If you want to build a custom experience for your property backed by the power of VTS Activate, you can create a white-label version of the app instead. There are a few steps and requirements to get set up—this guide will give you the basics. Feel free to reach out if you have more questions.
White-labels
White-labels let you deliver a customized, branded experience to your members—you can tie the identity of your workplace app to the branding that contributes to the entire experience of a property. You’ll control the naming, the logos, and the look and feel. But once you’re set up, your members can get all of the great features of the VTS Activate experience with no extra effort on your part.
The VTS team will help you get set up, but there are a few things you should know if you’re considering a white-label. It does take some time and resources to create the white-label, so be sure to reach out to your partner at VTS to get more details and jumpstart the process.
Requirements
We’ll need to collect some basic information and media assets to customize your app experience. Here’s a list you can start to prepare in advance.
- App name: Whether it’s your property’s name or something more tailored, you’ll need a good name.
- Icon: You’ll also need an icon and logo that captures the branding of your app.
- Colors: Primary colors apply your branding to things like the homepage and icons in the app. Hex codes are fine.
- Description: This is the description text that will pop up when users go to download your app. Good copy can go a long way—it’s your first opportunity to get people excited about your workplace experience solution.
- Terms and conditions/Privacy policy: VTS provides a standard agreement anyone can use, but if you need to use your own, be sure to prepare something ahead of time.
- Domain: It can be a subdomain of your current domain, or you can make a completely new one.
- Support email: For support requests and transactions, you’ll need a viable email domain to use.
- DNS settings: Configure DNS records to connect the domain to VTS’ servers.
| Note: if you are planning to release the app in the Apple play store, you will need to be prepared to create and maintain an Apple Developer Account. |
Delivering your new app
Once everything’s been configured and tested, we’ll help you get your app to your members. The most important thing to know is that you’ll need your own account to deliver the app—an Apple App Store account for iPhone devices and (optionally) a Google Play account for Android devices. You can choose whether to list your Android app in your own store, or (recommended) in the VTS Google play store.
We’ve got detailed instructions to help you out, and someone at VTS will coordinate with you every step of the way.
White-labels and email domains
The Activate platform automatically generates emails for certain tasks and has a few places where your customers can contact support. We'll take a look at each email configuration to see what goes where and how they fit in with your property's branding.
1: Property support email
You can find this email at Property settings > Property details > Info > Support email. This is an optional email you can set up for customers to contact your workplace admins for help.
- If users respond to a notification, it'll send both here and the white-label support email.
- If someone replies to an invite email, it'll send them here.
2: White-label support email
You can find this in Portal management > White labels configuration > Info > Support email. This is the active email you set up when you create your white-label with VTS.
- If users click the contact us in the app (and you don't have a property email set up), the emails will go to this inbox.
- If users respond to notifications or invite emails, they'll send here.
3: The no-reply email
You can find this email at Portal management > White labels configuration > Info > No-reply email. This email is what the platform uses to generate notifications, password reset messages, invitations, and so on.
It doesn’t need to be an active/monitored inbox, but the email domain does need to match the domain of your web URL. For example, if your white label URL for web is app.yourcompanyname.com, then a valid email may be info@yourcompanyname.com, or no-reply@yourcompanyname.com.”
This should have been set up during your white label implementation, but if you need to have this updated, please reach out to support@activate.vts.com.
Using your white-label
Once you're all set up, you'll want to make sure you're always using the white-label URL, whether you're publishing content or inviting new members to the app. If you continue to use the official Activate domain, it might cause issues with content visibility or branding across your white-label app.
Both the Activate and your white-label domains look the same in the admin view, so it's good practice to double-check your URL in your web browser.The VTS Activate platform always has the URL activate.vts.com.
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Your white-label follows the format:
- app.white-label-name.com if we are using your domain
- white-label-name.activate.vts.com if we are setting up your organization as a subdomain under VTS.com
Similarly, make sure your members are downloading the right app—encourage them to search and download the white-labeled name of your app and avoid the official VTS Activate app so they can get the best experience.
| 💡 White-labels are a combination of a unique domain and a unique app. The channel actually exists under both the white-label domain and the official Activate domain, so you need to work from the white-label domain to see the best results. |