Custom domain

Most course platforms give your school a web address on the platform's own domain. A custom domain swaps that for an address you own. The course stays on the platform; only the address in the browser bar changes.

How does a custom domain work?

You don't move anything. You add a record at the company where you bought your domain, the registrar or DNS host, that points one address at the course platform. For a subdomain like courses.yourname.com, that's usually a CNAME record, a one-line entry that points your address at the platform. Your domain company's help pages show where to add it. Most platforms then set up a security certificate so the address loads over HTTPS. Adding a subdomain record doesn't affect your email or your main website. You're adding one new address, not moving the domain.

The change can take from a few minutes to about two days to reach everyone, because DNS updates spread gradually. Set it up before you announce the address, not the morning of a launch.

Subdomain or main domain?

If you already have a website, use a subdomain such as courses.yourname.com or learn.yourname.com. Your main site stays where it is, and only the course address points to the platform.

Pointing your main domain at a course platform makes sense only when the course school is your whole web presence. Even then, a subdomain keeps your options open if you add a separate website later.

Custom domain vs white label

These get sold together, so people treat them as one setting. A custom domain changes the address. White labeling removes the platform's name and logo from the pages. You can have a custom domain with the platform's credit still in the footer, and some platforms work that way.

When is a custom domain worth it?

Students don't decide to enroll because of an address. So for a first course or a pilot with a handful of people, the platform's address is fine.

A custom domain starts to matter when:

• You're putting the address on printed materials, slides or a book, where it has to last.
• You sell to organizations that expect a branded training site.
• You've built up links in old emails and on sales pages that you'd like to keep working.

That last point is the one I'd weigh most. An address you own is portable. If you ever change platforms, you point the same domain at the new one, and the links you've shared over the years still lead somewhere. The migration checklist covers the DNS step when that day comes.

Budget for two separate costs. You pay a registrar each year to own the domain itself. Then the course platform may include custom domains only on certain plans. On Ruzuku, custom domains come with the Pro plan, not Free or Core. You can build your first course on the free plan and connect your domain when you upgrade. Share the course link only after you've connected it, so the address you print doesn't change.