If you're setting up your custom tracking domain in Signals Gateway and running into one of these errors:
Unable to verify your domain
CNAME record doesn't point to the correct target
this article walks you through the correct setup and how to fix the most common causes.
Setting up your custom tracking domain
In the domain settings, note down the subdomain (which you can customize) and the associated web address (your primary domain).
In your DNS provider, create a new CNAME record:
Type: CNAME
Name: Use the subdomain you chose (example: if you want to use
tracking.test.com, Name should betracking)Target/Value: Set to
signals.birch.events- it should be the same as specified on your setup:
Save the DNS changes (propagation may take up to 48 hours, but typically completes faster).
Once the CNAME record is created, return to Signals Gateway and click Check domain status to confirm it’s active.
Click “Continue to Signals Pixel setup”
Troubleshooting
If you still see one of the errors above after completing the steps:
Double-check your CNAME record. Confirm the Type, Name, and Target/Value fields are filled in exactly as described above — a common cause is a typo in the subdomain name or an incorrect target.
Using Cloudflare or another CDN? Make sure the CNAME record's proxy status is set to "DNS only" (grey cloud), not "Proxied" (orange cloud). A proxied record will block domain verification.
Created an A record instead of a CNAME? Your DNS lookup needs to return a CNAME record specifically. An A record pointing to the Gateway IP may pass a basic connectivity check, but it will fail domain verification. Double-check the record type with your DNS provider.
Check propagation status. Visit dnschecker.org and confirm your CNAME record has propagated globally.
Still not propagated after 48 hours? Create a new CNAME record with a different DNS provider.