Custom Domain Setup

Use your own custom domain for download pages to create a fully branded customer experience.

Custom Domain Overview

What is custom domain:

Replace: yourshop.myshopify.com/apps/alvadigitaldownloads
With: downloads.yourshop.com
or: files.yourshop.com
or: get.yourshop.com

Benefits:

✓ Professional branding
✓ Customer trust
✓ Better SEO
✓ Consistent experience
✓ Custom SSL certificate
✓ Email deliverability

Prerequisites

Requirements

Before setting up:

☑ Own a domain (yourshop.com)
☑ Access to DNS settings
☑ SSL certificate (Let's Encrypt free)
☑ Professional or Enterprise plan
☑ Technical knowledge (basic DNS)

DNS providers supported:

✓ Cloudflare
✓ Google Domains
✓ GoDaddy
✓ Namecheap
✓ AWS Route 53
✓ All major DNS providers

Choosing a Subdomain

Subdomain Options

Popular choices:

downloads.yourshop.com

Pros: Clear purpose, easy to remember
Use: Download pages, file access

files.yourshop.com

Pros: Short, professional
Use: File hosting, downloads

get.yourshop.com

Pros: Action-oriented, modern
Use: Product downloads

members.yourshop.com

Pros: Exclusive feel
Use: Member-only content

Best practices:

✓ Keep it short (1-2 words)
✓ Related to downloads/files
✓ Easy to spell
✓ Memorable

❌ Avoid long subdomains
❌ Don't use numbers/hyphens
❌ Not generic (app.yourshop.com)

DNS Configuration

Add DNS Records

CNAME record setup:

Step 1: Get Alva DNS target

Settings → Advanced → Custom Domain
Domain: downloads.yourshop.com
[Verify Domain]

DNS target provided:
alva-downloads.global.ssl.fastly.net

Step 2: Add CNAME in DNS provider

Cloudflare example:

DNS → Add record

Type: CNAME
Name: downloads
Target: alva-downloads.global.ssl.fastly.net
Proxy status: ☐ Proxied (DNS only)
TTL: Auto

[Save]

Google Domains example:

DNS → Custom records → Manage custom records

Host name: downloads
Type: CNAME
TTL: 3600
Data: alva-downloads.global.ssl.fastly.net

[Add]

GoDaddy example:

DNS Management → Add → CNAME

Host: downloads
Points to: alva-downloads.global.ssl.fastly.net
TTL: 1 Hour

[Save]

DNS Propagation

Wait for propagation:

Propagation time: 15 minutes - 48 hours
Typical: 1-4 hours
Fastest: 15-30 minutes (with low TTL)

Check propagation:
https://www.whatsmydns.net/

Enter: downloads.yourshop.com
Type: CNAME
Result: Should show alva-downloads.global.ssl.fastly.net

SSL Certificate Setup

Automatic SSL

Let’s Encrypt (free):

Auto-provisioning:

After DNS configured:
1. Alva detects DNS record
2. Automatically requests SSL certificate
3. Let's Encrypt validates domain
4. Certificate installed
5. HTTPS enabled

Time: 5-30 minutes
Cost: Free
Renewal: Automatic (every 90 days)

Verify SSL:

Visit: https://downloads.yourshop.com
Check: Lock icon in browser
Certificate: Valid, issued by Let's Encrypt
Expiry: Shows expiration date

Custom SSL Certificate

Use your own certificate:

Upload custom cert:

Settings → Custom Domain → SSL Certificate
☑ Use custom SSL certificate

Certificate: [Upload .crt file]
Private key: [Upload .key file]
Chain: [Upload chain.crt] (optional)

[Upload Certificate]

Use case: EV certificates, wildcard certs

Verify Domain

Domain Verification

Confirm setup:

Verification steps:

Settings → Custom Domain → Verify

Checks:
✓ DNS record exists
✓ Points to correct target
✓ SSL certificate valid
✓ HTTPS accessible
✓ No redirect loops

Status: ✓ Verified

Troubleshooting verification:

Common issues:

❌ DNS not propagated yet
Solution: Wait 1-24 hours, retry

❌ CNAME points to wrong target
Solution: Update DNS record

❌ SSL certificate pending
Solution: Wait 5-30 minutes for auto-provision

❌ Cloudflare proxy enabled
Solution: Disable proxy (DNS only)

Download Page Configuration

Update Download Links

Switch to custom domain:

Automatic update:

Settings → Custom Domain → Download Links
● Use custom domain for all download links
○ Use default domain

New download links:
Before: yourshop.myshopify.com/apps/alvadigitaldownloads/download?key=...
After: downloads.yourshop.com/download?key=...

Existing links: Automatically redirect

Email Links

Update email templates:

Email configuration:

Settings → Email Settings → Templates
☑ Use custom domain in emails

Download button URL:
Old: https://yourshop.myshopify.com/apps/...
New: https://downloads.yourshop.com/download?key=...

Benefits:
• Professional appearance
• Branded experience
• Better email deliverability

Branding

Custom Download Page

Customize appearance:

Logo and branding:

Settings → Custom Domain → Branding

Logo: [Upload logo for custom domain]
Favicon: [Upload .ico file]
Primary color: #007AFF
Background: Custom background image

Apply: Custom domain pages only

Custom HTML/CSS

Advanced customization:

Custom styles:

/* Custom CSS for downloads.yourshop.com */
.download-page {
  background: linear-gradient(135deg, #667eea 0%, #764ba2 100%);
  font-family: 'Montserrat', sans-serif;
}

.download-header {
  background: white;
  padding: 20px;
  border-radius: 8px;
  box-shadow: 0 4px 6px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);
}

.download-button {
  background: #007AFF;
  color: white;
  padding: 15px 40px;
  border-radius: 8px;
  font-weight: 600;
  transition: transform 0.2s;
}

.download-button:hover {
  transform: scale(1.05);
}

Advanced Configuration

Subdirectory Setup

Use subdirectory instead:

Not recommended but possible:

yourshop.com/downloads/
vs
downloads.yourshop.com

Requires:
• Reverse proxy setup
• More complex configuration
• Server-side redirect rules

Recommendation: Use subdomain (easier)

Multiple Domains

Different domains for different purposes:

Multi-domain setup:

downloads.yourshop.com → Main download page
members.yourshop.com → Member-only content
premium.yourshop.com → Premium products

Configuration:
Map products to specific domains
Different branding per domain
Separate analytics

SEO Configuration

SEO Settings

Optimize for search:

Meta tags:

Settings → Custom Domain → SEO

Title: {product_name} - Download | Your Shop
Description: Download your {product_name} instantly. Access your files anytime.
Keywords: digital download, {product_name}, instant access

Open Graph:
og:title, og:description, og:image
Twitter Card tags

Robots and Sitemap

Search engine indexing:

Robots.txt:

User-agent: *
Allow: /download
Disallow: /api
Disallow: /admin

Sitemap: https://downloads.yourshop.com/sitemap.xml

Sitemap generation:

Settings → Custom Domain → SEO → Generate Sitemap
☑ Auto-generate sitemap
Include: Product download pages
Update: Daily

Access: downloads.yourshop.com/sitemap.xml

Analytics

Track Custom Domain

Analytics setup:

Google Analytics:

Settings → Custom Domain → Analytics
Google Analytics ID: UA-XXXXXXXXX-X or G-XXXXXXXXXX

Track:
☑ Page views (download pages)
☑ Download events
☑ Conversion events
☑ Custom dimensions (product, customer)

Domain: downloads.yourshop.com

Custom Tracking

Advanced tracking:

// Custom tracking code
<script>
  // Track download initiation
  document.querySelectorAll('.download-button').forEach(btn => {
    btn.addEventListener('click', function() {
      gtag('event', 'download_click', {
        'event_category': 'Downloads',
        'event_label': this.dataset.filename,
        'custom_domain': 'downloads.yourshop.com'
      });
    });
  });
</script>

Email Deliverability

SPF and DKIM

Email authentication:

SPF record:

Add to yourshop.com DNS:
Type: TXT
Name: @
Value: v=spf1 include:spf.alvaapps.com ~all

Purpose: Authorize Alva to send emails
Benefit: Better deliverability

DKIM record:

Get from: Settings → Email → Authentication
Add to DNS: TXT record
Purpose: Email signature verification

Custom From Domain

Send from custom domain:

Email configuration:

Settings → Email → From Address
From: downloads@yourshop.com
(instead of: noreply@shopify.com)

Requires:
• SPF record configured
• DKIM record configured
• Domain verified

Benefit: Professional, trusted sender

Performance

CDN Configuration

Optimize delivery:

CDN settings:

Settings → Custom Domain → Performance

☑ Enable CDN caching
Cache duration: 1 hour (download pages)
Edge locations: Global (300+ locations)

☑ Enable compression (Gzip, Brotli)
☑ HTTP/2 enabled
☑ Early Hints enabled

Result: Fast global access

Caching Strategy

Cache configuration:

Cache headers:

Download pages:
Cache-Control: public, max-age=3600

Static assets (CSS, JS, images):
Cache-Control: public, max-age=31536000

Download links (presigned):
Cache-Control: private, no-cache

Monitoring

Domain Health

Monitor custom domain:

Health checks:

Settings → Custom Domain → Monitoring

Checks:
✓ DNS resolution
✓ SSL certificate validity
✓ HTTPS accessibility
✓ Response time
✓ Uptime

Frequency: Every 5 minutes
Alerts: Email if issues detected

SSL Expiry Alerts

Certificate monitoring:

Auto-renewal: 30 days before expiry
Backup alert: 7 days before expiry (if renewal fails)
Emergency alert: 1 day before expiry

Notification: Email to shop owner
Action: Auto-renew via Let's Encrypt

Troubleshooting

DNS Issues

Common problems:

CNAME not resolving:

Problem: Domain doesn't resolve
Check:
1. DNS record exists
2. Points to correct target
3. Not proxied (Cloudflare)
4. TTL allows updates
5. Propagation complete

Tool: dig downloads.yourshop.com

SSL Certificate Errors

Fix SSL issues:

Error: "Your connection is not private"
Causes:
• Certificate not yet provisioned (wait 30 min)
• DNS not pointing correctly
• Mixed content (HTTP + HTTPS)

Solutions:
1. Verify DNS correct
2. Wait for SSL provisioning
3. Force HTTPS on all assets
4. Clear browser cache

Redirect Loops

Fix infinite redirects:

Problem: Page keeps redirecting
Causes:
• Cloudflare proxy enabled (should be DNS only)
• Incorrect redirect rules
• Mixed HTTP/HTTPS

Solution:
1. Disable Cloudflare proxy
2. Check redirect settings
3. Use HTTPS consistently

Migration

Switch from Default to Custom

Migration steps:

Gradual migration:

Week 1: Setup custom domain, test
Week 2: Enable for new orders only
Week 3: Update email templates
Week 4: Redirect all old links
Week 5: Full migration complete

Old links: Continue working (auto-redirect)
New links: Use custom domain

Update Integrations

Update external systems:

Checklist:

☐ Update webhook URLs
☐ Update API endpoint references
☐ Update email templates
☐ Update marketing materials
☐ Update help documentation
☐ Notify customers (if needed)

Best Practices

1. Use HTTPS Only

Force HTTPS:

✓ Enable HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security)
✓ Redirect HTTP to HTTPS
✓ Use secure cookies

Settings → Custom Domain → Security
☑ Force HTTPS
☑ Enable HSTS
HSTS max-age: 31536000 (1 year)

2. Monitor Regularly

Regular checks:

Weekly:
☐ Check SSL certificate expiry
☐ Verify DNS still correct
☐ Test download links
☐ Monitor performance

Monthly:
☐ Review analytics
☐ Check uptime
☐ Test from different locations

3. Plan for Failures

Backup strategy:

✓ Keep default domain working
✓ Auto-fallback if custom domain down
✓ Monitor health proactively
✓ Have rollback plan

If custom domain fails:
→ Auto-redirect to default domain
→ Email notifications sent
→ Downloads still work

4. Communicate Changes

Customer communication:

When launching custom domain:
• Announce in email newsletter
• Update website footer
• Add to order confirmation
• Update social media

Message:
"We've improved our download experience!
Access your files at downloads.yourshop.com"

5. Test Thoroughly

Pre-launch testing:

☐ Test from multiple browsers
☐ Test on mobile devices
☐ Test from different countries/ISPs
☐ Verify SSL certificate
☐ Check email links work
☐ Test API integrations
☐ Load test download pages

Next Steps

File Watermarking - Protect your content
API Webhooks and Automation - Integrate systems
Advanced Analytics - Track performance
Advanced Settings and API - API docs