Overview
When you publish a landing page in Website Studio, it is initially hosted on a Search Atlas subdomain. To use your own domain and display a padlock (SSL) in the browser, you need to connect your domain and configure SSL. This article walks you through each step.
How Domain & SSL Work in Website Studio
Search Atlas uses a custom domain mapping system. When you point your domain or subdomain to our servers and add it inside Website Studio, we automatically provision a free SSL certificate for that domain. The 'Not Secure' warning appears when:
- Your domain has not been connected to Website Studio yet.
- DNS changes have not fully propagated.
- The domain was added incorrectly or the DNS records do not match.
Step 1 — Access Website Studio
- Log in to your Search Atlas account.
- In the left sidebar, click Website Studio.
- Open the landing page you want to connect to your domain.
Step 2 — Add Your Custom Domain
To connect a custom domain to your landing page, look for the domain or custom domain settings within your page's configuration options. The exact location of this setting may vary — if you are unable to locate it, please reach out to our support team using the contact information at the end of this article so a team member can guide you through the correct steps for your account.
- Enter the domain or subdomain you want to use (e.g., landing.yourdomain.com).
- Save your changes. Search Atlas will display the DNS records you need to add.
Step 3 — Update Your DNS Records
Log in to your domain registrar or DNS provider (e.g., GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Namecheap) and add the records shown in Website Studio. Depending on your setup, you may need to add:
- CNAME record — Typically used to point a subdomain (e.g., landing) to the value provided by Search Atlas.
- A record — May be required if you are connecting a root domain. Use the value provided by Search Atlas in your domain settings.
Save your DNS changes. Propagation time varies by provider and can take several hours or longer.
Step 4 — SSL Certificate Activation
Once your DNS records have propagated correctly, Search Atlas automatically provisions a free SSL certificate for your connected domain. You do not need to upload or purchase a certificate manually. After activation:
- Your page URL will change from http:// to https://.
- The browser padlock will appear, removing the 'Not Secure' warning.
- If the padlock still does not appear after DNS propagation is complete, double-check that your DNS records exactly match the values shown in Website Studio.
Step 5 — Host Multiple Landing Pages on One Domain
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.