How Do I Set Up a Custom Domain for My Help Center?
Set up a custom domain (help.yourcompany.com) for your help center in 5 minutes. Add a CNAME record and verify in your dashboard.
TL;DR
Set up a custom domain for your help center by adding a CNAME record pointing help.yourcompany.com to your help center provider, then verifying it in your dashboard. Takes 5 minutes of configuration plus up to 48 hours for DNS propagation (usually under 1 hour).
Why use a custom domain
A custom domain (help.yourcompany.com) makes your help center look like part of your product instead of a third-party tool. Benefits:
- Professional appearance — customers stay on your brand - Better SEO — articles build authority for your domain - Trust — customers see your domain in the URL bar - Branding consistency — matches your main site
Without a custom domain, your help center lives at something like yourcompany.getkairoo.com. This works fine functionally, but a branded domain looks more polished.
Setup steps
1. Choose your subdomain. Most companies use help.yourcompany.com, docs.yourcompany.com, or support.yourcompany.com.
2. Add a CNAME record. In your DNS provider (Cloudflare, Route53, Namecheap, etc.), add: - Type: CNAME - Name: help (or your chosen subdomain) - Value: cname.getkairoo.com (Kairoo provides the exact value in your dashboard)
3. Verify in Kairoo. Go to Settings > Custom Domain, enter your subdomain, and click Verify. Kairoo checks the CNAME record and provisions an SSL certificate.
4. Wait for propagation. DNS changes take up to 48 hours, but usually resolve within 30-60 minutes.
Once verified, your help center is accessible at your custom domain with a valid SSL certificate (HTTPS).
Common issues
CNAME not found: DNS propagation hasn't completed yet. Wait 1-2 hours and try verifying again.
SSL error: If using Cloudflare, set the proxy mode to "DNS only" (gray cloud) for the CNAME record. Cloudflare's proxy can interfere with SSL provisioning.
Existing A record conflict: You can't have both a CNAME and A record for the same subdomain. Remove any existing A record before adding the CNAME.
Custom domains are available on Kairoo's Pro plan ($29/mo). See full pricing or compare help center tools with custom domain support.
Frequently asked questions
Is a custom domain required?
No. Your help center works fine at yourcompany.getkairoo.com. Custom domains are optional and available on paid plans for teams that want branded URLs.
Can I use a subdirectory instead of a subdomain?
Not with most hosted help center tools. Subdirectories (yoursite.com/help) require reverse proxy configuration. Subdomains (help.yoursite.com) are simpler and standard.