5-Minute Quick Start Guide
Get from zero to monitoring your first domain in 5 minutes. Complete walkthrough for new users.
Step 1: Sign Up (30 seconds)
- Go to elasticdomain.com/auth/register
- Click "Sign in with Google"
- Authorize with your Google account
- You're automatically logged in
⭐ Bonus: New accounts start with 100 free credits!
Step 2: Add Your First Domain (1 minute)
- Click "Add Domain" in top right
- Enter domain name (e.g.,
example.com) - Select domain type:
- Owned: Domains you own/manage
- Competitor: Competitor domains to track
- Client: Client domains (for agencies)
- Watchlist: Domains you're interested in
- Click "Add Domain"
Step 3: Run Initial Scan (2 minutes)
After adding domain, you'll see the detail page. Click "Run Full Scan".
What gets scanned:
- ✅ WHOIS data (registrar, expiry date, nameservers)
- ✅ SSL certificate (expiry, issuer, chain validity)
- ✅ DNS records (A, MX, TXT, NS, CNAME)
- ✅ Security headers (HSTS, CSP, X-Frame-Options)
- ✅ Blacklist checks (50+ reputation databases)
⏱️ Scan time: 30-90 seconds depending on domain configuration.
Understanding Your Results
After scan completes, you'll see:
| Tab | What You'll Find |
|---|---|
| Overview | Health score (0-100), risk score, quick summary |
| WHOIS | Registration dates, registrar, privacy status |
| SSL | Certificate validity, expiry countdown, grade (A+ to F) |
| DNS | All DNS records with change history |
| Security | Headers, blacklist status, reputation score |
Step 4: Set Up Alerts (1 minute)
Never miss important changes. Set up your first alert:
- Click "Alerts" tab
- Click "Create Alert Rule"
- Choose trigger:
- SSL Expiring: Alert 30 days before expiry
- DNS Changed: Alert when DNS records change
- WHOIS Changed: Alert when registration info changes
- Blacklist: Alert if domain appears on blacklist
- Choose notification method: Email (default), SMS, Webhook
- Save alert
💡 Recommended: Start with "SSL Expiring in 30 days" — most critical alert.
Step 5: Explore the Dashboard (1 minute)
Domain List View
- See all your domains at a glance
- Color-coded health indicators: 🟢 Healthy | 🟡 Warning | 🔴 Critical
- Filter by type, folder, tags, health status
- Search by domain name or IP
Health Score Explained
| Score | Status | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 90-100 | 🟢 Excellent | No issues detected |
| 70-89 | 🟡 Good | Minor issues (e.g., missing HSTS) |
| 50-69 | 🟠 Fair | Several issues need attention |
| < 50 | 🔴 Poor | Critical issues (expired SSL, blacklisted) |
What's Next?
Essential Actions for New Users
- Add more domains: Import via CSV for bulk adding
- Organize with folders: Group domains (e.g., "Production", "Clients", "Personal")
- Add tags: Tag domains for easy filtering (e.g., "e-commerce", "SaaS", "blog")
- Schedule reports: Weekly email with domain health summary
- Explore tools: Try DNS Zone Generator, SSL Decoder, Header Analyzer
🎓 Learn More
Common First Questions
How much does it cost?
ElasticDomain uses a credit-based system:
- New accounts get 100 free credits
- Basic scans cost 1-2 credits
- Full scans cost 5 credits
- Plans start at $9/month (500 credits)
Can I monitor client domains?
Yes! Agency plans include:
- Unlimited client domains
- White-label reports (your branding)
- Team member access
- Client portals
Is there an API?
Yes! Full REST API with endpoints for:
- Adding/updating domains
- Triggering scans
- Fetching results
- Managing alerts
How often are domains scanned?
Default: Every 24 hours (automatic background scans)
You can adjust per domain:
- Critical domains: Every 6 hours
- Standard: Every 24 hours
- Low priority: Weekly
Pro Tips
- ✅ Use folders to group domains by client or project
- ✅ Tag domains with tech stack (e.g., "WordPress", "Cloudflare")
- ✅ Set up Slack integration for team alerts
- ✅ Export data regularly (CSV available on all reports)
- ✅ Enable 2FA on your account (Settings → Security)
- 💡 Add domains without
https://(justexample.com) - 💡 Use wildcard alerts to monitor all domains in a folder
Troubleshooting First Steps
Scan Failed
Common causes:
- Domain doesn't resolve (check DNS)
- Firewall blocking our scan IPs (whitelist: see Settings)
- Domain has no SSL certificate (WHOIS/DNS still work)
No Data Showing
Wait 2-3 minutes: Initial scans take time. Refresh page.
Still blank? Check Activity Feed for error messages.
Credits Running Low
Go to Settings → Billing → Purchase Credits or upgrade plan.