Whitelabel clarification

Hi

Just would like to know if i upgrade to the pro plan, the white labeling feature, does it apply to the exported site plus the form submissions, or just the form submissions??

Thanks

On your sites settings, forms, it’s written ; Users on our professional plan or in organizations utilize our unbranded form notification email sender address: no-reply@webforms.io.

yup im aware that white labeling works on the forms, but what about the actual site itself (ie. all the webflow branding in the exported code??)

The code contains several references to WebFlow… so it’s not “totally white-label”.

Everyone who develops a white-label product… that I’ve spoke to… basically always say
“you can only white-label it so far”… “if someone is determined or experience enough…
they can find out where the code came from”.

I develop a white-label Internet Dating Website / Product… so I know the importance of white-labeling.

My product pushes white-labeling much further. There is obviously some code similarities between the installations - (and that’s how you would know it was white-labeled)… but there is absolutely no way to track it back to me.

I developed the product… knowing that the purchasers wanted “me, out of the picture”.

My customer provides the client support. If their client has an issue they cannot resolve / answer… my customer contacts me. Their client never knows about me.

“I’m the man behind the mirror.”

We also own a white-label Microsoft Exchange Hosted Mail Service. Totally white-labelled. Your client will never figure out you are reselling except 1 way… “and I ain’t gonna tell you the way”.

As for WebFlow code…

Some can be removed… others edited / renamed.

Here’s an example:

change - [html data-wf-site=“nnn” data-wf-page=“nnn”>
remove - [!-- This site was created in Webflow. http://www.webflow.com–>
rename - [link rel=“stylesheet” type=“text/css” href=“css/webflow.css”>
remove - [meta name=“generator” content=“Webflow”>
rename - [script type=“text/javascript” src=“js/webflow.js”>

There are also subtle references in naming… ie: classes… w-button, w-input.

Open any WebFlow site… and line 2 will have

data-wf-page… specifically referring to “wf”… but that line can be removed. However, there are “w-” and “wf” references throughout the code.

If you know the subtle things… “an experienced person” can scan / review the code
and figure out where it came from… no matter how much “you hide it”. Most cannot… even at the developer level.

And then there are references to cloudflare and cloudfront… which is Amazon AWS… I use them for other products… not so concerned about Amazon.

Biggest issue I have… is what you cannot change:

for example… in webflow.css (even if you rename it)… there is reference to WebFlow fonts

(EDIT: this might be changeable… but I haven’t researched it)

$font-face {
font-family: ‘webflow-icons’;

As for forms… if you self host - the email response will obviously come from your server - so no issue there.

2 Likes

thanks @Revolution

that was the reply i was looking for :smile:

Hey interesting post @Revolution thanks.

You can’t hide the fact that a Drupal is a Drupal, a Wordpress a Wordpress, a Joomla a Joomla and a Bootstrap a Bootstrap. At all. That said, there’s little obligation/benefit to totally hide that code from Webflow is from Webflow. What would be the point anyway? To pass that code for yours? Which 1/ wouldn’t be true and 2/ hard to keep straight as the code is somehow complicated.

Removing the wf- is useless because a deeper analysis will always tell that it’s Webflow code, and soon the online tool detecting what is what will catch up on Webflow. Removing the full Webflow mentions could be cool, though.

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Word Press / Drupal / Joomla are not advertised as White-Labeled.
Nor is JQuery / JQuery UI / Bootstrap / Angular / Foundation / etc / etc.

Open Source… yes. White-Labeled. No.

There are 3 levels of White-Labeling. 1) Just Enough, 2) Enough to Make it Difficult, 3) None of Your Business.

WebFlow falls into the first category… which is where “most” companies that provide a White-Label service come in. This is a not criticism of WebFlow. It’s just a fact.

Part of the purpose of White-Labeling… is to act as a middle-man… while providing “some services”… and have the support and backing of the production company behind you.

White-Labeling “doesn’t mean passing the code off as yours”… but at the same time - it does. Because your customers are buying - from YOU… not the production company.

WebFlow is “an easy enough system” where a lot of non-developers can create an attractive website with little to no effort.

And because it’s so easy… why would they need me to make a website for them ?

The only reason I can see… they don’t have the time or have the patience / time to learn to build a website.

When I use WebFlow… I am not “passing their code off as mine”. In fact… I can do everything WebFlow does… in some cases even better than WebFlow… because I understand and know the system at the source code level.

WebFlow is a Tool. The art is still in building the system. I use WebFlow like a Paint Brush. “Behr Paints” doesn’t own my painting - simply because I use their paint or paint brushes.

I create things… using a variety of tools. WebFlow is a fantastic tool. And I choose to use it… to create “my code”.

I’m not trying to be overly critical of WebFlow - when it comes to White-Labeling. But it could do more with respect to that department.

I also wasn’t advocating removing the “wf’s”. If it gets to that point - then WebFlow is probably not the product for that person.

1 Like

Thanks for the thorough explanation! Our goal at Webflow is to be the best tool/service for web designers. Part of that is having a great white-label solution. Be assured that we’ll provide more and better white-labeling features as the product matures. :thumbsup:

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Any updates on the new white-labeling solution??? I am about to launch a web design company and would love to see this… Please let me know :blush: Thank You!!!

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@eze81 its live now!

http://forum.webflow.com/t/whitelabel-for-cms-hosting/22248