Add Your First Domain

This guide describes how to add a new domain to your CDNetworks service configuration via the console.

Prerequisites

Important: Before adding a new domain, ensure the relevant CDNetworks service (e.g., Content Acceleration, Dynamic Web Acceleration) has been activated for your account and contract. If the service is not active, please contact CDNetworks technical support to enable it first.

Procedure

Follow these steps to add and configure a new domain:

1. Log in and Navigate

1. Log in to the CDNetworks Console.
2. Select the appropriate product associated with the domain you wish to add.
3. Navigate to Configuration in the side menu.
4. Click Add New Domain.

2. Configure Domain Information

Fill in the required information for the new domain(s) in the provided form.

• Contract-item: Select the specific product and contract under which this domain should operate. The domain will be automatically associated with the selected contract’s default control group unless a customized group is chosen.

• Domain Type: Choose one:

  • Domain: A standard domain or subdomain.
  • Domain Alias: An alternative name pointing to an existing domain configuration, often used to consolidate multiple domains under a single service setup.

• Customized Control Group: (Optional) Select a predefined customized control group. The new domain will be added to this group, allowing for collective management and analysis with other domains in the group.

• Domain: Enter the domain name(s) to be accelerated.

  • Typically uses subdomains (e.g., www.cdnetworks.com, console.cdnetworks.com) or wildcard domains.
  • To add a wildcard domain, enter it with a leading dot (e.g., .cdnetworks.com).
  • Note: Adding a wildcard domain (e.g., .cdnetworks.com) automatically covers its immediate subdomains (e.g., www.cdnetworks.com) by default. However, third-level domains (e.g., cdn.console.cdnetworks.com) must be added separately if acceleration is required for them. Wildcard domains and their subdomains must reside under the same account.

• Back-to-Origin IP/Domain: Specify the origin server where the CDN should fetch content.

  • Own Origin: Choose either IP or Domain.
    • Back-to-Origin IP: Enter up to 64 IPv4 or IPv6 addresses, separated by semicolons (;).
    • Back-to-Origin Domain: Enter a single origin domain name.
  • WCS Origin: Select this option if using CDNetworks WCS (Object Storage) as the origin server.

• Operation: Actions available for the domain entry row:

  • Delete: Remove the domain configuration row.
  • Back-to-Origin Detection: Enter a test URL (path) and click Detect to perform a one-time check of the origin server’s reachability from the CDN. This is not a periodic health check.
  • Add: Add another row to configure an additional domain.
  • Batch Add: Add multiple domains simultaneously that share the same Back-to-Origin IP/Domain setting.

Note: Enter up to 300 domains, separated by line breaks. Multiple origin IPs can be specified, separated by semicolons (;).

• Acceleration Region: (This option appears only if your contract covers China). Select the desired service region:

  • Including Mainland China: Prioritizes using CDN servers within Mainland China. Domains using this option must have a valid ICP (Internet Content Provider) filing as required by Chinese regulations. The system will perform an ICP check upon submission.
  • Excluding Mainland China: CDN servers within Mainland China will not be used for acceleration. No ICP filing check is performed.

• Acceleration Configuration: Choose how to set the initial CDN configuration for the new domain:

  • Copying settings from an existing domain: Select a previously configured domain. The new domain will inherit most settings from the selected reference domain.
    • Note: The following settings cannot be copied and must be configured specifically for the new domain if needed: Basic Origin, Advanced Origin, Back-to-Origin Request Host, Back-to-Origin Request Port, Forward Client IP.
    • You can view the configuration of the selected reference domain, but this view excludes any special settings applied by technical support. Contact support for details on non-standard configurations.
  • Customized settings: Allows you to configure basic settings like cache rules immediately. You can also choose to configure these later after the domain is added and approved.

3. Submit Configuration

1. Once all domain information is configured, click Submit.
2. ICP Filing Check (If “Including Mainland China” was selected):
   • The system automatically checks the ICP filing status of the submitted domain(s).
   • If Passed: The status shows “with ICP filing”. Select the verified domain(s) and click Submit again to finalize.
   • If Failed: The status shows “without ICP filing”.
     • You must obtain a valid ICP filing for the domain before it can be activated for acceleration within Mainland China.
     • If you proceed by clicking Submit without a valid filing, the configuration enters manual review, and the domain status becomes Reviewing.
     • Important: If manual review confirms the lack of required ICP filing, the domain addition will fail for Mainland China acceleration.

Troubleshooting “Reviewing” Status:

Note: If a domain remains in the Reviewing status for more than 5 minutes, it might be due to:

• Missing ICP filing for acceleration within Mainland China.
• Presence of special configurations requiring manual verification.
• Domain conflict (the domain or its parent domain exists under another account).
• Configuration conflict between the new domain and the referenced domain (if copying settings).
  Contact CDNetworks technical support for assistance if the status does not update.

4. Verify Deployment and Configure CNAME

1. Deployment: After the configuration passes review (either automatically or manually), the platform deploys the settings to the CDN edge nodes. This process typically completes within 1-2 minutes.
2. Verification:
   • You will receive an email notification upon successful domain addition.
   • You can monitor the status in the Console > Configuration section. A status of Enabled indicates the domain is successfully added and active on the CDN.
3. CNAME Configuration:
   • Once the domain status is Enabled, the system provides a unique CNAME address (e.g., <domain>.wcdnga.com).
   • Action Required: You must configure a CNAME record in your domain’s authoritative DNS settings, pointing your acceleration domain (e.g., www.cdnetworks.com) to the provided CNAME address.
   • Refer to Configure the CNAME Record for detailed instructions. The CDN acceleration service will only take effect after the CNAME record is correctly configured and propagated.