Migrating Old Domains to V2

We have now rolled out Domains V2 -- a new way to set up custom domains with FunnelFlux.

Now, these use a CNAME record.

Why have we done this?

In short, it allows us to have more control over traffic routing, as well as the ability to update infrastructure.

At the moment the IP addresses are a weakness as we can't change these or port them to new servers or providers very easily.

A few quick FAQs before I get into the migration guide:

Will these new domains be slower? 

No. They use CNAMEs (which people may assume are slower), but its all done through Cloudflare so is not like normal DNS in the first place. It will be fast, don't worry.

Can I migrate without downtime? 

Yes, you just need to follow our instructions carefully. If you are already using Cloudflare, its super easy and there's very little risk of link downtime.

If using CNAMEs, can't people see that my domain is using FunnelFlux?

If you're not using Cloudflare for DNS management, then yes. However, people can already inspect our redirects and tell its from FunnelFlux anyway, or see our JS on your pages. It's not exactly a secret, nor should it be.

How long will it take? 

Probably a few minutes per domain, once you understand what is required.

Migrating old domains

Make sure to read the following sections carefully before starting migrations.

If you have old domains that pointed to IP addresses, you will now see these under a legacy table:

For any domain you are migrating, you may want to note the IP address first, so its easier to find the existing DNS record and in case you need to add it back later.

From here, you can click "Migrate" to move the domain to V2.

Moving it will not disrupt your current links -- it just shifts it over to a V2 domain on our backend.

Next, if you were NOT already using Cloudflare, you can take two approaches -- one that reduces downtime risk, the other than is simpler/faster.

If you are already using Cloudflare, you can follow the first section.

I'm Already Using Cloudflare

If you are already using Cloudflare (which is most of you), where you added an A-record > IP address we gave you, have this in orange cloud mode and have a page rule added... then this migration is very easy.

Because Cloudflare has already deployed SSL for your domain record, quite often it does not need to provision SSL certificates to swap over.

HOWEVER, as we have learned, sometimes it doesn't need the TXT record, sometimes it does. 

The logic is not clear, so I would recommend you always migrate the domain, then click its settings and check if the SSL TXT record is present, or if it says active.

If it says pending and provides a record, make sure to add it first.

So, firstly, click migrate on your legacy domain to move your domain to V2 (will not cause any interruption), then click the domain's settings to get the records.

Because your domain was already active with our system (i.e. tracking links working), the domains table will say active from the beginning. But in the settings sidebar, it should say that the CNAME is inactive and show the other records. Once the CNAME approach itself is working properly, everything in the settings sidebar should show active.

Now, click settings for the migrated domain > go add the SSL verification TXT record first if this is present. I would now recommend waiting 30 min to let Cloudflare verify this TXT record in the background.

After that... all you will need to do is:

  1. Remove the A-record (make sure to note down the IP so you can revert, in case panic ensues)
  2. Add a CNAME record for the domain/subdomain > to edge.funnelflux.pro
  3. Remove the page rule you may have added for that domain

Because everything was already in orange cloud mode and SSL was either provisioned, or likely provisioned very quickly, the changeover will be very rapid and requires no further change.

To err on the side of caution, I would add the SSL TXT record and wait 30 minutes before doing the CNAME swap, if the domain is running live traffic where you can't afford interruption.

You can refresh the domains page to have the status checks update, click settings on a domain to check the state of all the verifications.

I am NOT using Cloudflare

Ok, so you have two approaches you can follow...

Downtime? Meh!

If links breaking for say 5-15 min is not a problem, you can take these steps:

  1. After the domain is moved to V2, click its settings. This will reveal the CNAME and SSL TXT records. You can ignore the hostname record.
  2. In your DNS provider, add the TXT record for SSL verification.
  3. In your DNS provider, now delete your old domain A-record that pointed to the FunnelFlux IP
  4. Now, add a CNAME record (for the root domain or subdomain), pointing to edge.funnelflux.pro. If you are using Cloudflare, this record can be in orange (proxy) mode.
  5. Come back to FunnelFlux. Now you can close the settings for the domain and reopen it > causing it to re-check status. It may take up to 15 minutes to validate, so you can just check it regularly.
  6. Once it validates, if using Cloudflare, you can go to the rules section and delete the page rule we had you add previously. 

If for any reason its not verifying for a long time and links are down, you can delete the CNAME record and add back the A-record > IP to revert changes.

Note the "status" in the table will not be a good indicator here of if the migration has worked, as your domain will pass this test immediately because of the old IP record. So you'll need to make the CNAME changes (and deleting the A-record), then wait a while before you can be 100% sure its fully working on the new approach.

If you're using Cloudflare, these changes will be very rapid. With other DNS systems, it may take a bit longer given the DNS caching involved.

If in doubt, you can follow our more cautious approach below.

Cautious approach - avoid downtime

If your domains are handling significant live traffic, you may want to take a more cautious approach.

Here's the steps to do this:

  1. Firstly, for any domain you are going to migrate, note down the IP address in the legacy table -- just so you can switch back to the A-record if need be
  2. Click migrate domain, it will move to the new domain table
  3. Click the domain's settings. Here, you will find a hostname pre-validation record at the bottom. Add this TXT record to your domain's DNS records
  4. Additionally, add the SSL TXT record as well.
  5. However, do NOT add the CNAME record yet. Come back to this domain's settings later (e.g. an hour later) to check if the SSL/hostname boxes now come up as active. 
  6. If they show active, the domain is pre-validated and SSL is already provisioned. Now, you can add the CNAME record for your domain.
  7. In your DNS records, delete the original A-record. Then, add our CNAME record for your domain (or subdomain), pointing to edge.funnelflux.pro. That new CNAME record can be in orange (proxy) mode if you are using Cloudflare.
  8. Once added, it should start working immediately -- depending on DNS propagation. If you were using Cloudflare already, this will likely switchover in <60 seconds
  9. Monitor your domain and check the links are still working. If you encounter any issues within the first 10 minutes, you can revert by adding back the A-record and deleting the CNAME
  10. Once it has migrated fully, if using Cloudflare, you can delete any page rule you had set for the domain.

And that's it! By using this method you can ensure it transitions without any interruption.

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