The Domain Settings page is where you manage:
- your domains,
- the microsite paths that are associated with the domains, and
- your organization's digital certificates.
You can add domains and certificates to ensure secure transactions across your site. There are also two pages that list:
- which domains are assigned to each microsite path and
- which certificate is assigned to each domain.
Redirects are independent of domains and certificates; they enable you to automatically redirect site traffic away from a site to a more secure one. For added security, the redirect occurs behind the scenes; the visitor never knows it has happened.
NOTE: There's more to learn about domains and certificates and the role they play in your community environment. Check out Set Up HTTPS / SSL and CNAME and Domain Setup Instructions to gain a better understanding of how these settings work with domains, certificates, and redirects.
Access the Domain Settings page
- In the Admin Toolbar, click Admin.
- Navigate to Pages > Sites > Domain Settings.
The Domains Settings page comprises the five lists shown below, each dedicated to a management process described earlier.
TIP: On list pages, click a column header to sort on that column; click again to reverse the sort order. Click the columns count below the list to add and remove columns in the current view.
Manage domains
Select Domains from the page-selection list to manage your domains.
Add a domain
- On the Domains page, click the plus symbol (+) to the right of the page title.
- In the dialog, type the URL of the domain in the first available field.
NOTE: Do not include HTTP:// or HTTPS:// in the URLs.
- To add more domains, click the green (+) Add under the Domains field.
- Click Save.
Delete a domain
Before deleting a custom domain, you must first delete the certificate assigned to it.
- On the Domains page, click the down arrow to the right of the page title and select Certificates.
- Select the certificate assigned to the domain you want to delete, and then click Delete.
- Navigate back to the Domains page: click the down arrow to the right of the page title and select Domains.
- Select the domain you want to remove, and then click Delete.
- In the popup, review the warning and click Delete to finalize the removal.
NOTE: If you receive an error processing your request, submit a support ticket to have our Support Team remove the domain. Do not delete a domain that is currently in use.
NOTE: You cannot delete the Tenant Primary Domain. If you want to delete this domain, first set a different domain as "primary."
Export a list of your domains
- Click the export icon to download a .CSV file of your domains list.
- Navigate to where you want to store it and click Save (depending on your device's settings, it may automatically download to your default storage location).
Set a Primary Domain
Making a domain a primary domain in your community means designating it as the main URL for your community. This primary domain is used for navigation, branding, and accessing the community site. When a domain is set as the primary, it:
- becomes the default address for the community,
- prevents its deletion since the community's functionality is dependent on it,
- may influence SEO settings and other domain-related configurations.
To flag a domain as the primary domain:
- Select a domain and click Set Primary.
- In the dialog, click Set to Primary.
This domain is now indicated with the (Tenant Primary Domain) label.
Set an Admin Domain
Selecting a domain and clicking the Make Admin Domain button allows you to set a domain as the primary or default domain for administrative purposes.
Any domain set as the Admin Domain instructs the system to recognize the chosen domain as the default one that administrative tools and staff will use when accessing and managing the site. This is particularly useful for ensuring consistency and avoiding issues with accessing admin areas if multiple domains are associated with the site.
Prevent unauthorized deletion
Higher Logic staff can "lock" a domain so that it cannot be deleted. These domains will be denoted with a lock icon to the right of the domain name.
Manage domain assignments
Adding domain assignments is how to link specific domains to different microsite paths for your Higher Logic site. This allows each microsite to have its own distinct domain.
NOTE: Before applying any changes to live microsites, we recommend testing the domain assignments and redirects in a staging environment. This helps you verify if everything works correctly without affecting your live site.
- Click the down arrow to the right of the page title and select Domain Assignments to access the list of microsite paths and their assigned domains. Use this page to organize and streamline the domain management for each microsite within your Higher Logic site.
- Select a microsite path and click Manage Assignments.
- In the dialog, click in the Assigned Domains field to add and remove domains. You can assign multiple domains to a microsite, and you can set a Primary Domain.
- Click Save.
Manage certificates
NOTE: All custom domains need a certificate applied before they can be assigned.
Click the down arrow to the right of the page title and select Certificates.
Here, you can:
- Add a default certificate from Let's Encrypt (https://letsencrypt.org/)
- Import a custom certificate
- Specify your own certificate credentials
- Enable and disable certificates
IMPORTANT: To learn more about adding default certificates and importing custom certificates, see Set Up HTTPS / SSL.
Add a certificate
- Click the plus symbol (+) to the right of the page title.
- In the Add Certificate dialog, choose a method.
The fields that display are based on the method that is selected.
NOTE: All of the fields for the methods on this dialog are required. The Add button on this dialog remains disabled until the required fields are satisfied.
Method | Description |
---|---|
Generate a free certificate | Click the dropdown and select a domain for which you want to generate a free certificate. |
Import your own certificate | Specify the Name and Certificate Password fields; this enables the "choose a file" button. Choose a Certificate File. When it has uploaded, the "key" and "chain" fields in the lower section are auto-populated with the appropriate values. |
Manually enter your own certificate details | Specify a Name. Paste the appropriate keys and chain in the fields. |
- Click Add to save your certificate information; a confirmation message displays:
- Generate free: the process has started
- Import your own: the certificate has been saved
- Manually enter: the certificate has been saved
Review the Certificates list and make sure your certificate is listed.
When it is, you can assign it to a domain.
Delete a certificate
- Select a certificate and click Delete.
- Review the information and your selection, and click Delete to continue.
- Review the list to verify that the certificate is no longer listed.
Manage certificate assignments
Click the down arrow to the right of the page title and select Certificates Assignments. This list is where you can update a certificate's schema.
- Select a domain and click Change Schema.
- Select a schema (HTTP, HTTPS, or HTTP & HTTPS) from the Allowed Request Schema dropdown, and click Change.
- Review the Allowed Request Schema column to verify your changes.
Manage redirects
Click the down arrow to the right of the page title and select Redirects.
TIP: On this page, you can filter by Redirect Type.
Add a redirect
- Click the plus symbol (+) to the right of the page title.
- In the dialog, specify the old and new URLs and select the redirect type: Permanent (301) or Temporary (302).
- Click Add.
Edit a redirect
- Select a redirect and click Edit.
- In the dialog, specify the new URL and/or select a different type, and click Save.
Delete a redirect
- Select a redirect and click Delete.
- In the dialog, review your selection and the warning.
- Click Delete to continue; otherwise, click Cancel.
Upload a list of redirects
NOTE: The upload operation accepts .CSV files only.
- Click the upload icon at the top right of the page.
- In the dialog, review the message and click Choose File to select a file (or click Cancel).
NOTE: The upload will delete all your existing redirects, so consider adding them to the new list before uploading it.
- Navigate to and select the .csv file containing the list of new redirects, and click Upload.
- Review the list to ensure that the new redirects are listed.
Export a list of redirects
- Click the export icon to download a .CSV file of your redirects list.
- Navigate to where you want to store it and click Save.
What steps should you take to set up redirects before changing the primary domain?
1. Plan Your Redirects
- Identify all the old URLs that will need to be redirected to the new URLs under the new primary domain.
2. Prepare a .CSV File
- Create a .CSV file containing the list of old and new URLs for the redirects. Ensure this list is comprehensive to avoid any broken links.
3. Access the Domain Settings > Redirects page
- Access the Admin interface.
- Navigate to Pages > Sites > Domain Settings > Redirects.
4a. Add redirects individually
- Click the plus symbol (+) to the right of the page title to add a redirect.
- In the dialog, specify the old URL and the new URL, select the redirect type, and click Add.
- Review the list to ensure the redirect was added correctly.
4b. Bulk-upload list of redirects
If you want to bulk-upload a .CSV file containing all of your redirects, rather than add each one individually, follow the steps below.
NOTE: Uploading a new list of redirects will delete all existing redirects. Make sure you have downloaded all your existing redirects first and added them to your new list, if you want to keep them.
- On the Redirects page, click the upload icon to upload the prepared .CSV file containing the list of redirects.
- Review the message in the dialog. Then, click Choose File, locate and select your .CSV file, then click Upload.
- Ensure the new redirects are listed and correct any errors, if present.
5. Review and verify
- Carefully review the list of redirects to ensure all old URLs are correctly mapping to the new URLs.
6. Change the Primary Domain
Once the redirects are in place, follow the steps to set a new primary domain:
- On the Domains Settings page, click the dropdown and select Domains.
- Select the domain you want to be the new primary and click Set Primary.
- Confirm the change in the dialog that appears.
7. Test the Redirects
- After changing the primary domain, test the redirects by accessing old URLs and ensuring they route correctly to the new domain URLs.
Following these steps will ensure that all old links and bookmarks work seamlessly after the primary domain change, maintaining a smooth user experience.
Search for domains, certificates, assignments, and redirects
At the top right of the page, you can use the search feature to quickly find domains, certificates, and redirects, as well as domain and certificate assignments.
- Click the magnifying glass icon to expand a search field.
- Enter letters, numbers, and/or special characters to query all records.
The list automatically updates with each typed character and displays all records (visible and hidden) that contain a match. Click the X to clear the search field and restore the original list.
NOTE: The searchable fields depend on which list page you're viewing.