By default, neutral/anonymous domain names are used to combat ad blockers. An ad blocker is any app (usually a browser extension) that removes advertising material from websites. While a site is loading, the ad-blocker checks the domain names of the elements loading on the web page against a massive blacklist. If a domain name is included in the block list, the ad blocker will stop the JavaScript tag from firing.
Blocked tools may include
- Analytic tools
- Marketing tools
- A/B testing tools
Getting blocked can prevent detection and protection tools, like CHEQ, from running and protecting the site. If our tag does not fire, we cannot run our analysis on the user. To circumnavigate ad blockers, we create domains with neutral and anonymous names. This makes it more difficult for ad blockers and fraudsters to identify and blacklist our efforts.
However, there are cases where anonymous domain names are detected/blocked by ad blockers. In those cases, we have another solution - Using your organization's subdomain.
Create a First-Party Domain
CHEQ uses neutral and anonymous domain names. However, to reduce the risk of ad blockers incorrectly categorizing the CHEQ tag as a malicious domain, we offer a first-party tag solution.
Creating the Domain
- In the CHEQ platform, navigate to the Account Settings settings section by clicking on your username or the person_outline icon on the top right of the platform.
- Navigate to the Tags tab.
- Click on First-Party Domain.
- Add your Domain Name and Domain, then click Next.
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Copy the NS record type routes, then paste and configure them in your DNS.
- The first-party domain's status will remain Not Verified until the NS record type routes are successfully configured in your DNS. Once configured, it can take up to 30 seconds for you to see an option to Activate.
- Click Activate to start the domain activation process. It can take up to 10 minutes for the domain to complete activation.
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Active status will appear once the new first-party domain is activated. Once active, you can use the new first-party domain to create a tag.
If you want to use your own certificate, please reach out to the Support Team.
Set Up Your Tag Using Your First-Party Domain
- In the CHEQ platform, navigate to the Account Settings settings section by clicking on your username or the person_outline icon on the top right of the platform.
- Under the Tags tab, click add_circle_outline Add Tag.
- Select First-Party Domain, then click Next.
- Select the relevant first-party domain, name the tag then click Finish.
Copy the newly generated tag and implement it. See Getting Started with CHEQ Tag Implementation for more information.
Q&A: DNS and SSL Management for First-Party Domains
Q: What happens after I delegate my subdomain to CHEQ?
A: After the NS records are configured and the subdomain is delegated, CHEQ automatically creates several DNS records on our side. These include CAA, TXT, and CNAME records used to verify domain authority and manage SSL/TLS certificates.
We also create A, AAAA, and CNAME records that handle traffic routing securely to our servers.
Q: Which SSL Certificate Authority is being used for my First-Party Domain?
A: SSL certificates are issued through AWS Certificate Manager and ZeroSSL. Both providers perform daily validation checks to ensure certificates remain active and secure. The Authentication Method used is EV.
Q: What are the Contract Start Date/ Validity Period?
A: Depends on issuance and re-issuance dates. For AWS certificates, it is managed by AWS ACM according to their schedule. With zero SSL certificates are valid for 3 months, and we are reissuing new ones
Q: How often are DNS records changed?
A: DNS record updates are rare and occur only when necessary.
Q: Where are my DNS zones hosted, and are logs stored?
A: All DNS zones are securely hosted on AWS. CHEQ does not store DNS query logs, maintaining the highest level of privacy and security for your domain data.