# Set up your tracking domain

> Serve the Kalman tag from your own subdomain, like kl.northwindhealth.com: add a CNAME record, wait for Live, then swap your snippet.

Updated 2026-11-10 · Tracking · https://kalmananalytics.com/support/tracking-domains/

A tracking domain is a subdomain of your website, such as `kl.northwindhealth.com`, that serves the Kalman tag. The tag's cookies are then first-party on your own domain, and the visitor's browser only talks to your domain.

You can install the tag before this is set up. It works from Kalman's own address in the meantime.

## 1. Add the subdomain

You need to be an owner or admin of the workspace.

1. Open **Integrations → Tracking**.
2. In **1. Tracking domain**, type your subdomain in **Subdomain**, for example `kl.northwindhealth.com`.
3. Press **Add**.

Use a subdomain of your own website, without `https://` or a path. A workspace has one tracking domain at a time.

## 2. Create the CNAME record

The page shows the record to create. Add it wherever your domain's DNS is managed (Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Namecheap, Squarespace, etc.):

| Type  | Name | Target                       |
| ----- | ---- | ---------------------------- |
| CNAME | `kl` | the target shown on the page |

Use the copy button next to the target rather than typing it.

**On Cloudflare:** set **Proxy status** to **DNS only** (grey cloud). With the orange cloud on, Kalman can't see the CNAME and the domain stays waiting.

## 3. Wait for Live

Kalman checks automatically every 10 minutes. To check right away, press **Check now**.

| Status                           | What it means                                                                                       |
| -------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Waiting for the CNAME record** | Kalman can't see the record yet. DNS changes usually show up within minutes, sometimes a few hours. |
| **We're activating your domain** | DNS is verified. Kalman is turning on HTTPS. Certificates usually take a few minutes.               |
| **Live**                         | The tag can load from your subdomain.                                                               |
| **Activation failed**            | Something went wrong while activating. The Kalman team is notified.                                 |

If the CNAME can't be found yet, the page says so. Double-check the name, the target and the grey cloud.

A workspace that hasn't picked a plan yet stays at **We're activating your domain** until it has one.

## 4. Swap the snippet

The snippet on your site never changes by itself. Once your domain is **Live**:

1. Go back to **2. Install the script**. It now says **Loading from** your subdomain, and the badge reads **first-party**.
2. Copy the new snippet and replace the old one on every page.
3. Load a page and check the Event log for the page view.

If you installed the tag before the domain went live, the page reminds you: "Your tracking domain is live. Replace the snippet on your site with the one below…". If page views still come in through the old address afterwards, it says "Your site is still using the old snippet." The old snippet keeps working until you swap it, so nothing is lost in between.

## Removing a domain

Press **Remove** next to the domain. The tag falls back to Kalman's own address, which keeps working with the original snippet. To retry a domain that failed, remove it, check your DNS record, and add it again. If it still fails, [contact support](/support/getting-help/).

## What Kalman never sends

A tracking domain changes where the tag loads from, not what it collects. The tag still never reads form fields, typed values or page text, and email and phone only ever travel as hashes.

Still stuck? Log in and open a request: https://app.kalmananalytics.com/support