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Managing Custom Domains

Custom domains let your customers use their own domain (e.g., mybusiness.com) instead of a subdomain (mybusiness.yoursaas.com). GrabWP WaaS supports two methods.

Navigate to WaaS → Domains (/wp-admin/admin.php?page=grabwp-tenancy-waas-domains).

Domains admin

Domain Modes​

Configure the mode in WaaS → Settings → General → Custom Domains.

ModeHow it worksBest for
Cloudflare SaaSCustomer adds a CNAME record to your fallback origin. Cloudflare handles SSL and routing.Production platforms, automatic SSL, scalable
Direct IPCustomer adds an A record to your server IP. You configure the domain on your server.Simple setups, non-Cloudflare hosting

Cloudflare SaaS Custom Hostnames​

This is the recommended approach for production. Cloudflare handles SSL certificates automatically for every custom domain.

One-Time Setup (Your Side)​

  1. Add your domain to Cloudflare (if not already)
  2. Enable Cloudflare for SaaS on your zone:
    • Contact Cloudflare support or use the dashboard → SSL/TLS → Custom Hostnames
    • This feature may require a paid Cloudflare plan
  3. Set a fallback origin:
    • In Cloudflare dashboard → SSL/TLS → Custom Hostnames → Add Fallback Origin
    • Set it to your platform subdomain (e.g., cdn.saas.yoursaas.com)
    • Create a DNS A record for this subdomain pointing to your server
  4. Configure in WaaS:
    • Go to WaaS → Settings → General → Custom Domains
    • Set Domain Mode to Cloudflare SaaS
    • Enter your CNAME Target (e.g., cdn.saas.yoursaas.com)

Cloudflare docs: Cloudflare for SaaS - covers setup, SSL, and API automation.

Per-Customer Flow​

When a customer wants to use their own domain:

  1. Customer side: Add a CNAME record in their DNS:

    mybusiness.com  →  CNAME  →  cdn.saas.yoursaas.com

  2. Your side (admin): Add the domain in WaaS → Domains or the customer can add it via the tenant dashboard:

    • Click Add Domain
    • Enter the custom domain
    • Click Verify - checks DNS propagation

  3. Cloudflare automatically provisions an SSL certificate for the custom domain

  4. The tenant site is now accessible at mybusiness.com

Customer Instructions Template​

Share this with your customers when they request a custom domain:

To connect your domain:

  1. Log in to your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.)
  2. Go to DNS settings
  3. Add a CNAME record:
    • Name/Host: @ or www (or your subdomain)
    • Value/Target: cdn.saas.yoursaas.com
    • TTL: Automatic or 300
  4. Wait 5-10 minutes for DNS propagation
  5. Go to your Dashboard → Domains → Add Domain
  6. Enter your domain and click Verify

Direct IP Mode​

Simpler but requires manual server configuration for each domain.

Setup​

  1. In WaaS → Settings → General → Custom Domains:

    • Set Domain Mode to Direct IP
    • Enter your Server Public IP

  2. For each custom domain, you need to:

    • Add a server block (Nginx) or virtual host (Apache) for the domain
    • Point it to your WordPress installation
    • Set up SSL (e.g., via Let's Encrypt / Certbot)

Per-Customer Flow​

  1. Customer: Add an A record in their DNS:

    mybusiness.com  →  A  →  203.0.113.50

  2. You: Add the domain to your web server config:

    Nginx example:

    server {
        listen 80;
        server_name mybusiness.com;
        # ... same config as your main site
    }

    Then run Certbot for SSL:

    sudo certbot --nginx -d mybusiness.com

  3. Admin panel: Add and verify the domain in WaaS → Domains

Note: Direct IP requires manual server work per domain. Cloudflare SaaS is recommended if you expect many custom domains.

Domain Management from Tenant Dashboard​

Customers can also manage domains from their tenant dashboard (your /dashboard/ page):

  • Add Domain - enter a custom domain
  • Verify - check DNS propagation
  • Set Primary - make a domain the primary URL for their site
  • Remove - disconnect a custom domain

Domain Verification​

After adding a domain, verification checks:

  • DNS record exists and points correctly (CNAME or A record)
  • Domain resolves to your server
  • SSL is working (for Cloudflare SaaS, this is automatic)

Verification can take a few minutes depending on DNS propagation.

Next: Managing Subscriptions