Guide for agencies
White label domain in GoHighLevel: setup guide and fixes
In GoHighLevel, a white label domain is a subdomain you own, such as app.youragency.com, that replaces the HighLevel login address so your clients sign in under your brand. You add one CNAME record at your DNS host, save the domain in your agency settings, and wait for HighLevel to issue the HTTPS certificate. A second domain, the API domain, brands the links your clients receive.
Checked on October 7, 2026. The steps below follow HighLevel's own help articles: the whitelabel domain article (last modified August 14, 2026), the API domain article (last modified May 22, 2025) and the domain types article (last modified September 10, 2026).
Menu names and DNS targets can change without notice. Open the current article and confirm the target before you edit DNS.
Two domains do two different jobs
Agencies often set up one domain and wonder why HighLevel's name still appears somewhere else. That is because HighLevel splits branding across separate domain types, and each has its own record.
| What you want to brand | HighLevel domain type | DNS target in the help article | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| The login and app address | White label domain | whitelabel.ludicrous.cloud | The address your clients type or bookmark to sign in |
| Links the system creates | API domain (branded domain) | brand.ludicrous.cloud | Forms, surveys, calendars, trigger links, payment links and review links |
The same help center documents seven domain types in all: website and funnel, HighLevel purchased, white label, API or branded, dedicated sending, client portal and WordPress. HighLevel's guidance is not to reuse DNS records across types, so give each its own subdomain. The rest of this guide covers the first two, which together put your brand on the login and on the links your clients receive.
Before you start
- A domain you control and can edit DNS for. You need to be able to add a record at the DNS host, which may not be where you registered the domain.
- A subdomain that nothing else uses. HighLevel's articles ask for a subdomain, for example
app.youragency.comfor the login andlinks.youragency.comfor system links. Do not use your root domain. - A logo and legal links. The whitelabel article asks for a logo of about 350 by 180 pixels and under 2.5 MB, plus URLs for your Privacy and Terms pages.
- A clean name. A subdomain that has a CNAME must have no other record. If it carries an A record, delete it first.
- The proxy off, if you use Cloudflare. Set the record to DNS only (grey cloud).
Set up the white label domain (the login address)
- Pick the subdomain.
app.youragency.comis a common choice. - Add the CNAME at your DNS host. Name:
app. Value: the target from the article, which on the check date waswhitelabel.ludicrous.cloud. A TTL of 300 seconds speeds up testing. - Save the domain in HighLevel. The article places it under Agency View > Settings > Company > Whitelabel, in the Whitelabel Domain field. Enter the subdomain, then use the update button the article names.
- Wait. The article quotes up to 30 minutes for DNS to propagate. HighLevel then issues a Let's Encrypt certificate, and it supports TLS 1.2 and 1.3 only.
- Test in a private window. Open the subdomain. You should see HighLevel's login with your branding. If you see a certificate warning, jump to the fixes below.
- Add the logo and legal links. Use the sizes in the checklist above.
app.youragency.com. 300 IN CNAME whitelabel.ludicrous.cloud.To change a domain that is already saved, the article's advice is to delete the existing value, save, enter the new value and save again. Editing the field in place can leave the old value behind.
Set up the API domain (branded links)
The API domain brands the links that HighLevel generates for your clients, such as form, survey, calendar, trigger, payment and review links. Despite the name, it is not an address for developer API calls.
- Pick a second subdomain, for example
links.youragency.com. HighLevel recommends a subdomain. - Add the CNAME. Name:
links. Value: the target from the article, which on the check date wasbrand.ludicrous.cloud. - Save it in HighLevel. The article places it under Agency View > Agency Settings > Company > Whitelabel > Domains, and mentions a Domain Connect wizard for supported DNS hosts.
- Wait. The article quotes up to 48 hours for this one. In practice it is often faster, but plan for the longer figure before you tell a client it is live.
- Set a branded domain per sub-account if you need one. The article points to Settings > Business Profile inside the sub-account.
links.youragency.com. 300 IN CNAME brand.ludicrous.cloud.Common problems and fixes
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate warning or SSL never arrives | An A record and a CNAME on the same subdomain. The article says this combination blocks SSL. | Delete the A record so the CNAME is the only record at that name. Then save the domain again. |
| Certificate warning behind Cloudflare | The orange cloud answers with Cloudflare's addresses, so the certificate check does not reach HighLevel. | Set the record to DNS only and wait for the certificate. |
| Changing a saved domain has no effect | A saved value was edited in place. | Follow the article's method for changing a value: delete it, save, enter the new value, save. |
| Site not found | The record is missing, or the full hostname was typed into the name field (app.youragency.com.youragency.com). | Enter only app, save, and run dig +short CNAME app.youragency.com. |
| Login works but links still show HighLevel's address | Only the white label domain was set up. | Set up the API domain as well, on a different subdomain. |
| Nothing works after the stated wait | A cached answer, a stale record or a proxy. | Check the record with dig against your DNS host's own nameserver, and see the full troubleshooting guide. |
| One domain type works and another does not | The same DNS records were reused across domain types, which HighLevel's article advises against. | Give each domain type its own subdomain and its own records. |
Why does a leftover A record matter? A name with a CNAME must have no other data (RFC 2181), so resolvers can return inconsistent answers, and the certificate check lands on the wrong server. The white label domain troubleshooting guide has the commands for every case here, and the two minute check works for any hostname.
Branding the rest of the experience
The two domains cover the address and the links. Three other places can still name the vendor, and the audit table in the white label domain guide walks through them: the email sender and its authentication records, the sending domain for dedicated sending, and the legal pages linked from the logo and footer. Handle one at a time and test each with a real message.
If you run your own platform instead
This guide is for an agency using someone else's platform. If you are the one building the platform, your customers are asking for exactly this feature from you, and you need the DNS verification, certificates and routing behind it. See white label custom domains for SaaS.
GoHighLevel and HighLevel are trademarks of their owner. CustomDomain™ is not affiliated with or endorsed by HighLevel, and this page is an independent guide.
Sources and further reading
Frequently asked questions
What is a white label domain in GoHighLevel?
In GoHighLevel (also called HighLevel or GHL), a white label domain is a subdomain you own that replaces the HighLevel login address, so your clients sign in under your brand. You point a CNAME record at the target in HighLevel's help article and save the domain in your agency settings.
What CNAME do I use for a GoHighLevel white label domain?
On October 7, 2026, HighLevel's whitelabel article said to point a subdomain you control at whitelabel.ludicrous.cloud. The API domain article said brand.ludicrous.cloud. HighLevel can change these, so confirm the target in the current article before you edit DNS.
What is the difference between the white label domain and the API domain?
The white label domain brands the login and app address. The API domain, also called the branded domain, brands the links the system generates, such as forms, surveys, calendars, trigger links, payment links and review links. Each is a separate domain type with its own record and its own subdomain.
Can I use my root domain as the white label domain?
HighLevel's articles ask for a subdomain. A root domain cannot hold a CNAME, because it always carries other records, so use a subdomain such as app.youragency.com.
How long does a GoHighLevel white label domain take to work?
The whitelabel article quotes up to 30 minutes for propagation, and the API domain article quotes up to 48 hours. DNS often answers within minutes. A low TTL such as 300 seconds helps when you are testing.
Why is SSL not working on my GoHighLevel white label domain?
The usual causes are an A record sitting next to the CNAME on the same subdomain, which the article says blocks SSL, and a Cloudflare proxy that must be set to DNS only. Remove the extra record, turn the proxy off, save the domain again and wait for the certificate.
How many types of domains does HighLevel have?
HighLevel's domain types article lists seven: website and funnel, HighLevel purchased, white label, API or branded, dedicated sending, client portal and WordPress. When checked on October 7, 2026, it advised against reusing DNS records across types.
Can I use Cloudflare for my GoHighLevel domains?
Yes, as the DNS host, with the record set to DNS only (grey cloud). A proxied record answers with Cloudflare's addresses and stops HighLevel from issuing its certificate.