To get your site to go live, there are a few important steps you need to take. Your DNS (domain name system) is essentially the phone book of the internet. If you haven't worked much with your DNS records before, don't worry, this guide should help you get started please contact us directly if you need any more help.
Step 1: Creating your Domain Name
We can set up your site to sit on any registered domain you like, for example, ‘www.yourdomainname.com’.
This could be a fresh new domain you have set up with your preferred domain provider or it could be a subdomain such as 'ondemand.yourdomainname.com’.
Step 2: Add a new record to your ‘DNS’ records.
To do this, you need to create a new ‘CNAME record’ for your domain/subdomain with the value of production.shift72.com.
Please note: this is not a redirect.
Additionally not use an A Record with a fixed IP Address. Our IP Addresses do change unexpectedly and this will result in an outage for your site.
We also check the DNS before generating your SSL certificate, if you do not specify the DNS correctly we will not issue an SSL certificate renewal.
Here is an example of a site that has been correctly setup
Note just the CNAME is used to specify the production.shift72.com domain.
Step 3: Sending emails on your behalf
As part of our site set up process, we need to be able to send emails directly to your registered users/viewers on your behalf. This is an automated process, where we send messages regarding new account confirmation, purchased or rented content, requests to send passwords, etc.
Step 3a:
The first step is deciding what email address you want to use. You can use an existing address or create a new one. This can be any domain that is related to your organization.
We recommend that this new email is through the new domain you have set up for your site.
You will also need to set up new SPF and DKIM records, so we can verify that you own the domain.
SPF Record
Step 4: SPF Record
If you haven't set up an ‘SPF record’, you’ll have to add one for your domain.
At a minimum, the TXT record value should show the following:
v=spf1 include:spf.mandrillapp.com ?all
Step 4a:
If you already have a ‘TXT record’ with ‘SPF’ information, you'll need to add ‘Mandrill's’ (which is the tool we use to send emails) servers to that record by adding
include:spf.mandrillapp.com in the record (before the last operator, which is usually ?all, ~all, or -all).
DKIM Record
Add a new TXT record with the name mandrill._domainkey.yourdomain.com (replace yourdomain.com with the domain you're setting up).
The value for the record should be one of the options listed below. There are two options because the record contains semicolons, and some DNS providers escape semicolons for you while others require you to do it when setting up the record.
Get in touch with your Domain host directly if you are unsure.
With semicolons escaped:
v=DKIM1\; k=rsa\; p=MIGfMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUAA4GNADCBiQKBgQCrLHiExVd55zd/IQ/J/mRwSRMAocV/hMB3jXwaHH36d9NaVynQFYV8NaWi69c1veUtRzGt7yAioXqLj7Z4TeEUoOLgrKsn8YnckGs9i3B3tVFB+Ch/4mPhXWiNfNdynHWBcPcbJ8kjEQ2U8y78dHZj1YeRXXVvWob2OaKynO8/lQIDAQAB\;
With semicolons unescaped:
v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIGfMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUAA4GNADCBiQKBgQCrLHiExVd55zd/IQ/J/mRwSRMAocV/hMB3jXwaHH36d9NaVynQFYV8NaWi69c1veUtRzGt7yAioXqLj7Z4TeEUoOLgrKsn8YnckGs9i3B3tVFB+Ch/4mPhXWiNfNdynHWBcPcbJ8kjEQ2U8y78dHZj1YeRXXVvWob2OaKynO8/lQIDAQAB;
Once this has been completed, get in touch with your account manager, or our support team. We will test, verify the domain, and then move your site to your newly set up domain.