Connecting Your Domain to Kademi

Blank 19/9/2025 07:11 - 19/9/2025 07:11

Website Management

Hello! This guide will walk you through pointing your custom domain to your new Kademi website. We'll cover connecting your website, securing it with an SSL certificate, and making sure your emails land in the inbox, not the spam folder.

First, what is DNS? Think of DNS (Domain Name System) as the internet's address book. It translates a human-friendly domain name like www.yourcompany.com into an IP address that computers use to find each other. To make your domain work with Kademi, you just need to update a few entries in that address book.

You'll need to log in to your domain provider's website (like GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, etc.) to make these changes. Look for a section called "DNS Management," "DNS Zone Editor," or something similar.

1. Connecting Your Website Domain

This step makes your domain name show your Kademi website. The method depends on whether you're using a root domain or a subdomain.

Using a Subdomain

A subdomain is a prefix added to your main domain, like shop.yourcompany.com or portal.yourcompany.com. This is the easiest method if you're managing your own DNS.

You will create a CNAME record. You can find your unique CloudFront domain name in your Kademi Website settings, under the Details tab. It's labeled 'Domain' next to the CloudFront status.

In your DNS provider's settings, add the following record:

Type	Host / Name	Value / Points to
CNAME	`Your subdomain`	`Your CloudFront domain from Kademi`

Example: To set up wesley.kademi.xyz, you would add:

Type	Host / Name	Value / Points to
CNAME	`wesley`	`d3nl75yfrv5koq.cloudfront.net`

Using a Root Domain (e.g., `yourcompany.com`)

For root domains (also called "apex" domains), you cannot use a CNAME record.

We strongly recommend delegating your root domain's DNS management to Kademi. This is the simplest and most reliable option. We will automatically configure and maintain all the necessary records for you.

If you absolutely must manage the DNS yourself, you will need to use an ALIAS or ANAME record that points to your CloudFront domain. Support for these records varies between DNS providers.

Note: Kademi only supports DNS delegation for root domains. We do not support delegation for subdomains.

2. Securing Your Domain (SSL Certificate)

An SSL certificate enables the secure https protocol and displays a padlock icon in your visitors' browsers, letting them know your site is secure. 🔒 Kademi provides a free SSL certificate, but you must first prove you own the domain by adding a special validation record.

To find this record, navigate to the Security tab in your Website settings. Click the Details button next to your certificate, and a pop-up will appear with the exact 'Record name' and 'Record value' you need to copy.

Important Note: Kademi provides the full 'Record name', but most DNS providers (like Namecheap and GoDaddy) automatically add your domain name. You only need to paste the first part of the record name into the 'Host' field.

Type	Host / Name (What to paste)	Value / Points to (Paste this full value)
CNAME	`Copy the first part of the Record name`	`Copy the entire Record value`

Example: If Kademi provides the record name _369088a4c2c160e108885383f3a7f162.wesley.kademi.xyz, you would only use the bolded part:

Type	Host / Name (What to paste)	Value / Points to
CNAME	`_369088a4c2c160e108885383f3a7f162.wesley`	`_94486eec8315f254343fe33a095346f0.xlfgrmvlj.acm-validations.aws`

Once this record is added, AWS will automatically validate your domain and issue the certificate. This can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours.

3. Authenticating Your Email Sender (SPF & DKIM)

If you plan on sending emails from the Kademi platform (e.g., password resets, notifications), this step is crucial. It tells email providers like Gmail and Outlook that Kademi is an authorized sender for your domain, which dramatically improves deliverability and prevents your emails from being marked as spam. 📧

You can find these records in your Website settings under the Email tab, within the Email Sender Authentication section. Just like the SSL certificate, you only need to copy the first part of the 'Host' name.

You'll need to add two records. For the 'Host' field in your DNS provider, only paste the part of the name before your domain.

Type	Host / Name (What to paste)	Value / Points to
CNAME	`em128169928.wesley` (Use your value)	`_spf.kademi-qa.co`
TXT	`pqcou._domainkey.wesley` (Use your value)	`v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIIBIjANBg...` (Copy the entire long string)

After adding these records, return to Kademi and click Refresh Status. The status should change from "Pending" to "Verified."

Final Note: DNS changes are not always instant. They can take anywhere from a few minutes to 24 hours to update across the entire internet. If your settings don't appear to be working immediately, please be patient.

If you have any trouble, please don't hesitate to contact our support team for assistance!