Mutiny to avoid any potential conflicts
2. Submit domain request to Mutiny in the settings menu
3. Work with your web team to set up DNS records (technical details below)
4. Launch assets on your custom domain

Technical Implementation Details

Detailed Setup Process

1. Domain Request Process
   • Submit your chosen subdomain to the Mutiny team in the Page Settings menu by entering your custom subdomain and clicking Request domain
     
   • Mutiny will provide CNAME records in the same menu below your request.  You can export these to CSV to simplify sharing with your technical team.
     • Primary CNAME: Maps your domain to Mutiny's Cloudfront distribution
     • Verification CNAME: Enables SSL certificate creation record
   • Mutiny will verify any additional requirements (e.g., CAA records)
2. DNS Configuration Technical teams will need to:
   • Access your DNS management system
   • Add the CNAME records exactly as provided by Mutiny
   • Ensure no conflicting DNS records exist
   • Allow time for DNS propagation
3. Domain Activation
   • Once you see that the domain is verified in the settings menu, click the activate button.
   • Your Mutiny assets will then be served over the custom subdomain.

Troubleshooting Notes for Technical Teams

• Ensure exact CNAME record matching
• Check for potential DNS conflicts, ensure that the subdomain is only used for Mutiny
• Allow sufficient time for DNS propagation (24-28 hours in some cases)

Extra Help: Technical Terms Decoded

Domain Names Explained

• Domain: The main web address of your company (e.g., yourcompany.com)
  • This is what customers type into their browser to reach your website
  • Examples: google.com, amazon.com, microsoft.com
• Subdomain: An extension of your main domain that creates a separate section of your website
  • It appears before your main domain name
  • Format: subdomain.yourcompany.com
  • Examples:
    • target.yourcompany.com
    • explore.yourcompany.com
    • discover.yourcompany.com

Common Technical Terms

• DNS (Domain Name System)
  • Think of it as the internet's phone book
  • Translates human-readable domain names into computer-readable IP addresses
  • Example: When someone types yourcompany.com, DNS tells their computer where to find your website
• CNAME (Canonical Name)
  • A type of DNS record that creates an alias from one domain to another
  • Like creating a nickname that points to your real name
  • Example: Your subdomain discover.yourcompany.com points to Mutiny's servers
• SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)
  • Security technology that creates an encrypted connection
  • Makes sure data passed between your visitors and website stays private
  • You can spot it in action when you see the padlock icon (🔒) in your browser
  • Shows up as "https://" instead of "http://" in the website address
• CAA (Certification Authority Authorization)
  • A DNS record that controls which companies can issue SSL certificates for your domain
  • Acts like a list of approved security providers
  • Helps prevent unauthorized certificates from being created

Why These Matter

• Security: SSL certificates ensure your visitors' data is protected
• Trust: When visitors see your domain name and the security padlock, they know it's really your company
• Branding: Using your own domain name (instead of a generic one) strengthens your brand
• Analytics: Custom domains help track visitor behavior across your marketing assets