Integrations
First-party domain setup
One DNS record makes DataCops load as part of your own site. You add it once, DataCops checks it, issues a certificate for the subdomain, and emails you when your site is set up.
What it is
First-party setup means pointing a subdomain of your site, datacops.yourstore.com, at DataCops. Once it is live, the DataCops script and the endpoint it sends data to both load from your own domain, so the browser treats them as part of your site instead of an outside tracker.Without this step DataCops still works. The script loads from the shared host cdn.joindatacops.com and captures visits. But a shared host is the easiest thing for an ad blocker or a privacy browser to spot. Your own subdomain is not on anyone's list, and it is also what unlocks the features that need a first-party host, like the 400-day server cookie.
Before you start
Good to know before you start
- You need access to the DNS settings of the domain you added in DataCops. That is wherever you bought the domain, or Cloudflare if your site runs through it.
- The subdomain is always called datacops. You do not pick a name.
- Install the DataCops script first. The DNS record makes it first-party, it does not replace it. See Install the tracking script.
- The record works on every plan, including Free.
The DNS record
In your domain's DNS settings, add one record:
| Type | Host / Name | Value / Target | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNAME | datacops | cdn.joindatacops.com | Automatic or default |
That creates datacops.yourstore.com and points it at DataCops. Some providers want the full name in the Host field (datacops.yourstore.com) and some want only the first part (datacops). If your provider adds the domain on its own, type only datacops, or you end up with datacops.yourstore.com.yourstore.com.
Provider notes
| Provider | What to do |
|---|---|
| Cloudflare | Add the CNAME and set Proxy status to DNS only (grey cloud). DataCops checks for a real CNAME answer, and a proxied record hides it. |
| GoDaddy, IONOS | Add the CNAME with Host datacops and Value cdn.joindatacops.com. |
| Namecheap | Advanced DNS, Add new record, CNAME Record, Host datacops, Value cdn.joindatacops.com. |
| Route 53 | Create record, name datacops, type CNAME, value cdn.joindatacops.com. |
| Shopify-managed domain | In Shopify admin, open Settings, Domains, then your domain's DNS settings, and add a custom CNAME record. |
What happens after you save
When you click verify in the dashboard, DataCops starts a background setup job for your site. It runs in this order:
- CNAME check. DataCops looks up datacops.yourdomain and checks that it points to cdn.joindatacops.com. It checks every 30 seconds and keeps trying for up to 48 hours, so slow DNS is fine.
- Certificate. As soon as the record answers, DataCops issues an SSL certificate for that exact subdomain, then moves it onto a certificate that renews on its own (ZeroSSL first, Let's Encrypt as a fallback).
- Switch on. Your site is marked as first-party in DataCops.
- Email. You get one email, "Your site is set up", with a link to your dashboard.
If you click verify again while a check is still running, DataCops tells you it is already processing and does not start a second one.
Verify and go
Most providers publish a new record within one to ten minutes. Some take a few hours. You can close the dashboard while you wait; the check keeps running. Once the certificate is issued, open https://datacops.yourdomain in a browser. A valid padlock means it is live.
On Shopify, use your own domain, not the free myshopify.com address. When the record is live, the Shopify theme embed and the DataCops Web Pixel both switch to your subdomain on their own, within about 15 minutes. There is nothing to change inside Shopify. See Shopify.
Troubleshooting
- Still waiting after an hour. Look the name up with a public DNS checker. If it returns an A record instead of a CNAME, the record is proxied (Cloudflare) or flattened. Switch it to DNS only.
- The name came out doubled. Your provider added the domain for you. Edit the host to just datacops.
- An old record exists. A host can have only one CNAME. Remove any other datacops record first.
- Wrong domain in DataCops. The record is checked on the domain saved for your site. If you track www.yourstore.com but saved yourstore.com, the record goes on yourstore.com.
What it unlocks
The first-party host is the base for the rest of DataCops. Visits are captured from your own domain, the cookie banner is served from it, and returning visitors can be remembered for up to 400 days with a server cookie, which only works on your own subdomain. The optional Cloudflare Worker adds edge capture on top.