‍How to Use CNAME for Your ClickNTalk Pages on Consolto: A Guide to Enhanced Branding and Efficiency

Introduction

In today’s digital-first world, the importance of a cohesive online presence for businesses cannot be overstated. This is particularly true when it comes to interactive client engagement platforms like ClickNTalk on Consolto. Integrating CNAME (Canonical Name) records with your ClickNTalk pages is a strategic step that not only enhances your brand’s online professionalism but also offers a seamless, branded experience to your clients.

CNAME records allow you to maintain a consistent brand identity by customizing the URLs of your engagement pages. Instead of using Consolto's links, you can personalize them to reflect your business's domain name, reinforcing brand recognition and trust. This guide will walk you through the process of setting up a CNAME for your ClickNTalk pages on Consolto, with specific examples from popular domain management platforms like GoDaddy and Cloudflare. By the end of this guide, you’ll be equipped to leverage CNAME for improved branding and a more professional appeal in your client interactions.

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Why Use CNAME with ClickNTalk?

• Enhanced Branding: Custom CNAME allows a seamless brand experience for clients visiting your ClickNTalk pages.
• Professional Appeal: A custom domain name increases credibility and professionalism.
• Consistent Brand Identity: Maintain your brand's identity across all customer touchpoints.

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Setting Up CNAME in Consolto

Prerequisites:

Ensure you have access to your domain’s DNS settings (like on GoDaddy or Cloudflare) and a Consolto account.

Step 1: Choose Your CNAME

Decide on the CNAME you wish to use (e.g., consult.realead.me).

1. On the Consolto backoffice, go to the Account settings >> Advanced
2. Click "Add CNAME"

3. Provide the CNAME you wish to use (example - consult.realead.me )

4. You'll now see the DNS entries for your new CNAME. Now it's time to create DNS records based on the items 1-6 in the image below.

Step 2: Configuring DNS Settings.

You'll need to configure 3 entries in your domain settings: 

1. CNAME that instructs your DNS to refer users to the Consolto servers while keeping your domain name (#1, #2 above)
2. TXT to validate that you are the owner of the domain (#3, #4 above)
3. TXT to create a certificate for your CNAME (#5, #6 above). Consolto uses HTTPS always.

Specific instructions for GoDaddy:

Log in to your GoDaddy account and navigate to your domain's DNS settings.

Add a new CNAME record.

CNAME: Enter the chosen CNAME and point it to e.g. consult.realead.me and the value would be cname-proxy.consolto.com. Save the changes.

Create two additional entries for the 2 TXT records (3-6 in the image above).

In total, you should add 3 DNS entries, each one with a name and a value.

Once ready, move to step #3 below

Specific instructions for Cloudflare: 

Access your Cloudflare dashboard and select your domain.

Navigate to the DNS records and Add a CNAME record, inputting your desired CNAME (e.g. consult.realead.me) and direct it to the target - cname-proxy.consolto.com.

Make sure your proxy status is off and you are in "DNS only" mode.

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Step 3: Verifying the CNAME Record:

Important: It may take some time for DNS changes to propagate, some times a few hours.

Go back to your Consolto backoffice and hit the Verify button (#7)

Once all lights turn green, your CNAME is ready to use. However, it could take a few hours until you can view your ClickNTalk page on your CNAME domain.

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Step #4: Assigning CNAME to Widgets in Consolto

Once your account holds CNAMEs, you may assign them to your teams. Consolto will use these CNAME domains to generate links to your meeting rooms, ClickNTalk pages, call-recording pages etc...

Any customer-facing link will use the CNAME based on the widget the CNAME is assigned to.

Assigning CNAME to widget-teams can be done in the account >> advanced when clicking on any CNAME's menu.

Here, you can assign a CNAME to more than one widget.

Alternatively, you can assign the CNAME to a team in the widget-installation tab. Make sure the right team is selected (#2 below).

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Step #5:  Testing your CNAME

‍Automatic Link Update: Once assigned, all ClickNTalk links sent to clients will use the new CNAME host, for example, https://consult.realead.me/expert/johndoe

To test this, hit the Flag-widget on the bottom right of the backoffice and create a new ClickNTalk link or a Meeting Room link. Both these links should point to your new CNAME.

IMPORTANT: It could take a few hours until this all works properly because of DNS propagation times. If you followed the steps above and waited and it still doesn't show up, please contact info@consolto.com.

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FAQ: 

Q: I have a few widgets. Can I assign a CNAME to every one? 
A: Absolutely, that's why you can create multiple CNAMEs.

Q: I have one team widget. Can I assign multiple CNAMEs to it? 
A: No. Every team gets their own CNAME and cannot be assigned more than one CNAME.

Q: I created a CNAME but it's not showing up when I hit the domain itself. It redirects to Consolto.
A: Your links should point to your team's ClickNTalk pages. These links should be accessible.

Q: Can I login to the backoffice through the ClickNTalk page? 
A: The backoffice is not accessible through the CNAME.

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Best Practices and Tips

• Consistency: Use a CNAME that is consistent with your brand name or main website.
• CNAME for Each Service: If offering multiple services, consider using different CNAMEs for each to enhance user experience.
• Regular Checks: Regularly check your DNS settings to ensure that the CNAME records are intact and correctly pointed.

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