Origin server and Host header

Every property has at least one origin — the backend server the Paradarum CDN pulls content from when an edge node has a cache miss. The first origin is created automatically when you create the property; you can change it later from the property's General tab. On Pro and Business plans you can add more origins with priority ordering and automatic failover — see Multiple origins & failover.

What an origin is

An origin is defined by three things:

• A host — a hostname or IP (with an optional scheme and port) that points at your backend.
• A Host Header mode — what the CDN sends in the upstream Host header: Auto (your custom hostname; default on new properties), passthrough, or a fixed override. See Host Header override.
• An SSL verify toggle — whether the origin's TLS certificate is validated.

There is no separate "origin type" to choose. An origin is just a host string plus those two settings. See Allowed origins for the full list of accepted host forms.

Editing the origin host

1. Open your property and go to the General tab.
2. In the Origin Server card, click the pencil icon to enable editing of the Origin Hostname field.
3. Type the new host — for example origin.example.com, 1.2.3.4:8080, or https://backend.example.com.
4. Click the check icon to save. The panel runs a live regex check and shows Invalid hostname format! if the value doesn't match.

tip

If you don't include a port, the API normalizes the host by appending :80. So example.com is stored as example.com:80. To use a TLS origin on 443, specify it explicitly — example.com:443 or https://example.com. See Allowed origins.

Host Header override

The Host Header card controls the Host header the CDN sends to the origin. This matters when your origin serves multiple virtual hosts and expects a specific Host value that differs from the hostname the visitor used. There are three modes:

Mode	Upstream Host value	When to use
Auto (default on new properties)	Your property's custom hostname — regardless of which hostname the visitor used	Shared/virtual hosting; you want *.prdrm.net traffic to reach the same site as your domain.
Passthrough (empty value)	The hostname the visitor requested	Origins that key logic on the public hostname, or that accept any Host.
Custom	The fixed value you enter (for example backend.example.com)	Origins expecting one specific internal vhost name.

Auto mode

In Auto mode the CDN always sends your property's custom hostname to the origin. It solves the classic first-day problem: your origin is a shared hosting that virtual-hosts on www.example.com, and a visitor (or you, testing) opens your-property.prdrm.net — with passthrough the origin would receive Host: your-property.prdrm.net, not recognize it, and answer with the hosting provider's default page. With Auto, the origin receives Host: www.example.com and serves your real site on both hostnames.

• Auto is the default for new properties. Existing properties keep their configured behavior.
• If the property has no custom hostname yet, Auto behaves like passthrough (the requested hostname is forwarded) — once you add your domain, it is used automatically.

Setting a custom value

Click the pencil in the Host Header card, enter a value (for example backend.example.com), and save. Clear the value to get passthrough — the CDN forwards the hostname the visitor requested.

SSL verification

The sslVerify flag controls whether the origin's TLS certificate is validated. It defaults to false (the origin certificate is not verified). It is part of the origin model and is sent with every origin update, but it has no dedicated control on the General tab.

note

Because sslVerify defaults to false, an HTTPS origin works even with a self-signed or mismatched certificate out of the box. If you need strict verification, send "sslVerify": true on the origin update (see the API example below).

Mutable fields

An origin has four editable fields (in the property's General → Origin Server card):

Field	Type	Notes
host	string	Origin host. Normalized server-side (adds :80 if no port/scheme). Private IPs are blocked.
hostHeader	string	Upstream Host override. Trimmed; null becomes an empty string.
sslVerify	boolean	Verify the origin TLS certificate. Defaults to false.
isEnabled	boolean	true enables the origin, false disables it.

The first origin is created together with the property; you edit it in place from the General tab.

Managed (live) properties

When a property backs a live stream, it is managed: the Origin Server and Host Header cards are hidden because origin and host header are system-managed. A "Managed by Live" banner links back to the live configuration. See Live overview.

Related

• Allowed origins — the exact host forms the origin field accepts.
• Multiple origins & failover — add backup origins with automatic failover (Pro+).
• Origin Shield — add a central cache layer in front of your origin.