Brand Advantage
Host certificates on your custom domain
TRUE hosts your digital certificates on your own domain. Not badges.vendor.com. Not platform.io/your-org. credentials.yourorganisation.com, with your branding on the verification page. Setup takes one DNS record and is usually live the same day.
TL;DR
A custom domain means your credentials and their verification pages resolve on a subdomain you own, such as credentials.yourorganisation.com, instead of a credential vendor's address. Setup is one CNAME record pointed at TRUE, after which TRUE provisions and renews the SSL certificate automatically at no extra cost. Most organisations are live in under 24 hours, and the wait is DNS propagation rather than configuration. Everything else stays the same: blockchain anchoring, QR verification, eIDAS compliance and the same global CDN. Existing credentials can keep their current URLs or move across, so no previously shared link breaks.
- One CNAME record pointed at TRUE is the whole DNS change.
- SSL is automatic, provisioned and renewed by TRUE with no certificate to buy.
- Verification traffic lands on your site, so the employer checking a credential sees your brand, not a vendor's.
Whose domain does a credential live on?
On most credential platforms, the vendor's. The certificate is hosted at the vendor's address, so every recipient who shares a credential and every employer who verifies one is sent to a domain that belongs to a company they have no relationship with. On TRUE the same credential resolves on a subdomain you control.
| Platform | Credential URL |
|---|---|
| Credly | badges.credly.com/badges/[id] |
| Accredible | accredible.com/certificates/[id] |
| Certifier | certifier.io/verify/[id] |
| TRUE | credentials.yourdomain.com/[id] |
The difference shows up in three places: what a recipient posts on LinkedIn, what a verifier types into a browser, and who receives the traffic that follows.
Why does the credential domain matter?
Because the domain is the first trust signal a verifier reads, and it is the only part of the credential they can check before clicking. A diploma at credentials.stanford.edu carries weight that badges.vendor.com/stanford does not, and the traffic, links and brand recognition that follow a shared credential go wherever the URL points.
Brand trust
Recipients and verifiers trust credentials served from a domain they recognise. An unfamiliar vendor domain asks the verifier to take an extra step on faith.
Professional appearance
Credentials appear in email signatures, LinkedIn profiles and CVs. The URL travels with them everywhere. Make it your brand rather than a supplier you pay.
SEO value
Every credential share creates a link. When the URL is your domain, that link equity flows to your site instead of the vendor's.
Verification traffic
When employers verify credentials, they visit the URL. On a custom domain that traffic arrives on your site, where you can measure it and control the experience.
Brand consistency
Your website, your email and your marketing all use your domain. Credentials are the one touchpoint most organisations hand to somebody else.
Independence
Your credentials run on infrastructure addressed by you. If you change platform later, the URLs your recipients already shared stay valid.
How much does a recognisable domain matter for trust?
Enough that impersonation is now an industrial activity. Millions of phishing attacks a year work by putting a familiar brand on an unfamiliar domain, which is exactly the habit a vendor hosted credential teaches verifiers. Meanwhile only about half of large employers check every academic credential they are shown, so the ones who do check need to land somewhere they recognise.
- 3.8 million phishing attacks were observed during 2025, and 866 unique brands were targeted in the fourth quarter alone. Source: APWG Phishing Activity Trends Report, Q4 2025, published 18 February 2026.
- Only 52% of large businesses verify all academic credentials, falling to 37% of medium and 29% of small organisations, while 45% of large employers have uncovered a false qualification claim. Source: Prospects Luminate, November 2025, from a YouGov survey of 526 HR decision makers.
- 74,780,775 Open Badges had been issued globally by 26,285 issuers. Published by 1EdTech and Credential Engine on 16 February 2023. Most of them resolve on a platform domain rather than the issuer's.
A verification page on your own domain removes the guesswork: the verifier already knows who the domain belongs to before the page loads.
How do you set up a custom domain for certificates?
In five steps, of which only one touches your infrastructure. You pick a subdomain, add a single CNAME record pointing at TRUE, and TRUE handles the SSL certificate and the configuration check. Most organisations finish the same day, and the wait is DNS propagation rather than work.
- Choose a subdomain. Commonly credentials, certificates or verify.
- Add one DNS record. A single CNAME pointed at TRUE's infrastructure.
- TRUE provisions SSL. Issued and renewed automatically, at no extra cost.
- TRUE verifies the configuration. We confirm the record resolves and the certificate is valid.
- Go live. New credentials issue on your domain from that point on.
What are the technical requirements?
One CNAME record and nothing else. TRUE issues and renews the SSL certificate through Let's Encrypt, serves your domain from the same global CDN as its own, and keeps every security feature intact. Existing credentials stay where they are unless you choose to move them.
DNS requirements
A single CNAME record pointing to TRUE's infrastructure. Standard propagation, typically 15 minutes to a few hours.
SSL and TLS
TRUE provisions and renews certificates automatically using Let's Encrypt. Valid, trusted by every browser, no manual renewal.
Performance
Your domain is served from the same global CDN as TRUE's primary domain, so there is no speed penalty for using your own address.
Security
Every TRUE security feature is preserved: blockchain verification, QR codes, eIDAS compliance and GDPR.
Existing credentials
New credentials use the custom domain automatically. Credentials already issued can stay on their current URLs or migrate. Your choice.
Setup support
Documentation, configuration checks, troubleshooting and SSL monitoring are included. See the API documentation for the technical integration.
Which organisations put credentials on their own domain?
The ones whose authority is the point of the credential. A university diploma, a professional licence and a membership certificate are all statements about who issued them, so the address they resolve on is part of the claim.
Universities
diplomas.universityofxyz.edu instead of a platform URL. Diplomas carry institutional weight, and the address should say so when alumni share them on LinkedIn.
Licensing boards
verify.statemedicalboard.gov instead of a vendor badge link. Professional licences need an official domain that signals authority.
Corporate training
certifications.acme.com instead of a shared platform path. Training credentials on your domain build employer brand and link back to you.
Certification bodies
certify.associationname.org. Your organisation stands behind the certification, so the URL should reflect that.
Membership organisations
members.professionalgroup.org. Membership credentials represent belonging to your community. Make the affiliation legible.
Healthcare training
training.hospitalname.org. Healthcare credentials need trust signals at a glance, and your domain is the first one.
What do teams ask about custom domain certificates?
Four questions cover almost every setup: how long it takes, who pays for SSL, which plans include it, and what happens if the domain changes later.
How long does custom domain setup take?
Most organisations complete setup in under 24 hours. The configuration itself takes minutes; the wait is DNS propagation, which usually finishes within a few hours.
Do I need to purchase an SSL certificate?
No. TRUE provisions SSL certificates for custom domains automatically and at no additional cost. They are trusted by every browser and renewed automatically.
Is custom domain available on all plans?
Custom domain is available on professional and enterprise plans. See pricing details.
What happens if I change my domain later?
You can update the custom domain configuration at any time. Existing credentials can be redirected so shared links keep working, or you can run both domains during a transition period.
What do TRUE customers say?
“A clear advantage of our new digital certificates is how easily they can be added as a reference to LinkedIn or a digital CV. The ease of use and verifiability creates trust!”
“The animation looks fantastic, and it’s so simple for our recipients. It has made things much easier for us at Sitevision with the digital certificates.”
Your brand, your domain
Custom domain setup takes under 24 hours. Every credential issued afterwards carries your brand, builds your search authority and sends verification traffic to your site.