🌐 What Is the Whitelabel Subdomain Feature?
The whitelabel subdomain feature lets you present Search Atlas reports and dashboards under your own brand. Instead of sharing a Search Atlas URL, your clients visit a custom subdomain (for example, seo.youragency.com) and see your logo, your colours, and no Search Atlas branding. This is ideal for agencies that want a seamless, professional client experience.
📋 Before You Begin
Make sure you have the following ready before starting the setup:
- Access to your domain registrar or DNS management panel (e.g. Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Namecheap)
- A subdomain you want to use (e.g. seo.webdesignsurrey.net)
- Admin access to your Search Atlas account
- Your whitelabel branding assets (logo, brand colours)
⚙️ Step 1 — Configure Your DNS Record
The first step is pointing your subdomain to Search Atlas so the platform knows to serve your whitelabel portal at that address.
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Log in to your domain registrar or DNS management panel.
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Navigate to the DNS settings for your domain.
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Create a new CNAME record with the following values:
- Host / Name: your chosen subdomain prefix (e.g. seo)
- Value / Points to: the Search Atlas whitelabel target provided in your account settings
- TTL: 3600 (or Auto)
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Save the record. DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours, though it often completes within a few hours.
Do not attempt to log in to the subdomain until DNS has fully propagated — this is the most common reason customers find they cannot access the portal after setup.
🛠️ Step 2 — Add Your Subdomain in Search Atlas
Once your DNS record is live, register the subdomain inside Search Atlas:
- Log in to your Search Atlas account.
- Click the apps-grid icon in the header, then go to More Features → Agency Hub (Set up your Agency's White Label).
- Locate the Custom Domain field and enter your full subdomain URL (e.g. https://seo.webdesignsurrey.net).
- Click Verify Domain. Search Atlas will check that your DNS record is pointing correctly.
- Once verified, a green confirmation message will appear. If verification fails, wait another hour for DNS propagation and try again.
🎨 Step 3 — Configure Your Branding
After your domain is verified, personalise the portal so clients see your brand:
- Logo: Upload your agency logo (PNG or SVG recommended, minimum 200px wide).
- Brand colours: Set your primary and accent colours using hex codes.
- Agency name: Enter the name that will appear in the portal header and email notifications.
- Favicon: Upload a small icon (32×32 px) to appear in browser tabs.
Click Continue after updating each section. Preview the portal by visiting your subdomain in an incognito browser window.
👤 Step 4 — Grant Clients Access to Their Data
Clients need their own login credentials to view their project data through your whitelabel portal. Follow these steps for each client:
- In Search Atlas, go to Account Menu (avatar) → Settings → Team Members.
- Click Invite Client and enter the client's email address.
- Assign the relevant projects you want the client to see.
- Set their permission level to Client View (read-only access — they cannot edit settings or see other clients' data).
- Click Send Invitation. The client receives an email with a link to set their password.
- Instruct the client to always log in via your custom subdomain (e.g. https://seo.webdesignsurrey.net), not via searchatlas.com.
Clients logging in through your subdomain will only ever see your branding and their assigned projects. Search Atlas branding is completely hidden.
📊 Sharing Reports With Clients
You can also share specific reports directly without requiring a client login. To generate a shareable report link:
- Go to Reports using the left sidebar (URL: /report-builder/projects-list).
- Open the report you want to share.
- Click Share and select Public Link or Client Portal Link.
- Copy the link and send it to your client. Links generated from your whitelabel account will display your branding automatically.
🔑 Troubleshooting Login Issues
If you or your clients cannot log in to the subdomain, work through the following checklist:
- DNS not propagated: Use a tool like whatsmydns.net to confirm your CNAME record is live globally. Wait the full 48 hours if needed.
- Domain not verified: Return to the header apps-grid icon → More Features → Agency Hub (Set up your Agency's White Label) and re-run the domain verification step.
- Wrong login URL: Ensure clients are using your subdomain URL, not the main Search Atlas site.
- Expired invitation: Client invitation links expire after 7 days. If a client did not set their password in time, resend the invitation from Account Menu (avatar) → Settings → Team Members.
- SSL certificate pending: After domain verification, Search Atlas automatically provisions an SSL certificate. This can take up to 30 minutes. The portal will show a security warning until the certificate is active.
💡 Best Practices
- Always test the subdomain login yourself before inviting clients.
- Use an incognito window when previewing to avoid cached sessions.
- Keep client permissions set to Client View to protect other accounts' data.
- Remind clients to bookmark your subdomain URL, not the Search Atlas homepage.
🆘 Need More 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.