DNS Setup Guide

This guide explains how to configure a custom hostname so your Digital Product Passports are served from your own domain.

Overview

Instead of using the default platform subdomain (mybrand.tieback.io), you can configure a custom hostname like passport.mybrand.com to serve your Digital Product Passports.

Prerequisites

Access to your domain’s DNS management (e.g., Cloudflare, Route 53, GoDaddy, Namecheap)
An active tieback brand account with a configured platform subdomain
Admin or owner role on your tieback brand

Step 1: Choose Your Custom Hostname

Select a subdomain on your domain to use for passports. Common choices:

Hostname	Use Case
`passport.mybrand.com`	Dedicated passport subdomain
`dpp.mybrand.com`	Digital Product Passport subdomain
`product.mybrand.com`	Product information subdomain

We recommend using a dedicated subdomain rather than your root domain. Apex/root domains are not supported — you must use a subdomain.

Step 2: Create a DNS CNAME Record

Add a CNAME record at your DNS provider:

Field	Value
Type	`CNAME`
Name	Your chosen subdomain (e.g., `passport`)
Target	`<brand>.tieback.io`
TTL	`Auto` or `300` (5 minutes)

Example:

passport.mybrand.com  CNAME  mybrand.tieback.io

The CNAME target must be your brand’s platform subdomain (<brand>.tieback.io), not app.tieback.io or tieback.io.

Step 3: Add the Domain in tieback

After creating the DNS record:

Navigate to Settings → Domains in the tieback dashboard
Enter your custom hostname in the Custom Domain field
Click Add custom domain

The system will begin verifying your DNS and provisioning an SSL certificate.

Step 4: Wait for Activation

DNS changes and SSL provisioning take time:

Stage	Typical Time
DNS propagation	Minutes to 1 hour (up to 24–48 hours in some cases)
SSL certificate provisioning	5–15 minutes after DNS verification

Click Refresh Status in Settings → Domains to check progress.

If activation has not completed after 48 hours, contact support.

Step 5: Test Your Custom Hostname

Once active, test your custom hostname:

$ curl -I https://passport.mybrand.com/01/<your-GTIN>

Expected result:

HTTP/2 302 with a Location header pointing to your public passport page (e.g., /p/<product-id>)

You can also test the passport page directly:

$ curl -I https://passport.mybrand.com/p/<product-id>

Expected result:

HTTP/2 200 — the passport page renders successfully

What’s Supported on Custom Hostnames

Custom hostnames support public consumer paths:

Path	Supported	Purpose
`/01/<GTIN>`	✅ Yes	GS1 Digital Link resolution
`/mu/<id>`, `/mb/<id>`, `/ml/<id>`	✅ Yes	Fallback identifier resolution
`/p/<id>`	✅ Yes	Public passport page rendering
`/dashboard`, `/settings`, etc.	❌ No	Use platform subdomain

Dashboard and application access should continue to use your platform subdomain (<brand>.tieback.io).

Troubleshooting

For detailed troubleshooting, see the Custom Hostname Troubleshooting guide.

Quick Checks

DNS not propagating — verify the CNAME is correct using dnschecker.org and wait up to 24–48 hours
SSL not provisioning — check for CAA records that may block certificate issuance
403 on dashboard paths — this is expected; custom hostnames support public paths only
404 on resolver paths — verify the product exists and has been minted
CNAME target wrong — must be <brand>.tieback.io, not tieback.io or an IP address

Fallback

Your platform subdomain (<brand>.tieback.io) always remains active. If you experience issues with your custom hostname, your existing QR codes using the platform subdomain will continue to work.