Note
Custom domains for Channels are available only on the Enterprise and Legacy Premium Plan.
Instead of using a Wistia-provided URL, you can route your Wistia Channels through a custom subdomain that you own. We'll walk you through the steps to set this up.
Set up a custom domain
Add a custom domain
From the Account page in Settings, Account Owners and Managers can add custom domains for channels.
Note
Only subdomains are supported (e.g., videos.company.com).
Once a domain is added, you'll need to create a CNAME record in your DNS provider that points your domain to the provided target.
Then, in Wistia, you'll see one of the following statuses under the Custom Domain setting:
Pending: Wistia is waiting for DNS propagation to complete.
Verifying: DNS lookup is in progress.
Verified: Setup is complete — your subdomain is ready to use.
Failed: Wistia couldn't verify the CNAME record.
After the domain is activated, you can connect it to a channel.
Connect a custom domain to a Channel
To attach your custom domain to a Channel, navigate to the desired channel and click "Edit" next to Settings.
Select an available domain from the dropdown menu.
Once saved, the custom domain status will change to "Connected," and the channel will become visible at that domain.
Tip
Wistia handles SSL automatically, and if the custom domain ever has issues, content falls back to Wistia URLs so audiences never hit a broken page.
SSL certificates are provisioned automatically via Fastly a few minutes after DNS verification. If you still see a browser security warning after 30+ minutes, clear your cache or open the URL in an incognito window.
Enable indexing
With your channel connected to a custom domain, you can enable indexing so it appears in search results. To enable this setting, click "Turn on indexing to make available in search results" in the Info panel of your channel.
You can learn more about Media SEO with Wistia here.
Remove a custom domain
To remove a custom domain from a channel, head to the channel, click "Edit" next to Settings, and select another domain from the dropdown.
If you'd prefer to remove a custom domain from the account, an Account Owner or Manager must navigate to the Account page in Settings and click "Delete" next to the domain.
Troubleshooting
If your domain status shows Failed or stays on Pending, try the following troubleshooting steps:
Confirm the record is a CNAME, not an A record, and that the target exactly matches what Wistia showed you with no extra spaces or typos.
On Cloudflare, set the proxy status to "DNS only" (gray cloud). An orange/proxied cloud will cause verification to fail.
Remove conflicting records. An existing A, AAAA, or second CNAME on the same subdomain prefix can block verification.
Give it time. DNS propagation can take a few minutes up to 48 hours depending on your provider and TTL. Use dnschecker.org (select CNAME) to confirm your subdomain has propagated before concluding something's broken.
Still failing after 48 hours with a matching record? Contact Wistia Support.
Custom domains FAQ
Can I use my root domain (company.com) instead of a subdomain?
No, only subdomains (e.g., videos.company.com) are supported. Root domains require A-record configuration, which is not supported for this feature.
Do custom domains affect existing embed codes or Wistia-hosted links?
No. All existing embed codes are unchanged, and existing Wistia-hosted URLs continue to work. Custom domains add a new routing layer on top.
Who can configure the custom domain?
Account Owners and Managers can set up and manage custom domains in Account Settings. Any Standard user or Limited user with Can manage permissions on a channel can connect or disconnect the channel from the configured subdomain.
Can I set up multiple subdomains or assign different ones to different channels?
Yes. You can add multiple subdomains to your account (each goes through its own CNAME setup and verification), then choose which subdomain each channel connects to from Channel Settings.
What happens to the custom domain if the connected channel is deleted?
The domain is released from the deleted channel and is no longer in use. It remains configured in Account Settings and can be reconnected to another channel. A notification is shown during channel deletion if a domain is connected.
Does content on a custom domain get indexed by search engines?
Yes, if the setting is enabled, search engines can properly index content served via the custom domain.