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Introduction
When getting started and setting up domains in Everflow, you have three management options that determine who handles different aspects of your domain infrastructure.
Think of it like choosing how much help you want with maintaining a car. You can have full-service maintenance, shared responsibilities, or handle everything yourself.
The right choice depends on your technical expertise, budget, and how much control you want over your domain infrastructure.
Fully Managed Domains
What it means: Everflow handles everything from purchasing to maintenance.
How it works
- Everflow buys the domain using your registration information
- We install it on our servers with SSL certificates
- We manage all technical aspects: DNS, hosting, SSL renewals
- You get a working tracking domain without any technical setup
What you're responsible for
- Providing accurate registration contact information
- Verifying domain ownership via email (required by Squarespace)
- Paying the monthly domain fee
What Everflow handles
- Domain purchasing and registration
- DNS configuration and server setup
- SSL certificate installation and renewal
- Server maintenance and monitoring
- Technical troubleshooting
Cost
- First domain: Free with your Everflow account
- Additional domains: $40 per month per domain
When to choose this option
Perfect if you want a hands-off approach and prefer to focus on your campaigns rather than technical infrastructure. Most customers start with fully managed domains because they're simple and reliable.
Co-Managed Domains
What it means: You provide the domain, but Everflow manages the hosting and SSL.
How it works
- You purchase and own the domain from any registrar
- You point the domain to Everflow's servers using DNS instructions
- Everflow installs SSL certificates and manages hosting
- You maintain control of the domain registration
What you're responsible for
- Purchasing the domain from your preferred registrar
- Domain registration renewals and contact management
- Following DNS setup instructions from Everflow
- Providing a technical contact (Domain Manager) for configuration issues
What Everflow handles
- Hosting the domain on our servers
- SSL certificate installation and renewal
- Server maintenance and uptime
- Technical support for SSL-related issues
Cost
- Domain registration: You pay your registrar directly
- Everflow hosting: $40 per month per domain
When to choose this option
Ideal when you want to:
- Use branded domains that match your company name
- Maintain ownership and control of domain registration
- Work with partners who prefer recognizable domain names
- Keep domains even if you change tracking platforms
Example: Instead of using a random domain like "h2ptrk.com," you might use "tracking.yourcompany.com" for better brand recognition. Naturally, redirects happen in milliseconds. So your domain name may not play too much of a role.
Self-Managed Domains
What it means: You handle everything yourself using your own infrastructure.
How it works
- You purchase, host, and manage the domain completely
- You set up your own servers (could be Google Cloud, Amazon AWS, or even a server in your office)
- You configure the domain to eventually redirect to Everflow
- Everflow provides minimal technical guidance
What you're responsible for
- Domain purchasing and renewal
- Server hosting and maintenance
- SSL certificate installation and renewal
- DNS configuration and troubleshooting
- All technical issues and downtime
What Everflow handles
- Providing basic setup instructions
- Processing tracking data once it reaches our servers
Cost
- Everflow fees: No additional domain registration charges
- Your costs: Domain registration, hosting, SSL certificates, maintenance time
When to choose this option
Best for businesses that:
- Have dedicated technical staff
- Want complete control over their infrastructure
- Run high-volume campaigns requiring custom server configurations
- Have existing server infrastructure they prefer to use
Management Comparison
Traffic Health Monitoring Coverage
Your management type affects what Traffic Health can monitor:
All Plans Monitor
- Fully Managed: Complete monitoring including uptime, SSL, reputation
- Co-Managed: Complete monitoring including uptime, SSL, reputation
Core & Premium Plans Only
- Self-Managed: Uptime monitoring (SSL and hosting issues are your responsibility)
Why the difference? Since Everflow doesn't manage self-managed domain infrastructure, we can only monitor what's externally visible (like whether the domain responds) rather than internal server health.
Bottom Line
Most businesses start with fully managed domains for simplicity and reliability. As your needs grow more complex or you want more control, you can add co-managed or self-managed domains to your mix.
The key is matching your choice to your technical capabilities and business requirements. You can always use different management types for different domains based on their specific purposes.
Remember: the goal is reliable tracking that supports your business growth. Choose the option that gives you confidence your domains will stay healthy and keep your revenue flowing.
