Branding and domain
Your clients should see your company, not ours. This guide covers the two pieces that make that true: your brand (logo, colors, product name) set in the setup wizard, and your custom domain so clients sign in at your web address. Both are done once and reused for every client.
At a glance
- Set your brand once in the wizard: logo, two colors, and a product name.
- Any registrar works: buy a domain wherever you like and point two DNS records at us.
- Exact records included, for a subdomain or a root domain, with a GoDaddy walkthrough.
- Start without a domain: a free subdomain is ready the moment we take your brand live, no DNS needed.
Do all of this in the partner setup wizard. The Partner Academy checklist marks the brand and domain steps done from your real settings as you finish them, so you always know where you stand.
Your brand
In the wizard’s brand step you set three things:
- Logo, ideally a light and a dark version so it looks right in both themes.
- Brand colors: a primary and an accent. One strong, legible accent color does most of the work.
- Product and company name: what your clients see across their dashboard.
Keep it provider-neutral
Buy a domain
You can buy a domain at any registrar: GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, or wherever you already have an account. It does not need to be hosted anywhere; you only need access to its DNS settings to add two records. Two shapes work:
- A subdomain like
app.yourbrand.com, the simplest option: one record. - A root domain like
yourbrand.com: two records.
Start on a free subdomain
yourbrand.spiderlabs.ai subdomain that is ready the moment we take your brand live, no DNS needed. It is a fine way to launch while your custom domain propagates, or if you would rather not manage DNS.The DNS records
Enter your domain in the wizard and it shows the exact records for your case. Here they are so you know what to expect. Add them exactly as shown at your registrar.
For a subdomain (for example app.yourbrand.com): one record, where the host is just the label before your domain.
| Type | Host / Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
CNAME | app | cname.vercel-dns.com |
For a root domain (for example yourbrand.com): two records, an A record on the root plus a CNAME for www.
| Type | Host / Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
A | @ | 76.76.21.21 |
CNAME | www | cname.vercel-dns.com |
The @ host means the root
@ for the root domain; others want the field left blank. If the wizard shows an extra verification record (a TXT), add that too; it proves the domain is yours.GoDaddy walkthrough
If your domain is at GoDaddy, the steps are:
Open DNS management
Led by YouTypical time: A minuteSign in to GoDaddy, go to your domain, and open DNS, then Manage DNS.
Add the record(s)
Led by YouTypical time: MinutesChoose Add, pick the type (
CNAMEfor a subdomain or www;Afor the root), and enter the host and value exactly as the wizard shows, for example hostwww, valuecname.vercel-dns.com, or host@, value76.76.21.21.Save and return
Led by YouSave each record, then come back to the wizard and choose Verify. The wizard has a “Copy all records” button so you can paste them without retyping.
You are done when- Each record is saved at GoDaddy, and the wizard is ready for you to Verify.
Verify and propagation
After you add the records, click Verify in the wizard. DNS changes usually take effect within a few minutes but can take up to 48 hours, so if it is not verified immediately, wait a bit and try again. This is normal and not a mistake on your side. Once verified, the wizard shows the domain as live and pointed at your platform, and the Academy domain step turns green from that live signal.
Verification reflects reality, not a checkbox
If verification fails
Almost every failed verification is one of five causes. Work down this table before asking for help; each fix takes minutes. If none of these match, your SpiderLabs contact will look at the records with you.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Verify keeps failing minutes after you added the records. | DNS has not propagated yet. Changes usually land in minutes but can take up to 48 hours depending on the record TTL. | Wait and retry. Check the record with a public DNS lookup tool first; when the lookup shows the new value, Verify will pass. |
| A lookup shows your host as app.yourbrand.com.yourbrand.com. | The registrar auto-appended your domain to the host you typed. | Enter only the label (app) in the Host field, never the full address. |
| The registrar refuses the new record, or Verify sees an old value. | An existing A, AAAA, or parking CNAME already sits on the same host and conflicts. | Delete or edit the old record on that host. A host can only point one way. |
| The records look exactly right but verification still fails. | A DNS proxy (a "proxied" or orange-cloud setting at some DNS providers) is masking the real record. | Switch those records to DNS-only until verification passes, then re-enable the proxy if you want it. |
| The wizard asks for a TXT record you did not expect. | Domain ownership has to be proven before traffic can point at your platform. | Add the TXT record exactly as shown at your registrar, then Verify again. |
What your clients see
Your clients sign in at your web address and see your logo, colors, and product name across their dashboard. Payment and receipt surfaces carry your brand as those pieces roll out. Branded transactional email, where every automated email carries your brand, is on the roadmap. Until then, keep client-facing materials consistent with the brand you set here.
FAQ
Can I use the domain that already runs my website?+
Yes, and you should. Use a subdomain such as app.yourbrand.com: your existing site stays exactly as it is, and only the new subdomain points at your platform. One CNAME record, no risk to your site.
How long does DNS propagation really take?+
Usually minutes. The honest worst case is up to 48 hours, driven by the old record’s TTL and your registrar. The wizard’s Verify reflects reality, so a pending state during propagation is normal, not broken.
Can I change my domain later?+
Yes. Enter the new domain in the wizard, add its records at your registrar, and verify again. Plan for the same propagation window on the new domain, and keep the old one live until the new one verifies so clients are never locked out.
Which surfaces carry my brand today?+
Client sign-in and the dashboard carry your logo, colors, and product name. Some transactional emails and a small set of platform surfaces still carry SpiderLabs naming while the branded-email rollout completes; before your first client launch we walk you through exactly which surfaces show your brand and which do not yet. The same answer is published on the partner page.
With brand and domain done, the last setup piece is money. Continue to Billing and payouts.
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