A careful, click-by-click guide to add the CNAME record we sent you—without moving your website, changing your email, or disturbing your existing setup.
Usually 10–15 minutes
No website downtime expected
One dedicated hostname only
Your main website stays putWe connect only the new address, such as go.yourbrand.com.
Your email stays untouchedDo not edit MX, SPF, DKIM or DMARC records during this setup.
Your DNS provider stays the sameA CNAME connects only the new address. Your other DNS records stay as they are.
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The simple version
You are adding one signpost.
DNS is the address book for your domain. The record Hey Sage sends you tells browsers where to find one new campaign address. It is not a website redirect and it does not move the rest of your domain.
What a CNAME does
Visitor enters
go.yourbrand.com
→
Your DNS points to
The exact target Hey Sage supplied
→
Result
Your campaign page loads securely
Example only: your real prefix may be go, get, book, offers or something else. Use the exact details in the message from Hey Sage.
Safe scope: one new subdomain
A correctly added CNAME changes only that exact hostname. Your root domain, www site, Shopify store and email records remain as they are.
Step 1
Before you sign in.
Have these four things ready. Doing this first prevents most DNS mistakes.
1The setup message from Hey Sage
It should include the full subdomain, record type, Host/Name, Target/Value and sometimes a TTL.
2Access to the DNS manager
You need permission to view and edit DNS records—not just access to the website CMS.
3A screenshot before you change anything
Capture the current record list. This is your quick reference if you need to retrace a step.
4The correct DNS provider
This is the service where your editable DNS record list lives. It may be different from the company that sold you the domain.
Add one new CNAME—do not change existing settings
This setup requires only the new record supplied by Hey Sage. Do not edit the domain connection, website records, email records or verification records.
If the requested Host/Name already exists, stop
Do not delete or overwrite it. A CNAME cannot share the same exact name with another record. Send Hey Sage a screenshot so we can confirm whether that hostname is already in use.
Step 2
Choose your DNS provider.
Pick the company that currently manages your DNS. If your record list is not editable at your registrar, your DNS is probably hosted somewhere else.
Cloudflare
Use the grey-cloud DNS only setting unless Hey Sage explicitly tells you to proxy the record.
Sign in to GoDaddy, open Domain Portfolio, and select the exact parent domain you are connecting.
Open the DNS page
Choose DNS for that domain. Confirm the domain name at the top, then take a screenshot of the current records.
Select Add New Record
Choose Add New Record and select CNAME under Type.
Enter the prefix under Name
Enter only the Host/Name from Hey Sage—usually go, not the whole address. GoDaddy appends your root domain automatically.
Paste the destination under Value
Paste the exact Hey Sage target. It must not contain https://, a slash or a page path.
Keep the default TTL and save
Leave TTL at the default (commonly one hour) unless we supplied a different value. Choose Save or Save All Records. Domain Protection may ask you to verify your identity.
Namecheap
These steps apply when the domain uses Namecheap BasicDNS, PremiumDNS or FreeDNS.
Sign in, choose Domain List, then select Manage beside the correct domain.
Open Advanced DNS
Select the Advanced DNS tab and locate Host Records. Take a screenshot before making a change.
Confirm Host Records are editable
If you cannot add a record, the DNS is managed by another service or inside cPanel. Do not change any domain settings just to reveal the form—ask Hey Sage to help identify the correct DNS dashboard.
Add a CNAME Record
Select Add New Record, then choose CNAME Record.
Fill Host and Value
In Host, enter only the label Hey Sage supplied. In Value, paste the full target hostname exactly.
Leave TTL on Auto and save
Keep TTL on Automatic unless told otherwise. Select the tick/checkmark or Save All Changes.
Squarespace Domains
This also covers many domains migrated from Google Domains.
In the AWS Console, open Route 53 → Hosted zones, then choose the public hosted zone matching your parent domain.
Take a screenshot and choose Create record
Capture the existing records, then select Create record.
Enter the Record name
In Record name, enter the requested label. Route 53 shows the parent domain beside the field—confirm the resulting full hostname is correct.
Choose CNAME with Alias off
Set Record type to CNAME. Leave Alias switched Off.
Paste the target and choose Simple routing
Paste the exact Hey Sage hostname under Value or Route traffic to. Set Routing policy to Simple.
Set TTL and create
Use the supplied TTL or 300 seconds while changing a record. Select Create records. Route 53’s authoritative servers usually update quickly, but public caches still follow the TTL.
Another DNS provider
The labels differ, but every CNAME form asks for the same information.
Find DNS, Zone Editor or Manage Records
Sign in to the service that currently manages your DNS. Open the exact parent domain, then find the DNS record list.
Take a screenshot and select Add record
Save a before screenshot. Choose to add a new DNS record and select CNAME as the type.
Enter the left-hand label
The field may be called Name, Host, Hostname or Alias. Use the exact Host/Name Hey Sage supplied.
Enter the destination
The destination may be called Target, Value, Content, Data or Points to. Paste the exact target.
Leave TTL on Auto/default and save
Review the full resulting hostname carefully, then save. If any field or warning is unclear, pause and send Hey Sage a screenshot before confirming.
Cloudflare
Name → Target / Content
GoDaddy
Name → Value
Namecheap
Host → Value
Squarespace
Name → Data
Wix
Host Name → Value
Route 53
Record name → Value / Route traffic to
Step 3
Review before you press save.
DNS forms are short, but a small typo can point to the wrong place. Run through this exact check.
01
Confirm the full hostname
If the new address should be go.yourbrand.com, most providers want only go in Name/Host because they append yourbrand.com. Never create go.yourbrand.com.yourbrand.com.
02
Confirm the destination is a hostname
The Target/Value must not contain:
http:// or https://
A page path such as /offer
A port such as :443
Spaces or quotation marks
03
Check for a same-name conflict
Search the record list for the exact Host/Name. If an A, AAAA, CNAME, TXT, URL redirect or another record already uses it, do not delete it. Stop and show us the existing row.
04
Leave unrelated records untouched
Do not edit the root @, www, MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, autodiscover, verification or existing application records.
05
Save and take an after screenshot
The screenshot should show the Type, Host/Name, Target/Value, TTL and—on Cloudflare—the grey-cloud DNS only status. Keep it in case Hey Sage needs to verify the saved values.
Sometimes we also send a TXT verification record
Add it as a separate record using the exact TXT Host/Name and Value supplied. Do not combine it with the CNAME, and do not edit existing SPF or other TXT records.
Step 4
Wait, verify, then we switch it on.
Saving the record starts DNS propagation. The campaign page and its secure certificate are checked separately after the DNS value becomes visible.
ImmediatelyRecord saved
Your DNS dashboard shows the new entry.
Often minutesDNS appears
Public resolvers begin returning the new value.
NextHey Sage verifies
Our hosting platform confirms the hostname.
ThenHTTPS activates
A secure certificate is issued and the page goes live.
Allow up to 48 hours
Most updates appear much sooner, but caches can update at different times around the world. A browser error immediately after saving does not automatically mean the record is wrong.
The DNS row remains saved
Refresh the provider dashboard and confirm it has not disappeared or been changed by an automated service.
The full hostname is correct
No duplicate root domain, no https://, no path and no typo in the target.
Hey Sage has the after screenshot
We use it to compare your settings with the expected hosting value and begin the domain verification.
Do not remove the record after launch
The campaign subdomain needs the DNS record to keep resolving and renew its HTTPS certificate.
If something looks wrong
Troubleshooting without guesswork.
Do not fix DNS by deleting random rows. Match the symptom below, take a screenshot and make one controlled change at a time.
“A record with this name already exists”
A CNAME cannot coexist with another DNS record at the same exact hostname.
Cancel the new record instead of overwriting.
Screenshot every existing row with that Name/Host.
Send the screenshot to Hey Sage.
We will either choose a new prefix or confirm a safe migration plan.
The provider added the root domain twice
Edit only the Name/Host field. If you entered go.yourbrand.com and the dashboard created go.yourbrand.com.yourbrand.com, replace the field with only go. Leave the Target/Value unchanged.
Cloudflare shows an orange cloud
Open the CNAME row and switch Proxy status to DNS only so the cloud turns grey—unless Hey Sage explicitly instructed you to use the proxy. Proxying can hide the real CNAME and interfere with third-party verification.
The DNS controls are missing or read-only
You may be signed into the company that sold the domain while another service manages its DNS.
Check your domain overview for the current DNS host or ask your web developer.
Sign in to the service where the DNS record list is editable.
For Namecheap, Host Records are editable only with Namecheap BasicDNS, PremiumDNS or FreeDNS.
For Wix domains connected by pointing, edit DNS at the external host.
Do not change domain settings just to unlock a record form. Send Hey Sage a screenshot instead.
The record is saved but Hey Sage cannot verify it
Copy the saved target and compare every character with the Hey Sage message.
Remove any accidental protocol, slash, page path or space.
Confirm Cloudflare is DNS only.
Check the full Host/Name is not duplicated.
Wait for the TTL to expire, then send us a new screenshot and the time you saved it.
The subdomain resolves, but HTTPS shows a warning
DNS can finish before the secure certificate. Stop refreshing for a few minutes and let Hey Sage complete hosting verification. If your domain has CAA records, they may restrict which certificate authority can issue the certificate; send us a screenshot of all CAA rows before editing them.
The site works for one person but not another
This is usually propagation or caching. Different internet providers can hold the old result for different lengths of time. Wait through the existing TTL, try another network only as a test, and allow up to 48 hours before treating it as a global failure.
