In order to white label your instances, SherpaDesk provides two features that allow you to use full vanity URLs (eg. https://support.mydomain.com) when accessing via the web and email responses from your own domain name (e.g. @tickets.mydomain.com)
Custom Domains
The Custom Domains feature allows the SherpaDesk web app to run under your own domain such as https://support.mydomain.com. The SherpaDesk system runs under TLS 1.0 so it will require a secured certificate setup on our servers. During the setup process, we will handle the purchasing of the required certificates on your behalf and then apply it to your account.
Custom Email Domain
The Custom Email Domain feature allows outbound and inbound emails from SherpaDesk to run under your own domain name such as @ticket.mydomain.com. This feature requires SPF and DKIM DNS records setup.
Listed below are some setup tips to help get your SherpaDesk instance using the white label features.
DNS Setup Required
To enable either of these custom domain features, you MUST be able to edit your domain's DNS records for SSL Validation, DKIM, and SPF Records.
At the bottom of this article, we show two screenshots of correct DNS Configuration for Godaddy.com DNS and Amazon Route 53 DNS. Even if you use other DNS systems, these will give you an idea of the correct configuration.
Please be aware that depending on your DNS provider it can take up to 48 hours for the DNS entry changes to propagate.
Re-Authentication
If you set up the custom domain such as https://support.mydomain.com, you and all users will have to login to the application again. The browser will think of the new domain name as an entirely new application and will not recognize any previously stored credentials.
Enabling the Features
You will need to first start by going to the Configuration section and turning ON each of these features.
SSL and Custom Web URL
Once you enable the Custom Domains feature, the application will walk you through the steps needed to finish the setup.
Remember, DNS edits are required to validate the domain for SSL setup:
- You need to create with your DNS provider an A record to map your domain to the IP address of our app.
- You also need to add a TXT record pointing your domain to our default Azure domain.
- If CAA record exists, you need to add godaddy.com or starfieldtech.com to allow us requesting issuance SSL certificate for your domain.
See actual values of IP Address and default Azure domain on Custom Domains configuration page of the app.
If using Godaddy for DNS, the HOST column should only contain "support". Not your full domain "support.yourdomain.com".
Also see how to add CAA record: https://www.godaddy.com/help/add-a-caa-record-27288
Please be aware that depending on your DNS provider it can take up to 48 hours for the DNS entry changes to propagate.
NOTE: Please verify your DNS configuration using DNS Propagation Checker:
https://www.whatsmydns.net/#A
https://www.whatsmydns.net/#TXT
NOTE: Verify your SSL configuration using SSL Checker:
https://decoder.link/sslchecker/
This screen shows SherpaDesk successfully running under SSL and a custom domain name.
Email Suffix Setup - DKIM, SPF, MX
To start the setup for custom Email Suffixes, proceed to the Configuration screen, and click Add Domain. SherpaDesk does not allow custom email to run under the root domain (i.e.@mydomain.com). A subdomain is required such as @support.mydomain.com.
To complete the setup of a custom subdomain, you must make the following DNS entries for your custom subdomain. Specific DNS instructions are outside of the scope of this article, but the screenshots below give an example of a properly configured DNS for Godaddy and Amazon Route 53 DNS.
This screenshot shows an email from SherpaDesk using the new custom domain suffix.
Correct DNS Setting for GoDaddy or Amazon
CAUTION: Godaddy Pitfall
If you want your custom domain name to be something like https://helpdesk.acme.com, in Godaddy the HOST = "helpdesk" only
We have noticed many people in Godaddy are inputting the entire domain into the host field.
INCORRECT SETUP "helpdesk.arturexpress.com", CORRECT = host = "helpdesk"
Make sure the k RSA records does NOT contain your full domain name... if you are trying to setup support.acme.com, you do NOT need to input "acme.com" anywhere into Godaddy.com
