How to Point Unbounce Landing Pages to Subdomains via DNS

Pointing your Unbounce landing pages to a custom subdomain requires updating your domain's DNS configuration with specific CNAME records. This direct connection lets you host high-converting campaigns on addresses like promo.example.com while keeping your primary website fully intact.

Understanding Subdomain DNS Mapping for Unbounce

When you build a landing page on Unbounce, it is initially hosted on their domains or a default subdomain. To brand your campaigns professionally, you map a custom subdomain (such as landing.example.com or offers.example.com) to Unbounce's servers using the Domain Name System (DNS).

Unlike root domains (apex domains like example.com), subdomains do not require complex A-record and ALIAS/ANAME record gymnastics. Unbounce natively relies on CNAME (Canonical Name) records to route traffic securely. A CNAME record maps your custom subdomain directly to Unbounce's designated target destination, ensuring seamless SSL provisioning and load balancing.

Before you make any changes at your registrar, you should check your current settings using the CNAME Lookup tool on XiaTools to verify that your chosen subdomain is completely free of conflicting records and ready for configuration.

Step-by-Step DNS Configuration Guide

The process of mapping your subdomain involves two main platforms: your Unbounce dashboard (where you initiate the domain connection) and your DNS hosting provider (where you create the actual records).

Step 1: Add the Domain in Unbounce

1. Log into your Unbounce account and navigate to the Domains tab in the main dashboard.
2. Click the Connect a Domain button.
3. Enter your desired custom subdomain (for example, promo.example.com).
4. Unbounce will generate the required DNS records, specifically a CNAME record pointing to unbouncepages.com or a similar tracking endpoint.

Step 2: Access Your DNS Provider

Log into your domain registrar or DNS hosting provider (such as Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Route 53). Navigate to the DNS management page, zone editor, or advanced DNS settings. Note that menu paths vary slightly depending on your provider, but you are always looking for the option to add or edit DNS zone records.

Step 3: Create the CNAME Record

Create a new DNS record using the exact values provided by Unbounce. Here is the standard syntax you will use:

DNS Field	Value to Enter	Notes
Record Type	CNAME	Must be a CNAME, not an A record
Host / Name	promo	Just the subdomain prefix (do not include your domain name if the interface auto-appends it)
Points to / Value	unbouncepages.com	Provided by Unbounce; ensures proper routing
TTL (Time to Live)	300 or Automatic	Lower TTL helps propagate changes faster

Save the record in your DNS zone file. If your DNS host requires documentation IP ranges for verification or routing tests, remember that Unbounce infrastructure utilizes dynamic cloud IPs rather than static blocks like 192.0.2.0/24 or 2001:db8::/32, which is precisely why CNAME mapping is mandatory.

Verifying Your DNS Setup

Once you save your CNAME record, you need to verify that global DNS propagation has occurred and that resolvers are returning the correct mapping. You can run standard command-line tools to check your work.

Using nslookup

Open your terminal or command prompt and query your subdomain:

nslookup -type=cname promo.example.com

Expected sample output:

Server:		8.8.8.8
Address:	8.8.8.8#53

Non-authoritative answer:
promo.example.com	canonical name = unbouncepages.com.

Using dig

For a more detailed breakdown of the DNS response, use the dig utility:

dig promo.example.com CNAME +noall +answer

Expected sample output:

promo.example.com.	300	IN	CNAME	unbouncepages.com.

Testing HTTPS and SSL

Unbounce automatically provisions SSL certificates for connected domains via Let's Encrypt once the CNAME points correctly. You can test your SSL handshake using curl or openssl:

curl -I https://promo.example.com

If configured correctly, you will receive an HTTP/2 200 OK or a proper 301/302 redirect response indicating the SSL certificate is active and valid.

Common DNS Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Even experienced engineers occasionally run into configuration snags. Here are the most frequent pitfalls when pointing landing pages to subdomains:

• Conflicting A or AAAA Records: If an A record already exists for your subdomain (e.g., promo.example.com pointing to 192.0.2.15), the CNAME creation will fail or conflict. Delete any existing A or AAAA records for that specific subdomain before adding the CNAME.
• Adding the Root Domain to the Host Field: In many DNS panels, typing promo.example.com into the host field results in the system creating promo.example.com.example.com. Enter only the prefix (promo) unless your DNS provider explicitly requires Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs).
• Proxy Status (Cloudflare Orange Cloud): If you use a proxy service like Cloudflare, turning on the proxy (orange cloud) can sometimes interfere with Unbounce's automated SSL generation. Set the CNAME record to DNS-only (grey cloud) during initial setup, then enable proxying only if explicitly supported by your Unbounce tier.
• Propagation Delays: DNS changes do not happen instantly. If your lookup returns no results, wait up to 1 hour for global TTL expiration, or flush your local DNS cache using ipconfig /flushdns on Windows or sudo dscacheutil -flushcache on macOS.

Configuration Checklist

Review this quick checklist to ensure your subdomain points correctly to Unbounce:

1. Added and verified the custom subdomain inside the Unbounce dashboard.
2. Logged into your DNS provider and confirmed no conflicting A or AAAA records exist for the subdomain.
3. Created a CNAME record with the correct host prefix and target value (unbouncepages.com).
4. Verified the record propagation using nslookup or dig commands.
5. Confirmed that Unbounce has successfully issued and bound the SSL certificate for secure HTTPS traffic.