🌐 What Is White Label DNS Configuration?
White label DNS configuration lets you serve Search Atlas reports and dashboards under your own custom domain or subdomain. When set up correctly, your clients see your brand — not Search Atlas. If any step is missed or a DNS record is entered incorrectly, you may encounter form submission errors or see the setup fail to verify.
📋 Prerequisites Before You Begin
- Access to your domain registrar or DNS provider (e.g., GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Namecheap).
- A subdomain chosen for white label use (e.g., reports.yourdomain.com).
- Admin-level access to your Search Atlas account.
- A verified sender email address for client-facing communications.
⚙️ Step-by-Step DNS Setup
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Log in to Search Atlas and navigate to your white label settings via More Features → Agency Hub (Agency Settings).
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Enter your custom subdomain in the designated field (e.g., reports.yourdomain.com). Do not use your root domain — a subdomain is required.
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Copy the CNAME record provided by Search Atlas. It will look similar to: whitelabel.dns.searchatlas.com.
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Log in to your DNS provider and create a new CNAME record:
- Name/Host: your subdomain prefix (e.g., reports)
- Value/Target: the CNAME value copied from Search Atlas
- TTL: 3600 (or Auto if available)
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Save the DNS record and return to Search Atlas.
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Click Verify or Save on the white label setup form to trigger DNS verification.
⏱️ How Long Does DNS Propagation Take?
DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to propagate globally. In most cases, propagation completes within 1–4 hours. If verification fails immediately after saving, wait at least 30 minutes before trying again. Do not repeatedly click Verify in quick succession, as this can trigger rate-limiting.
🚨 Troubleshooting Form Submission Errors
If you receive a form submission error during white label setup, work through the following checks before contacting support:
- Check for typos in the subdomain field. The subdomain must exactly match the Name/Host value you entered in your DNS provider. Even a single extra character will cause verification to fail.
- Confirm the CNAME record is active. Use a free DNS lookup tool (such as MXToolbox or dnschecker.org) to confirm your subdomain resolves to the correct CNAME target.
- Avoid using a root domain. Entering yourdomain.com instead of a subdomain like reports.yourdomain.com is a common cause of errors. Always use a subdomain.
- Remove any conflicting A records. If an A record already exists for the same subdomain in your DNS provider, it will conflict with the CNAME. Delete or rename the conflicting record first.
- Check Cloudflare proxy settings. If your domain is managed through Cloudflare, make sure the CNAME record is set to DNS only (grey cloud icon), not Proxied (orange cloud). The proxied setting can block verification.
- Clear your browser cache and try submitting the form again in a private or incognito window.
- Verify your account permissions. Only account admins can complete white label setup. If you are on a sub-account or team seat, ask your account owner to complete this step.
✅ How to Confirm Setup Is Complete
Once DNS verification succeeds, you will see a confirmation message in the white label settings. You can then:
- Visit your custom subdomain in a browser to confirm it loads the correct branded interface.
- Send a test report link to yourself to verify the client-facing experience looks correct.
- Review your logo, brand colours, and sender name to ensure everything matches your brand.
💡 Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Adding http:// or www to the subdomain field — enter only the subdomain, with no protocol prefix.
- Setting TTL too low (under 300 seconds) on critical DNS records, which can cause intermittent failures.
- Forgetting to save changes in your DNS provider before returning to Search Atlas to verify.
🤝 Need More Help?
If you have followed all the steps above and are still experiencing a form submission error or DNS verification failure, our team is here to help. If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.