🔍 Overview
If you use a white-label subdomain, you expect clients to see your brand everywhere. Some agencies have noticed that the connect links used to onboard new clients (for example, to link Google accounts or other data sources) may still show Search Atlas in the URL instead of your white-label subdomain.
This article explains what is happening, what you can do today to keep the client experience on-brand, and how to request an improvement.
❓ What You May Be Seeing
- Your white-label subdomain works for the client portal and dashboard.
- The onboarding connect link you copy for a new client shows a Search Atlas domain rather than your subdomain.
- Clients may notice the Search Atlas name before they see your brand.
🧭 Why This Happens
White-label settings control how your portal and reporting are presented to clients. Connect links are generated for the onboarding step and, in some cases, may not yet use your white-label subdomain. In addition, when a client authorises a third-party account, the sign-in and permission screens are controlled by that provider (such as Google). Those screens show the provider's own branding and cannot be changed by Search Atlas or by you.
🛠️ Workarounds You Can Use Today
You cannot change the destination of the connect link yourself, but you can control how clients first see and receive it. Choose one or more of these options:
- Hide the URL behind your own wording. Paste the connect link into your email or proposal as a hyperlink on text such as "Connect your accounts to [Your Agency]". Clients see your wording and button, not the raw URL.
- Use a branded short link. Create a short link on a domain you own (for example, go.youragency.com/connect) that redirects to the connect link. Most link-shortening tools allow custom domains.
- Set up a redirect on your own website. Create a page such as youragency.com/connect that forwards to the connect link. Share your own address with clients.
- Send the link inside your own onboarding flow. Include the link in your welcome email, onboarding form, or project management tool so it arrives with your logo, signature, and instructions.
- Set expectations with a short note. Tell clients that the secure connection step is handled by your SEO platform and that they may briefly see third-party names during account authorisation.
✍️ Sample Message for Clients
You can adapt this text for your onboarding email: "To get started, please use the secure link below to connect your accounts. This lets us pull in your search and analytics data so we can begin work. The process takes about two minutes. You may see a Google permission screen during this step, which is normal."
✅ Tips for a Smooth Client Experience
- Test the link yourself in a private browser window before sending it.
- Keep the instructions short and tell clients exactly which accounts to select.
- If you use a redirect or short link, check that it still works after any website changes.
- Confirm your white-label subdomain is set up and active so the rest of the experience stays on-brand.
💡 Requesting White-Labelled Connect Links
Branded onboarding links are a reasonable improvement request, and feedback from agencies helps us prioritise our work. To submit one, contact our team through the chat widget and tell us:
- That you want connect links to use your white-label subdomain.
- How you currently onboard clients.
- How the unbranded link affects your client experience.
Please note that submitting a request does not guarantee a release date. Check the platform updates for any announcements about new white-label capabilities.
💬 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 instantly connected with a member of our team.