The custom access URL feature allows customers to use a different URL (for branding purposes) to access the web interface and other Egnyte apps instead of the default Egnyte URL. For example, users can use the URL fileshare.acme.com instead of acme.egnyte.com. The new website address will be displayed while accessing the Web UI, and all the Egnyte Share Links. In addition, Egnyte provides a self-service management feature to utilize custom access URLs, allowing domain admins to upload their own SSL certificates directly from the Web UI.
Apart from the initial configuration of the custom access URL, administrators can handle certificate renewals themselves by downloading the CSR file to purchase a certificate and then uploading the complete certificate chain once it has been issued. This ensures secure, uninterrupted access for users and external collaborators, while giving organizations more control over their domain configuration.
Use Cases
- The company has rebranded and wants the Egnyte URL to reflect the new name.
- URL needs to follow a standard naming convention used across company systems.
- Simpler, branded URL preferred for easier access by employees and partners.
- Internal systems or workflows require a specific domain format for integration.
- Consistent domain branding needed across external-facing tools and resources.
Custom Branding is available by default for all of our Platform plans.
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Self-Service For Custom Access URL
Download CSR and Generate SSL certificates
SSL Certificate Expiry Notifications
Custom Help & FAQ URL
Redirect Sign Out
Self-Service For Custom Access URL
The Self Service mode is currently available to all customers excluding Trial accounts.
Enabling Custom Access URLs
- Navigate to Settings -> Branding.
- Click on the Custom URL tab and enable the Custom access URL toggle.
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Enter the basic details, such as the custom domain name, Country code, State, City, and Organization. Users can also enter the optional fields as Email address and Organizational unit. Click Next.
Using root domain like acme.com is not supported. Instead, use a subdomain like files.acme.com.
- Read through the instructions on uploading SSL certifications and domain configuration. Click Save.
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Configuration Process
Once the user enables the Custom access URL, they will be required to download the CSR and purchase the certificate, following which they can upload the SSL certificate and configure the domain to complete the setup.
- If the data has already been used to generate the CSR file for issuing the SSL certificate, any changes made afterward will not apply to the existing certificate. In that case, new SSL certificates will be required.
- Once the certificates are uploaded, the access URL will become read-only and cannot be changed from the UI. Contact Egnyte support to change the access URL in this case.
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Download CSR and Generate SSL certificates
- Download the CSR file by clicking on the Download CSR button.
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Contact a domain hosting service provider to purchase a SSL certificate using the downloaded CSR file. The domain service provider will provide the bundle of files comprising the multiple certificate files for the custom domain name (for example, fileshare.acme.com.crt). The service provider will provide the files in a zip format. Extract the files so that it can be used in the next step.
- Egnyte certifies GoDaddy or Digicert and does not guarantee successful implementation from other certificate providers.
- Please use Apache as the server type when purchasing the SSL certificate.
- Wildcard certificates (for example, *.acme.com) are not supported.
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Upload SSL Certificate
- Click on the Select file(s) button to proceed with uploading the certificates. Users can select any number of files as shared by the provider with supported extensions as .der, .cer, .pem, .crt.
- Users can click on the X icon to remove a specific file. Once all the desired files have been uploaded, click on Save certificate.
- The system will begin validating the uploaded certificates and the status will be displayed.
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If validation is successful, the status changes to Saving. If validation fails, an error message is displayed.
Verification of the uploaded certificates occurs immediately and errors, if any, are returned. However, it can take up to 1 hour for the status to change to Valid. This signifies that the certificates have been installed for the domain.
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The status will change to In Progress and then to Valid on the Custom URL screen.
SSL certificates can be edited only until valid certificates are uploaded and successfully validated. Once validation is complete, any further changes require assistance from the Support team.
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Domain Configuration
A CNAME record is provided as a suggested configuration for setting up the custom domain. This is typically used when the customer doesn’t have a custom DNS setup in place. The CNAME points the custom URL (e.g., files.company.com) to Egnyte’s servers. Customers can copy this record and add it to their DNS settings through their domain provider to complete the setup.
If there is configuration available under the DNS settings, the customer can use that value for the CNAME record.
Once the CNAME has been set up correctly, the status for domain configuration will change to Configured Correctly.
For configured correctly status, there can be a wait time of up to 48 hours (this is the maximum amount of time that most domain providers mention when customers make changes to their DNS records). In practice, however, it usually takes approximately 2–4 hours.
Once the SSL certificates are validated and the domain configuration is complete, the respective statuses will appear as shown below.
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SSL Certificate Expiry Notifications
Egnyte sends email notifications and displays in-app alerts to keep admins informed about certificates that are nearing expiry or have already expired.
The email notifications are sent to all the domain admins and the email address mentioned in the CRT file at the following intervals:
- Before 30 days of certificate expiry
- Before 15 days of certificate expiry
- Before 7 days of certificate expiry and every day after that until the certificate expires or renewed
- On certificate expiry
The users can also see the in-app notifications to ensure that the certificates are renewed on time.
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Renewing the Certificates
Users can renew their certificates if the certificates are expiring soon or have expired. If the certificates are expiring in less than 3 days, they will see the following pop-up automatically appear on login.
They can click on Dismiss or choose to renew the certificates by clicking on Renew SSL Certificate.
If the users click on the in-app notification or the renew option in the email notification, they will be re-directed to the option to renew the certificates.
Click on the Renew certificates option and upload SSL certificates.
If SSO is configured, certain elements of the SSO configuration might need to be changed, such as Identifier URL, Reply URL and Sign On URL (for example, in this Azure AD SSO article). For further assistance contact the Egnyte support team.
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Custom Help & FAQ URL
For resellers or companies who prefer to have their own IT department handle employee support, the Help & FAQ URL link can be customized to direct to custom links instead of the Egnyte Helpdesk by default.
- Navigate to Settings -> Branding -> General Branding. Enter the URL in Help & FAQ URL.
- Click on Save Changes.
The settings will be updated.
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Redirect Sign Out
After employees and clients sign out of their Egnyte account, they can be redirected back to their company website, blog, or any other page that the customer may wish to feature.
Unlike other branding features, this option is not located in the Branding section.
- Navigate to the Security & Authentication tab of the Configuration settings.
- Click on Restore default to restore the redirect sign out to the default URL. Enter the new URL, if required, and save the changes.