Configure Domain Settings

Overview

Your domain name is the web address that learners use to access your Gainsight CE site. Gainsight CE provides two options for configuring the domain:

• Default Gainsight CE Subdomain: A pre-assigned URL provided by Gainsight CE such as your-school.northpass.com.
• Custom Domain: A personalized URL such as www.yourschool.com that aligns with your brand and requires DNS configuration.

Why is this Important?

• A custom domain strengthens branding and makes your platform more recognizable.
• An SSL-secured domain ensures data security and builds user trust.
• Configuring a CNAME record allows for seamless redirection to Gainsight CE.

Note: If using a custom domain, you must update your DNS records with your domain registrar. DNS changes may take up to 72 hours to propagate.

Edit the Domain Name

Edit your Gainsight CE subdomain or set up a custom domain to match your brand. To edit the domain name:

1. Navigate to Settings > Settings. The Settings page appears.
2. Under Site Information, update:

• School Subdomain (to change the Gainsight CE subdomain).
• Custom Domain (to configure a personalized domain).

3. Click Save.

Set Up a Custom Domain 

Set up a custom domain to align your Gainsight CE site with your brand. To set up a custom domain:

1. Log in to your domain registrar such as GoDaddy, Cloudflare.
2. Open DNS Manager or Zone File Settings or similar area of your control panel.
3. Create a CNAME record:

• Alias: www
• Type: CNAME (ALIAS)
• Points To: secure.northpass.com

4. Save the changes.

Note: 

• When configuring your custom domain, use a subdomain such as www.yourschool.com or academy.yourschool.com. Directly pointing to a root domain such as yourschool.com to Gainsight CE is not supported.
• A root domain, also called a naked domain, is a domain without a subdomain prefix such as yourschool.com instead of www.yourschool.com.

(Optional) Enable Domain Forwarding for a Root Domain

Domain forwarding automatically redirects visitors from my-school.com to www.my-school.com. Users often type domain names without www. This ensures a smooth experience. To enable domain forwarding:

1. Navigate to the Domain Forwarding settings in the domain registrar’s control panel.
2. Create a 301 (permanent) redirect rule.
3. Ensure the forwarding type is HTTP:// and set it to 301 redirect.

Example:

my-school.com -> www.myschool.com

Secure the Custom Domain with an SSL Certificate

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encrypts data exchanged between users and your site.

• Protects sensitive information and prevents security warnings.
• Ensures compliance with modern security standards.
• Builds trust by displaying Secure in the browser's address bar.

Gainsight CE automatically issues and renews SSL certificates for custom domains.

• Gainsight CE uses Let’s Encrypt as certificate provider.
• SSL certificates are issued for 90 days and renewed automatically before expiration.
• There is no additional charge for SSL certificates.
• SSL certificate renewal completes instantly, with no noticeable downtime.

To enable SSL for your custom domain, ensure that your CNAME record points to:

secure.northpass.com

For more information about setting up an SSL Certificate, contact us at cesupport@gainsight.com.