How to add multiple domains to your Bubble app
Increase the value of your SaaS by adding customer domains to it
Why Would You Need Multiple Domains in Your Bubble App?
As you delve deeper into Bubble capabilities, you may find yourself pondering the question of whether to operate your SaaS app under a single domain or to expand to multiple domains. Your choice fundamentally relies on your app's specific needs, the user experience you aim to deliver, and the level of branding and customization you wish to attain.
Single Domain for Your Bubble App
If you choose a single domain for your Bubble app, here are a few things you should know:
Simple but Limited: You have one main web address, like www.saasyourdomain.com. This is easy to manage, but it might not offer a lot of room for different styles or branding for each user or client.
Same Experience for Everyone: Users all have a similar experience when they use your app. This can make things easier, but it also means you can't provide a personal touch for individual users.
Set Structure for Client Pages: Each client has their own page, like www.saasyourdomain.com/clientA. This keeps things organized, but it might not let your clients feel like they own their space.
The biggest problem with a single domain is that it can limit custom branding. This means clients might not be able to make their brand stand out the way they want to with your app. This could make them less interested in your app and slow down its growth.
In summary, a single domain is easy to manage but it might not be flexible enough. It is simple, but this simplicity might stop clients from being able to show off their unique brand, personal style, and ownership. If your app's aim is to help many different brands stand out, a single domain might not be the best choice.
Multiple Domains for Your Bubble App
Going for multiple domains in your Bubble app can be a great move:
Lots of Customization: Multiple domains mean you can have different web addresses or subdomains for your app. This lets you serve different needs for different industries. You can really make each part of your app feel unique and special.
Stand Out Brands: Each client gets their own dedicated section of the app. This can make their brand more visible and help them stand out.
Smoother Navigation: With multiple domains, you can guide visitors from different subdomains to specific pages within the same app. For example, if you have nike.yoursaas.com, it can lead directly to /clients/nike. This makes navigating your app really smooth and easy.
Remember, handling multiple domains has its own set of needs. You should use a trustworthy method to make sure everything in your app works well. Bubble doesn't provide this feature directly, so you need to find and use a separate tool. Don't worry, in this tutorial, we'll discuss the available options that can help you manage multiple domains efficiently in your Bubble app.
Multiple Subdomains vs. Multiple Customer Domains
You can make your Bubble app even better by choosing between multiple subdomains and multiple customer domains.
Multiple Subdomains
This is when you set up different environments within your main domain. For example, you could have companyA.mycoolapp.com and companyB.mycoolapp.com.
Benefits: You only have to setup your dns for all subdomains once.
Limitations: Customers will see your branding in the domain.
Each customer has their own special place in your app. This can make them feel more important. It can also make it easier for you to keep everything organized.
Multiple Customer Domains
This is when you give different domains for different customers. For example, your customers could link their own domain names to the shops they've created on your platform like mybagelshop.com or mycoffeebeans.com.
Benefits: Customer sees their own domain and brand.
Limitations: Customer will have to setup their dns.
This helps your customers to keep their own branding and identity. It also allows them to use all the great features of your app.
In conclusion, whether you should choose one domain, multiple domains, multiple subdomains, or customer domains, depends on what you want your Bubble app to do. Understanding your customers, your brand, and how your app works will help you to make the best choice.
Four Use Cases to Add Multiple Domains to Your Bubble App
Use Case 1: Webflow Clone
Type of App: Website Builder.
Requirement: Users need to link custom domains to websites they create.
How Multiple Domains Help: Each user can link a custom domain like www.myawesomeblog.com to their Bubble app. This enhances their professional web presence and branding while utilizing the website builder's features within your Bubble app.
Use Case 2: Shopify Clone
Type of App: E-commerce.
Requirement: Businesses need to use custom domains for their online stores.
How Multiple Domains Help: Businesses can link a unique custom domain, for example, www.fashionstore.com, to their Bubble app. This maintains their brand identity and provides a unique, professional feel for their customers while leveraging the platform's features.
Use Case 3: HubSpot CRM Clone
Type of App: Customer Relationship Management (CRM).
Requirement: Companies need personalized subdomains to access their CRM data.
How Multiple Domains Help: Each customer can have their custom subdomain, such as companyA.crmplatform.com, in your Bubble app. This makes the CRM easy to navigate and helps companies manage customer relationships effectively while preserving their brand identity.
Use Case 4: ChatGPT Clone
Type of App: AI Chatbot.
Requirement: Companies need their own dedicated subdomains for personalized chatbot experiences.
How Multiple Domains Help: Each company can have a unique subdomain, like companyB.chattychat.com, in your Bubble app, offering a personalized AI chatbot experience. This improves user interactions and allows each company to maintain their unique branding while using the chatbot platform.
Important when choose the right solution
When you add different domains to your Bubble.io platform, you need a solution that:
URL Masking: Keep your original domain hidden so both users and search engines see the added domain.
SEO improvments: Optimizing pages so search engines like google can quickly index them.
Routing: Help people find what they need by linking custom (sub)domains to webpages inside your app. Like openai.yourapp.com will load /clients/openai
SSL management: Automatic generating SSL certificates and renewing them on time.
CORS fixing: Making sure that login, data loading and submitting works between users and your Bubble app
Only a solution that does this, will work well in practice. Lets discover what solutions there are in the market.
What solutions are their to add Multiple Domains to Bubble apps?
Lets explore different solutions for adding multiple domains to your Bubble app, along with their benefits and limitations. We will cover solutions like no-code proxies, iframes, reverse proxies, redirects, and subapps.
No-code Proxy
CoAlias is a no-code proxy solution that simplifies adding multiple domains to your Bubble.io app, providing seamless integration and an optimal user experience. It streamlines linking multiple domains to specific app content without writing complex code or implementing custom server-side solutions. Its user-friendly interface facilitates hassle-free domain management and smooth navigation across various domains.
Key features and benefits of CoAlias include:
Time and resource savings
Consistent user and developer experiences
Overcomes limitations such as login, SEO difficulties, CORS errors, and complicated setups
By using CoAlias, you can efficiently manage multiple domains while ensuring optimal app functionality and a smooth user experience. Embracing the features and advantages of CoAlias helps you conveniently add multiple domains and elevate your Bubble.io app to its full potential.
CoAlias is a no-code proxy solution designed to help you integrate multiple domains into your Bubble app effortlessly. As a newer solution in the market, it addresses the essential problems while offering various benefits, making it a popular choice for many Bubble app designers.
URL Masking: CoAlias keeps your original domain hidden, ensuring that both users and search engines see the custom domain. This helps maintain a professional appearance and solid brand identity for your clients.
SEO Improvements: CoAlias optimizes your pages for search engines like Google, enabling faster indexing and better searchability. This is crucial for increasing traffic and visibility.
Routing: With CoAlias, you can link custom (sub)domains to specific pages within your app, ensuring smooth navigation. For example, linking openai.yourapp.com to /clients/openai.
SSL Management: CoAlias automates SSL certificate generation and renewal, saving you time, effort, and ensuring continued security for your app.
CORS Fixing: CoAlias resolves Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) issues, enabling proper login, data loading, and submissions between users and your Bubble app.
Usage-Based Pricing: The main drawback of CoAlias is that its pricing model is based on usage. While this could be convenient and cost-effective for smaller projects, it might become expensive for apps with high traffic or numerous added domains.
Iframes
Using iframes in your Bubble.io app might seem like a quick way to display external web pages, but it comes with several challenges and drawbacks when managing multiple domains. While iframes offer some advantages, such as displaying content from other domains and providing a simple way to embed external pages, they also present various limitations that can impact user experience and online exposure.
Advantages and limitations of using iframes:
Displays content from other domains and provides a simple way to embed external pages
Original domain is visible, affecting user experience and branding
Complications with opening new external pages and handling SSL certificates
Security risks such as click-jacking attacks and longer page load times leading to user dissatisfaction
Comparing iframes to alternatives like CoAlias or reverse proxies reveals more limitations that can affect your app's efficiency and user-friendliness. Opting for other options in domain management within your Bubble.io app can help ensure a better user experience.
Reverse Proxy
Using reverse proxy solutions, such as Caddy, Nginx, or cloud providers, for managing multiple domains in your Bubble.io app comes with both advantages and limitations. Although these tools offer flexibility in domain handling and configuration options, they also pose challenges with login, cookies, SEO, and user-friendliness.
Advantages and limitations of using reverse proxies:
Handles multiple domains and provides flexible domain configuration options
Time-consuming setup and maintenance
Lack of routing capabilities, requirement for adding SSL certificates, and CORS errors
Challenges in managing IP addresses, which could impact app efficiency
Considering the pros and cons of reverse proxies is important when choosing a method for domain management in your Bubble.io app. Aiming for a balance between a hassle-free setup and an exceptional user experience is essential.
Redirects
Using redirects to handle multiple domains in your Bubble.io app might seem easy, but the simplicity comes with a few caveats. While redirects offer benefits such as being quick, simple, and requiring minimal setup, they also pose challenges that might impact the user experience and app organization.
Advantages and limitations of using redirects:
Quick and simple method for handling multiple domains, with minimal setup required
Potential SEO issues, lowering app visibility on search engines
Changing URLs in the browser, disrupting app visuals
Regular maintenance and management of redirects, possibly appearing unprofessional to users
Weigh the convenience of using redirects against potential drawbacks before making a decision. With the goal of providing a great user experience while maintaining an organized app, it's essential to choose the most suitable domain management solution for your Bubble.io app.
Subapps
Subapps could be an interesting way to manage multiple domains in your Bubble.io app, although they come with their own set of challenges. While they offer advantages such as separate management of domains and control over individual apps and their settings, subapps also have limitations, such as requiring the maintenance of multiple apps and databases, needing a subscription for each app, and lacking a quick and straightforward way to create subapps programmatically.
Advantages and limitations of using subapps:
Allows separate management of domains and control over individual apps, but requires maintaining multiple apps and databases
Each app needs its own subscription and considerable effort to set up and manage
Before committing to subapps, evaluate if the extra effort and maintenance are worth the potential benefits. The right domain management solution for your Bubble.io app can make all the difference, so carefully weigh the pros and cons and consider alternatives like CoAlias, a no-code proxy, for a more efficient approach.
Why choose CoAlias - No-Code Proxy?
URL Masking
URL masking is a technique used to keep the original domain of a website hidden by displaying a different domain in the address bar. This means that both users and search engines will only see the added domain, not the original one.
This method can be useful in certain cases when the original domain is lengthy, difficult to remember, or when it does not align well with the website's branding or content. By masking the original URL, users can access the desired content using a more memorable and relevant domain.
SEO
When working with multiple domains on platforms like Bubble.io, it's vital to focus on SEO to maintain high search rankings. Regularly updating key elements like sitemaps, meta data, canonical URLs, and robots.txt ensures search engines have the latest information about your app's structure and content, ultimately contributing to a solid SEO foundation.
Sitemaps: Update XML files listing your Bubble.io app's pages, making it easier for search engine crawlers to find and index them.
Canonical URLs: Designate a primary version for search engines when your Bubble.io app has similar or duplicate content on different pages.
Robots.txt: Guide search engine crawlers by defining allowed and restricted areas within your Bubble.io app, streamlining the crawling process.
By keeping these SEO elements up-to-date, search engines perceive your app as well-organized, resulting in higher search rankings and increased user engagement.
Routing
Routing, which involves defining navigation paths for websites or apps, is essential for a smooth user experience. It's especially important when using multiple domains, such as with Bubble.io. Routing takes users seamlessly between pages like the homepage (www.domain.com) and a specific product page (www.domain.com/customer/domain).
Implementing user-specific routing in your app achieves the following:
Enhances user engagement by directing individuals to their tailored pages
Maintains a well-organized app structure for easy navigation
Boosts security and efficiency through targeted content management
Effective routing not only improves navigation but also increases user satisfaction, retention, and conversions by providing a personalized experience for each user.
SSL
For Bubble.io white-labeled applications, SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is crucial for protecting data and ensuring security across subdomains and customer domains. Implementing SSL certificates helps safeguard sensitive information and builds trust with users.
Key points to consider for SSL in white-labeled apps:
Encrypts data to keep it safe from unauthorized access
Monitor expiration dates and renew SSL certificates to maintain security
Enhances user trust in your platform
By prioritizing proper SSL implementation and renewals, you create a secure environment for your users and maintain a high level of confidence in your application.
CORS
CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) is crucial for ensuring seamless access across multiple domains in white-labeled Bubble.io apps while maintaining security measures. Correctly configuring CORS allows your app to handle cross-origin requests and access necessary assets and data from various domains.
Key points to consider for CORS in white-labeled apps:
Enables the balance between cross-domain data access and security
Allows specified domains to access your resources and interact with your app
Facilitates consistent user experience across all added domains
Proper CORS implementation promotes smooth interactions, enhances app functionality, and contributes to overall user satisfaction while maintaining a secure online environment.
Setup Multiple Domains with CoAlias
CoAlias is a remarkable no-code solution for effortlessly integrating numerous domains with your Bubble app, ensuring exceptional user experiences and peak app performance. Its intuitive URL routing directs users effectively towards distinct pages or content, providing a consistent experience across various domains.
Seamlessly managing SSL certificates and resolving CORS challenges, this innovative proxy enhances app interoperability and cross-origin data sharing. In essence, CoAlias is an optimal choice for managing multiple domains within your Bubble app, simplifying domain handling, and offering an engaging user experience.
Harness the potential of CoAlias and enjoy a smooth, hassle-free development process.
3 steps to add multiple domains to Bubble
To set up a no-code proxy for your Bubble app using CoAlias, follow these straightforward steps, with more information available on coalias.com:
Step 1: How to Sign Up and Log In?
To begin using CoAlias, Visit coalias.com and sign up by entering your name and email, then click "Sign Up.”
You'll receive a 6-digit code in your email inbox. Input this code in the subsequent window and you'll be successfully logged in. With this quick and easy process, you're now ready to manage custom domains and enhance your app's user experience through the CoAlias platform.
Step 2: Setup CoAlias
Add Your Bubble App: After signing up, log in to the CoAlias dashboard. Add your Bubble app by entering its URL in the red field. You can add your Custom Domain in the green field.
Step 3: Add multiple domains to your Bubble app
Set Up Domains: Once your Bubble app is added, you can connect your custom domains. Add the domains you want to link to your Bubble app and associate them with the right pages or content.
To connect your custom domain to CoAlias, just follow these easy steps: Click on the "Add Domain" plus button. A window will open where you can type in your domain name. Enter your domain name in the given field, and then click "Add." This will connect your custom domain with CoAlias, allowing easy integration and management on the platform, leading to a better user experience and domain routing abilities.
Step 3: Create a DNS record
Change DNS Settings: For every domain you've connected, modify the DNS settings in your domain provider. Link the domain's CNAME record to the CoAlias URL given for that domain.
Enjoy the Results: When your DNS settings are updated, your Bubble app can be accessed through the custom domains using CoAlias. The no-code proxy handles URL masking, SEO, routing, and SSL, making everything simpler.
Connecting your custom domain to your app is as easy as creating an A record and pointing the domain to the IP address 76.76.21.21. This step connects your domain to the app, so users can access it through the custom domain. By updating your domain provider's DNS settings, you ensure a smooth connection, improving your app's visibility and user experience.
By following these simple steps, you'll set up a no-code proxy with CoAlias for your Bubble app. This makes managing domains easy and offers a great experience for users across all linked domains.
Please keep in mind that you might need to wait for a 24 hours for the DNS changes to take effect. After the DNS update is completed, everything should work smoothly, and your app will be ready for users to enjoy.
Automate adding multiple domains
By automating multiple domain additions to your Bubble app, you can efficiently manage your app and save time and resources, allowing you to focus on other aspects of app development. This streamlined process not only ensures users enjoy a seamless, personalized experience across different domains but also brings benefits like improved domain management, simplified redirection to specific pages, and a reduction in errors. To take advantage of these perks, consider implementing CoAlias, a no-code proxy solution designed to effortlessly add multiple domains and boost the overall user experience.
Effortlessly integrate multiple domains into your Bubble app by using the CoAlias plugin. Here's how to set it up:
Install the free plugin: Find the CoAlias plugin on Bubble and add it to your project.
Get your API key from CoAlias.com: Sign in to your CoAlias account.
Manage your site: Click 'Manage' under your site name.
Select Multi-Domains: Choose the 'Multi Domains' option.
API access: Navigate to the 'API' tab.
Retrieve the key: Get the API key provided for domain configuration.
Enter the API key: Fill in the API key in all the required fields in the Bubble plugin settings.
By following these simple steps, you can automate the management of multiple domains for your Bubble app and enjoy a seamless, consistent user experience. Let CoAlias handle URL masking, SEO, routing, SSL, and CORS for you while you concentrate on app development.
Frequently asked questions
How can I detect what domain is visiting my Bubble app?
CoAlias helps you manage custom domains in Bubble apps. It allows you to see which domain or subdomain users visit and show content just for them, enhancing their experience. With the CoAlias plugin for Bubble, you can easily get domain details, make versatile pages, and improve app performance.
Using CoAlias, you can create special content for each domain, making your app work well with many custom domains. In simple words, CoAlias makes domain management easy and helps you offer a personalized experience for users visiting various custom domains.
How is the SSL added?
CoAlias makes SSL handling easy for your Bubble app and its many domains, ensuring safe connections. As seen on coalias.com, CoAlias automatically sets up and manages SSL certificates for each domain, without needing extra effort or configuration.
CoAlias looks after SSL certificates and takes care of CORS settings for you. That means you don't have to worry about browser security or requests between different sources.
Does CoAlias Automate SSL Handling When a Domain Points to IP 76.76.21.21?
CoAlias makes handling SSL easy with its automatic process, ensuring safe connections for your Bubble app's custom domains. As seen on coalias.com, SSL certificates are made and managed automatically for each domain when pointing to IP 76.76.21.21.
Setting up your custom domains in CoAlias and updating DNS settings with the IP address (76.76.21.21), the SSL certificates will be applied automatically. This method gets rid of manual SSL setup and makes sure all connections to your Bubble app through custom domains are safe and encrypted.
In short, CoAlias makes SSL and domain management simple with an automatic system that doesn't need extra steps. This smooth process lets you focus on your app while giving users a safe experience and the benefit of domain-specific SSL.
Do I need to renew the SSL?
CoAlias is designed to provide a seamless experience for Bubble app developers, focusing on convenience and ease of use. Based on information from coalias.com, when using CoAlias for your domain management:
SSL renewal: You don't need to worry about renewing SSL certificates, as CoAlias seamlessly manages the renewal process for you, ensuring uninterrupted security for each custom domain. SSL certificates will be renewed automatically behind the scenes, so you can focus on your app development without the stress of SSL maintenance.
How many requests can CoAlias handle, and what does the Requests limit mean?
CoAlias can manage lots of requests, ensuring a smooth and reliable experience for users exploring your app with multiple domains. Its strong structure supports handling many domains without giving up performance or stability. The Requests limit refers to the maximum number of server requests your web app can handle per month under each plan, including API calls, database queries, and other user interactions with your web app.
The number of requests depends on the plan a customer chooses. The Lite plan offers 5k requests per month, the Starter plan provides 20k requests per month, the Plus plan allows for 200k requests per month, and the Pro plan accommodates 1000k requests per month.
In short, CoAlias gives a worry-free experience, taking care of SSL certificate renewals and managing many requests according to chosen plans, making it efficient and user-friendly for you and your Bubble app users.
How do I configure the DNS of my domain?
Follow these simple steps to point your domain or subdomain to an IP address. These steps will help you configure your domain's DNS, pointing it to the right IP address:
Log in to your domain account.
Find the DNS settings, usually under "Advanced" or "DNS Management."
Set the IP address:
For a subdomain, create a new A record and add the name (e.g., client).
For an apex domain, create a new "@" or "root" record.
Put the IP address 76.76.21.21 in the relevant field.
Save your changes.
Remember that DNS updates can take up to 48 hours. Check the status at **https://www.whatsmydns.net/**.
How do I point a custom domain or subdomain to a specific page in my Bubble app?
To point a custom domain or subdomain to a specific page, follow these simple steps:
Add a "domain" field to the "landingpage" thing in your database.
Use the Bubble plugin to add a "Multi Domains" element to the "client" page.
Create a "Get My Landingpage" group on the "client" page.
Build the page using "Get My Landingpage's Landingpage."
This way, you can connect custom domains or subdomains to your Bubble app's pages and offer an enjoyable user experience.
How much does CoAlias cost?
The cost of using CoAlias for managing multiple domains in your Bubble app may vary depending on the features and subscription plans they offer. For the most accurate pricing information, it's best to visit https://coalias.com/pricing directly or contact their support team.
Can you help me setup CoAlias for my Bubble app?
Whether you're uncertain about picking the right plan, adding and configuring custom domains, or modifying DNS settings, our skilled CoAlias support team possesses the know-how to clarify your concerns and resolve any issues.
Apart from helping with the setup process, our experts can also provide guidance on other aspects, including URL masking, SEO, routing, SSL, and CORS. This ensures that your Bubble app maintains a seamless connection to your custom domains.
How can I get support
Setting up CoAlias for your Bubble app is generally uncomplicated, but occasionally, you might need personalized assistance or have specific questions. The good news is that the CoAlias support team is readily available through email or chat. Just reach out to us at [email protected] or use the chat on our website, and we'll be happy to help.
Don't hesitate to contact the CoAlias support team to address all your domain management questions and issues. With our prompt and professional support, you can feel confident that your Bubble app's domain connections will function smoothly and securely.