What is a Custom Auth Domain, and how do I set it up?

Custom Domain Branding allows you to completely white-label the authentication process for your users. When visitors use 1-click social connections (like Google or Microsoft), the identity provider displays a "callback URL" on their consent screen. By default, this URL displays as breadbutter.io.

Setting up a Custom Auth Domain acts as a white-label proxy, replacing our branding with your own. Your users will remain on a subdomain of your choosing (e.g., auth.yourwebsite.com) instead of our default proxy.

Why is setting up a Custom Domain so important?

In the identity and access management industry, using a custom domain is a recognized best practice for one major reason: Trust.

When a user clicks "Sign in with Google," they are highly sensitive to where their credentials are going. If they are on your website but suddenly see a prompt asking them to share their data with a third-party domain they don't recognize, it creates friction. Custom Domain Branding ensures a seamless, branded user experience from start to finish, maximizing user trust and preventing conversion drop-off at the critical moment of sign-up.

Is this required to use Bread & Butter?

No, it is not strictly required. You can test our Conversion Tools and capture leads using our default Sandbox mode without touching your DNS settings. However, we highly recommend setting up your Custom Domain before moving your social logins into Production and directing live traffic to them.

How do I set it up?

Here is what you need to do to get it configured:

1. Choose a Subdomain: Pick a standard, secure naming convention like auth.yourwebsite.com.

   ⚠️ Important: Because you will be creating a dedicated CNAME record for this, you must ensure the subdomain you choose is not already being used for something else.

2. Configure Your DNS: After submitting your requested subdomain in your Bread & Butter dashboard, our system will generate a unique configuration for you. You will receive an email shortly containing specific CNAME records. Simply copy those records and add them to your domain hosting provider's DNS settings (such as GoDaddy, AWS, Azure, etc.).
3. Update Your Identity Providers: This is a critical step! Once your Custom Auth Domain is active, you must log back into your developer accounts for every custom identity provider you have enabled (like Google or Microsoft). You must update their "Authorized Redirect URIs" (or Callback URLs) to match your new custom subdomain. If you skip this step, your social connections will fail to authenticate and will stop working entirely.
4. Final Verification: Once you have updated your DNS and identity providers, click the "I've completed both steps" confirmation button in your Bread & Butter dashboard. Our team will verify your routing, and your fully white-labeled setup should be live within one (1) business day.

Does this affect my main website's hosting or performance?Not at all. Because you are creating a CNAME record on a subdomain (e.g., auth. ), it operates entirely independently of your root domain. It will not impact your website's hosting, traffic, or load speeds in any way.

Do I need an SSL Certificate for the new subdomain?No. When you point your CNAME to our proxy network, Bread & Butter automatically provisions and manages the SSL certificate for your custom auth subdomain to ensure all data remains encrypted and secure.