HolyQA Docs

Custom Domains & White-Labeling

Learn how to host your AI Assistant on your own branded domain or subdomain (e.g., yourchurch.com or ai.yourchurch.com).

Overview

Custom Domains allow churches on the Scale tier or tiers with the Custom Domain Branding Add-on to provide a seamless, white-labeled experience for their congregation. Instead of using a HolyQA URL, your AI Assistant lives directly on your own domain—either your main website (root domain) or a subdomain of your choice.

You have two options:

  • Root domain: Use your main domain like yourchurch.com
  • Subdomain: Create a dedicated address like ai.yourchurch.com, ask.yourchurch.com, or www.yourchurch.com

Setup Instructions

Setting up a custom domain is a two-step process: configuring your DNS and updating your HolyQA dashboard.

1Configure your DNS

Log in to your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, etc.) and add a record for your chosen domain.

Option A: Using a Subdomain (Recommended)

A subdomain is a prefix added to your main domain. For example, if your church website is yourchurch.com, you can create ai.yourchurch.com, ask.yourchurch.com, or any other subdomain. The best part: you can create unlimited subdomains for free with your existing domain—no additional purchases needed!

TYPECNAME
HOSTai (or your choice)
VALUEcustom.holyqa.com

Option B: Using Your Main Domain (Root Domain)

Use your root domain (also called apex or naked domain) to host the AI Assistant directly on your main website address like yourchurch.com—no subdomain needed.

Standard CNAME records often cannot be used on a root domain (@). If your provider supports "CNAME Flattening", "ALIAS", or "ANAME" records, use those.

TYPECNAME (Flattened) / ALIAS
HOST@
VALUEcustom.holyqa.com

Best Practice: When Root CNAME Isn't Supported

Many budget domain hosts (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.) don't support CNAME records on root domains. The recommended workaround is:

  1. Use www subdomain: Set up www.yourchurch.com with a CNAME pointing to custom.holyqa.com
  2. Set up root redirect: Configure your domain host to redirect yourchurch.com → www.yourchurch.com
  3. Enter www domain: In your HolyQA dashboard, enter www.yourchurch.com as your custom domain

This ensures visitors typing either yourchurch.com or www.yourchurch.com will reach your AI Assistant. Most domain hosts provide "URL Forwarding" or "Domain Redirect" options in their control panel for setting up root → www redirects.

Note: DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to 24 hours to propagate globally.

2Update Dashboard Settings

  1. Open your HolyQA Dashboard.
  2. Navigate to Website Integration.
  3. Select the Full Page experience.
  4. Locate the Branded Custom Domain section.
  5. Enter your subdomain (e.g., ai.yourchurch.com).
  6. Click Save & Verify Domain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to buy a new domain?

No! You can use a subdomain of your existing domain (like `yourchurch.com`) for free. Every domain owner has the right to create unlimited subdomains.

Is the connection secure (SSL)?

Yes. Once your DNS is verified, HolyQA automatically provisions a free SSL certificate for your subdomain via Let's Encrypt.

Need Help?

If you're experiencing issues or have questions, we're here to help.

Email Support

Send us a detailed message at hello@holyqa.com

Response within 24 hours

Documentation

Check our troubleshooting guide for common solutions

Immediate answers to common questions

When contacting support, please include your church name and a detailed description of the issue.

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