BlueConic requires a dedicated hostname within your channel's domain. This hostname facilitates all communication between BlueConic and your customers' web browsers.
Using first-party hostnames ensures that first-party cookies remain unaffected by Apple Safari’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP), which deletes third-party cookies after seven days. This approach also helps bypass most ad-blockers, allowing uninterrupted data collection. By centralizing first-party data collection across sites, businesses can unify customer profiles and use that data for personalized and optimized interactions.
Before you begin
Confirm your channels are added to BlueConic.
Loop in your IT team for DNS record setup and registration within 14 days.
Determine a hostname strategy for multiple BlueConic channels.
Hostname options
BlueConic offers two hostname options. BlueConic recommends using the first-party hostname.
Standard Hostname: *.blueconic.net | Custom Hostname: A first-party hostname generated by BlueConic. |
No setup required. | Requires DNS configuration. |
Managed by BlueConic. | You provide and manage the SSL certificate. |
Minimal impact from ITP, browsers, and ad blockers. | May be impacted by ITP, browsers, and ad blockers, potentially leading to shorter cookie expiration times. |
Best practices for hostname organization
In BlueConic, domains act as organizational tools for grouping related hostnames. They function like folders or tags, and don’t need a .com or similar TLD. Use a meaningful name that represents an organization or group.
Main domain and top-level domain grouping:
Group hostnames that share the same main domain or top-level domain (TLD) in BlueConic. For example, www.example.com and blog.example.com should both fall under the “example.com” domain.
Subdomains as Channels:
Designate subdomains as separate channels under the same main domain. For example, shop.example.com and news.example.com could be distinct channels within the “example.com” domain.
Host aliases:
Set up subdomains as host aliases if they share functionality or content structure with the main domain.
Whether to use subdomains as channels or aliases depends on the customer’s setup and needs. Generally, if you want to track all your traffic for segmentation in one channel, then use host aliases. If you want to segment your subdomains based on channel, then split out by channel.
Next steps
Review the FAQ on BlueConic, cookies, and ITP to learn more about ITP and browser tracking prevention.
Set up the BlueConic Hostname console.
Ensure the data you are collecting complies with consent and privacy regulations by reading more about BlueConic Objectives.
FAQs
Can I change my hostname later?
Changing your hostname later on can be complex and isn’t recommended:
Cookies are set against the old hostname, so profiles will not be found if you change your hostname.
The BlueConic JavaScript tag needs to be updated on all channels, because the hostname is inside the tag.
All mobile apps need to be updated because they point to the old hostname.
Can customers see my hostname?
Yes, the hostname in your BlueConic script is visible to customers in some cases, for example in the webpages, in tweets, Facebook posts, and in links in emails sent by BlueConic.
What does my IT team have to do?
Your IT team is responsible for configuring your DNS provider for your new BlueConic hostname(s). The IT team needs to place these DNS records with your DNS provider within 72 hours after creating the BlueConic hostname. See the instructions for IT teams to register DNS records here.
What special considerations should publishers keep in mind when setting up channels for multiple publications and subdomains?
Publishers with multiple distinct publications, each with its own hostname (e.g., news1.com, news2.com, news3.com), should create separate channels for each publication at a minimum. However, if a publication uses subdomains (e.g., sports.news1.com, tech.news1.com), these subdomains should typically remain under the same domain as the main publication. In some cases, subdomains may act as host aliases if they share content or structure with the primary hostname.