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DNS CNAME Not Verifying

Why your DNS CNAME might not be verifying and how to fix it.

When you set up your gateway tenant, you create a CNAME record in your DNS provider that points your custom subdomain (for example, track.yourdomain.com) to gateway.pixelscleared.com. If the dashboard shows Unverified under DNS Status, one of these common issues is likely the cause.

Wrong Record Type

The most common mistake is creating an A record instead of a CNAME record. PixelsCleared requires a CNAME because the underlying IP address can change.

To fix:

  1. Open your DNS provider's control panel.
  2. Find the record for your tracking subdomain (for example, track).
  3. If it is an A record, delete it.
  4. Create a new CNAME record with:

- Host / Name: track (or your chosen subdomain prefix)

- Points to / Value: gateway.pixelscleared.com

- TTL: Default or 3600

Do not include your main domain in the host field. If your DNS provider asks for the full hostname, enter track.yourdomain.com. Some providers only want the subdomain prefix (track).

Propagation Delay

DNS changes are not instant. Most DNS changes propagate within a few minutes, but some providers can take up to an hour. In rare cases, propagation can take up to 24 hours.

To check if your CNAME has propagated:


dig track.yourdomain.com CNAME

If the answer section shows your CNAME pointing to gateway.pixelscleared.com, propagation is complete. If it shows nothing or an old record, wait and check again.

You can also use online DNS propagation checkers to test from multiple locations worldwide.

After propagation completes, click Verify DNS in the PixelsCleared dashboard. The status should change to Verified with a green checkmark.

Trailing Dot Issues

Some DNS providers require a trailing dot at the end of the CNAME target to indicate a fully qualified domain name. Others add it automatically.

Try both:

  • gateway.pixelscleared.com
  • gateway.pixelscleared.com.

Check your DNS provider's documentation for their specific behavior.

Proxy or CDN Interference

If you use Cloudflare or a similar CDN with DNS proxying enabled (the orange cloud icon), the CNAME may not resolve correctly for verification.

Cloudflare:

  1. Open the Cloudflare dashboard.
  2. Go to DNS > Records.
  3. Find your CNAME record for the tracking subdomain.
  4. Click the Proxied (orange cloud) toggle to switch it to DNS only (gray cloud).
  5. Wait for the change to propagate, then click Verify DNS in PixelsCleared.

The proxy must be disabled for the CNAME because PixelsCleared handles the SSL termination and routing on its end. Enabling Cloudflare's proxy adds an extra layer that can interfere with verification and event delivery.

If you need Cloudflare's CDN for other subdomains, leave those proxied. Only the tracking subdomain needs to be set to DNS only.

Subdomain Mismatch

The subdomain in your DNS record must exactly match the subdomain you entered when creating the tenant in PixelsCleared.

For example:

  • If your tenant uses track.yourdomain.com, your CNAME host must be track.
  • If your tenant uses events.yourdomain.com, your CNAME host must be events.

Check Gateway > Settings to confirm the expected subdomain, then verify your DNS record matches.

Testing With dig or nslookup

Use either of these commands to verify your CNAME is resolving correctly:


dig track.yourdomain.com CNAME +short

Expected output: gateway.pixelscleared.com.


nslookup -type=CNAME track.yourdomain.com

Expected output: track.yourdomain.com canonical name = gateway.pixelscleared.com

If the output does not match, recheck your DNS configuration against the steps above.

Still Not Verifying

If your CNAME is resolving correctly but the dashboard still shows unverified:

  1. Wait a few minutes and click Verify DNS again.
  2. Clear your browser cache and reload the dashboard.
  3. Contact support at pixelscleared.com/contact with your subdomain and the output of your dig command.
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