Serpwise AI

Set up domains hosted on Vercel, Netlify, GitHub Pages, and other platforms to work with the SerpWise proxy.

When your website is hosted on a platform like Vercel, Netlify, or GitHub Pages, some extra configuration is needed to route traffic through SerpWise without triggering DNS conflict warnings.

Why DNS Conflicts Happen

Hosting platforms assign custom domains via DNS (CNAME or A records). When you point DNS to SerpWise instead, the hosting platform no longer sees traffic arriving and may show warnings like "Invalid Configuration" or "Domain not verified."

This is an inherent DNS constraint — a domain can only point to one destination. It is not a bug or misconfiguration.

The Solution: Deployment URL as Origin

Instead of using the domain's IP address as the origin, use the hosting platform's deployment URL:

Find your deployment URL

Every platform assigns a permanent URL to your project (e.g. your-project.vercel.app, your-site.netlify.app).

Set it as Origin Host

In SerpWise domain settings, enter the deployment URL as the Origin Host and Origin Host Header.

Point DNS to SerpWise

Create a CNAME record for your domain pointing to your SerpWise proxy endpoint.

Remove the custom domain from the platform

This eliminates "Invalid Configuration" warnings since the platform no longer needs to manage the domain.

Platform Guides

In Vercel Dashboard, go to your project's Settings > Domains
Note your .vercel.app URL (e.g. my-project.vercel.app)
In SerpWise:
- Origin Host: my-project.vercel.app
- Origin Host Header: my-project.vercel.app
- Protocol: HTTPS, Port: 443
Update DNS: yourdomain.com CNAME {proxy-subdomain}.edge.serpwise.ai
Remove yourdomain.com from Vercel's domain settings

SerpWise automatically detects Vercel-hosted domains during setup and shows platform-specific guidance in the Add Domain form.

In Netlify Dashboard, go to Site configuration > Domain management
Note your .netlify.app URL (e.g. my-site.netlify.app)
In SerpWise:
- Origin Host: my-site.netlify.app
- Origin Host Header: my-site.netlify.app
- Protocol: HTTPS, Port: 443
Update DNS: yourdomain.com CNAME {proxy-subdomain}.edge.serpwise.ai
Remove yourdomain.com from Netlify's domain settings

Your GitHub Pages URL is {username}.github.io or {org}.github.io/{repo}
In SerpWise:
- Origin Host: {username}.github.io
- Origin Host Header: {username}.github.io
- Protocol: HTTPS, Port: 443
Update DNS: yourdomain.com CNAME {proxy-subdomain}.edge.serpwise.ai
Remove the custom domain from your repository's Pages settings

Your Render service URL is {service-name}.onrender.com
In SerpWise:
- Origin Host: {service-name}.onrender.com
- Origin Host Header: {service-name}.onrender.com
- Protocol: HTTPS, Port: 443
Update DNS and remove the custom domain from Render

Your Railway deployment URL is {project}.up.railway.app
In SerpWise:
- Origin Host: {project}.up.railway.app
- Origin Host Header: {project}.up.railway.app
- Protocol: HTTPS, Port: 443
Update DNS and remove the custom domain from Railway

Why Use SerpWise as a Proxy?

Some hosting platforms discourage reverse proxies. Here's what SerpWise actually provides:

Benefit	Details
Performance	Edge-level HTML modification without origin code changes or deployments. No additional latency beyond standard proxy overhead (typically under 10ms).
Security	Exploit path blocking, bot detection, and request filtering at the edge. Security headers injected before responses reach visitors.
Analytics	Per-request logging with full request/response metadata. Bot vs. human traffic breakdown and rule match tracking.
SEO Control	Real-time meta tags, canonicals, structured data, and header modifications. No code deployments needed — changes apply instantly.

Proxy Identification Headers

SerpWise adds the following headers to origin requests so hosting platforms can identify the real client:

Header	Purpose
`X-SerpWise-Connecting-IP`	The visitor's real IP address
`X-Forwarded-For`	Standard proxy header with visitor IP
`X-Forwarded-Proto`	Protocol used by the visitor (`https`)
`X-Forwarded-Host`	The hostname requested by the visitor

These headers ensure your origin application can access accurate client information even though requests arrive through the proxy.

SerpWise is working toward becoming a Vercel Verified Proxy provider. Once approved, Vercel customers will be able to keep custom domains on Vercel without warnings while routing traffic through SerpWise.

Hosting Platforms