Enable external subdomain for a site branch deploy

[comvation]

Hi Netlify Support team!

we would like to enable an external subdomain pointing to a branch deploy. According to this guide we need then to contact you [Support Guide] How to use Netlify’s branch deploy feature without Netlify DNS.

Site: unfold-event-web.netlify.app
Branch domain: 2022.unfold-event.ch

Would it also be possible to just add the wildcard: *.unfold-event.ch ?

nslookup result:

Server:		217.11.217.3
Address:	217.11.217.3#53

Non-authoritative answer:
2022.unfold-event.ch	canonical name = 2022--unfold-event-web.netlify.app.
Name:	2022--unfold-event-web.netlify.app
Address: 18.192.231.252
Name:	2022--unfold-event-web.netlify.app
Address: 3.72.140.173
Name:	2022--unfold-event-web.netlify.app
Address: 2a05:d014:275:cb00::c8
Name:	2022--unfold-event-web.netlify.app
Address: 2a05:d014:275:cb02::c8

Thanks for your support!

[SamO]

Hi @comvation ,

Welcome to the forums and thanks so much for reaching out.

To enable wildcard you need to use our DNS hosting (in which case you can self-configure branch subdomains for any branch you want!) and/or you could bring a custom SSL certificate for *. unfold-event.ch per these docs: HTTPS (SSL) | Netlify Docs . Note that the latter advice will cost you money, but those are the (only) ways to meet that request today.

[comvation]

Hi @SamO ,

thanks for your info, good to now :).
If we upgrade to a Pro account would this service be included to add a branch subdomain for an externally managed DNS?

[hrishikesh]

Wildcard subdomains is a Pro+ feature. It can be used with external DNS, but you need to import your own wildcard SSL certificate.

Branch sub-domains can be activated for free on any plan.

[comvation]

Thanks @hrishikesh for clarification.

Then we would like to ask enabling a branch subdomain 2022.unfold-event.ch which points to
2022–unfold-event-web.netlify.app, branch “2022”.

Thank you and lovely regards

[Melvin]

Hi @comvation,

Thanks for the follow-up.

You will need to use 2022.www.unfold-event.ch since as mentioned here:

[Support Guide] How to use Netlify’s branch deploy feature without Netlify DNS

Last reviewed by Netlify Support Staff: August 2023 So - you’ve discovered the concept of branch subdomains and want to use them! But you can’t use Netlify’s DNS Hosting? Never fear, there is a way to do this and this post will explain how in detail! Please note, however, that going this route means missing out on single click setup and all the goodness it includes - for example, getting an SSL certificate configured automatically. We also have Automatic Deploy Subdomains, which allows users …

There are two important considerations:

1. the subdomain must match the branch name (“slugified ” as needed)
2. the subdomain will be under the primary custom domain

This second point means that if your primary custom domain is www.example.com then the subdomain will be branch-name.www.example.com and not branch-name.example.com .

On your site, you have www.unfold-event.ch configured as the Primary domain.

[comvation]

Thank you @Melvin for pointing this out.

We have added the appropriate DNS entry and it should be resolvable already:

Server:		217.11.217.3
Address:	217.11.217.3#53

Non-authoritative answer:
2022.www.unfold-event.ch	canonical name = 2022--unfold-event-web.netlify.app.
Name:	2022--unfold-event-web.netlify.app
Address: 34.141.103.251
Name:	2022--unfold-event-web.netlify.app
Address: 34.159.58.69
Name:	2022--unfold-event-web.netlify.app
Address: 2a05:d014:275:cb00::c8
Name:	2022--unfold-event-web.netlify.app
Address: 2a05:d014:275:cb02::c8

Is it now possible to add this branch subdomain with SSL? So https://2022.www.unfold-event.ch/ should be callable without warning.

Thanks for configuration!

[fool]

Sure thing, tis done.

[comvation]

Worked, thanks a lot @fool and @Melvin !