CNAME and SSL Certificate Setup

Follow the steps below to create your site’s CNAME and begin setting up your site’s SSL Certificate. Once the steps below are completed, and the CNAME is added to your DNS, Kodaris will complete obtaining and installing your SSL certificate.

Step 1 - Determine the domains that are needed

The first step is to determine the domains that your company will be using. You may be using one domain, multiple domains or even switching your site from one domain to another. Here are a few examples.

• The most common option is using one domain such as fourpresidents.com. In this case, you will also want to include the www domain www.fourpresidents.com as a best practice.
• If using multiple domains or switching from one domain to another, you will want to utilize all relevant domains. For example, if currently using the side store.fourpresidents.com and moving to fourpresidents.com, you will need to create an SSL certification that covers the old site store.fourpresidents.com, the new site fourpresidents.com, and also also the www domain www.fourpresidents.com as standard practice.
• If only using a single domain like store.fourpresidents.com, this is the only domain needed.

Step 2 - Create the CNAME DNS records for installation

The CNAME DNS records follow a common format and are easy to create once the list of required domains are determined in step one.

Each domain needs a record created. All records will include a type, host and value following the below format. Here is a sample record:

• Type: CNAME
• Host: _acme-challenge.fourpresidents.com
• Value: fourpresidents.com.sslcerts.kodaris.com

You will notice that the host includes the domain with a prefix, where the value adds a suffix to the domain.

• Host Prefix: _acme-challenge.
• Value Suffix: .sslcerts.kodaris.com

Here are example records for a case where 3 domains are required:

• Record 1
  • Type: CNAME
  • Host: _acme-challenge.fourpresidents.com
  • Value: fourpresidents.com.sslcerts.kodaris.com
• Record 2
  • Type: CNAME
  • Host: _acme-challenge.www.fourpresidents.com
  • Value: www.fourpresidents.com.sslcerts.kodaris.com
• Record 3
  • Type: CNAME
  • Host: _acme-challenge.store.fourpresidents.com
  • Value: store.fourpresidents.com.sslcerts.kodaris.com

Step 3 - Add the CNAME to the DNS Record

Now that the CNAME DNS records are created, add the CNAME to your DNS. Please enter the values exactly as shown, including the leading underscores.

Once completed please let your Kodaris Account Manager know, so that we can obtain and install the SSL certificate on our side.