In this article:
When to use an internal domain
Internal custom domains are necessary when your organization requires:
Network-restricted access
Training content must remain inside your corporate network
Learners only access courses through VPN or intranet
Security policies prevent public DNS resolution
Compliance or security policies
Regulations require content hosted internally
Data cannot traverse public internet
Air-gapped or highly restricted environments
Note: For standard custom domains that are publicly accessible, see Setting Up a Custom Domain instead. That process is simpler and doesn't require reverse proxy configuration.
Why standard DNS validation won't work
Our standard custom domain setup requires creating a DNS A record that points to 7taps servers. We verify this by checking your DNS records from the public internet.
The challenge with internal domains:
Your DNS records are only accessible within your network
7taps cannot reach them for verification from outside your firewall
Standard DNS propagation checks will fail
The solution: Use a reverse proxy that forwards requests from your internal domain to 7taps, while we configure your account to generate links using your internal domain.
Technical requirements
Before proceeding, ensure you have:
Infrastructure access
Ability to configure a reverse proxy or CDN (e.g., Nginx, Apache, Cloudflare)
Internal DNS management for your domain
HTTPS/SSL certificate management (if required by your organization)
Network configuration
Your reverse proxy can make outbound HTTPS connections to 7taps
Firewall rules allow proxying to 7taps servers
HTTP methods support
Your reverse proxy must allow: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, OPTIONS
Setup process
Step 1: Configure your reverse proxy
Set up a reverse proxy that serves 7taps content on your internal custom domain.
Configuration requirements:
Listen on: Your internal domain (e.g., learning.company.local)
Forward to: Your 7taps subdomain (app.7taps.com)
Preserve headers: Pass through necessary headers for proper routing
Support HTTPS: Configure SSL if your security policies require it
Example Nginx configuration:
nginx
server { listen 443 ssl; server_name learning.company.local; ssl_certificate /path/to/cert.pem; ssl_certificate_key /path/to/key.pem; location / { proxy_pass https://app.7taps.com; proxy_set_header Host yourcompany.7taps.com; proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr; proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for; proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme; } }Example Apache configuration:
apache
<VirtualHost *:443> ServerName learning.company.local SSLEngine on SSLCertificateFile /path/to/cert.pem SSLCertificateKeyFile /path/to/key.pem ProxyPreserveHost Off ProxyPass / https://app.7taps.com/ ProxyPassReverse / https://app.7taps.com/ RequestHeader set X-Forwarded-Proto "https" </VirtualHost>
Step 2: Configure internal DNS
Point your internal domain to your reverse proxy:
DNS record details:
Type: A record
Host: learning.company.local (your chosen subdomain)
Points to: IP address of your reverse proxy server
Visibility: Internal DNS only
Step 3: Test internal access
Before involving 7taps support, verify your setup works:
Test checklist:
Open a course URL using your 7taps subdomain (yourcompany.7taps.com/course)
Replace the domain with your internal domain (learning.company.local/course)
Confirm the course loads correctly
Test all interactive elements (quizzes, forms, navigation)
Verify from different network locations within your organization
Expected behavior at this stage:
Courses work when accessed through your internal domain
Share links still point to app.7taps.com (this will change after Step 4)
All course functionality operates normally
Testing and activation
Contact 7taps support
Once your internal domain is working, reach out to our support team:
Information to provide:
Your internal custom domain (e.g., learning.company.local)
Confirmation that internal testing is complete
Your 7taps account details
What happens next:
Our support team enables your internal domain in your account settings
All new share links will automatically use your internal domain
We'll confirm when activation is complete (usually within 1-2 business days)
Verify final configuration
After support enables your domain:
Test the complete experience:
Create a new course or open an existing one
Copy the share link
Confirm the URL uses your internal domain
Share with test users in your network
Verify tracking and analytics work correctly
Important considerations
Access limitations
Internal-only availability:
Content is only accessible within your network environment
Users outside your VPN/intranet cannot access courses
Remote employees must connect to VPN before accessing training
Plan for remote scenarios:
Ensure VPN is required and documented for learners
Consider backup access methods for urgent training needs
Test thoroughly with remote users before broad rollout
Maintenance requirements
Ongoing responsibilities:
Your IT team maintains the reverse proxy infrastructure
SSL certificate renewals (if applicable)
Monitoring reverse proxy performance and availability
Troubleshooting network connectivity issues
Security considerations
SSL/TLS requirements:
Enable HTTPS if your security policies require encrypted connections
Use valid certificates trusted by your internal certificate authority
Ensure certificate renewal processes are documented
Access controls:
Reverse proxy inherits your network security policies
Consider additional authentication at the proxy level if needed
Monitor access logs for security purposes
Troubleshooting
Courses don't load through internal domain
Check reverse proxy logs:
Verify requests are reaching your proxy
Confirm successful forwarding to 7taps servers
Look for SSL/certificate errors
Verify DNS resolution:
Test internal DNS from multiple network locations
Confirm DNS record points to correct proxy IP
Some course features don't work
Check HTTP methods:
Ensure your proxy allows GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, OPTIONS
Some firewalls block these methods by default
Review header forwarding:
Verify necessary headers are passed to 7taps
Check for conflicts with existing header modifications
Share links still show app.7taps.com
This means the internal domain hasn't been activated yet. Contact support to confirm activation status.
Need help?
Contact 7taps support if you:
Need assistance with reverse proxy configuration examples
Encounter errors during internal testing
Have questions about specific infrastructure requirements
Need to modify your internal domain setup
Provide details about your infrastructure (reverse proxy type, network configuration) to help us assist you more effectively.