The Challenges of Implementing Custom Domains and SSL in SaaS: A Solo Developer’s 6-Month Journey
In the world of SaaS development, providing clients with the ability to use their own custom domains is often seen as a straightforward enhancement. However, for many solo developers and small teams, the reality can be far more complex—and time-consuming—than initially anticipated.
Recently, I undertook a project to enable a business’s customers to connect their own vanity domains (such as app.theircompany.com) instead of a shared subdomain (theircompany.myplatform.com). What seemed like a simple feature soon evolved into a six-month saga of tackling infrastructure intricacies—ranging from DNS validation and domain ownership verification to automating SSL certificates, including issuance and renewal across multiple customer domains.
This experience highlighted how unexpectedly challenging managing custom domain integrations can be, especially when done solo. The effort diverted significant attention from core product development and revealed a common pain point faced by many SaaS providers: balancing ease of use for customers with the technical complexity of secure, reliable domain management.
Key Questions for SaaS Providers and Developers:
- How do you currently manage custom domains and SSL certificates for your clients?
- What obstacles have you encountered in automating domain validation and SSL renewal?
- Have you considered developing an internal solution, and what has been your obstacle?
- Would a self-service portal that streamlines domain pointing, validation, and automatic SSL provisioning expedite your workflow?
If you’re grappling with similar challenges, you’re not alone. Automating these processes could save significant time and reduce errors—especially for solo entrepreneurs or small teams juggling multiple responsibilities.
I’d love to hear about your experiences or insights. Does this resonate with your own journey? Would a dedicated tool or process for simplifying custom domain management be beneficial for your SaaS platform?
Sharing knowledge and solutions can help streamline these complex workflows for everyone. Thanks for engaging!
