How to connect a custom domain

With the Business plan your short links can use your own address, like go.yourbrand.com/sale instead of extendlink.com/sale. This guide walks you through it. Most people are done in about 10 minutes, plus a little waiting for DNS.

Before you start

You need a Business plan. You can connect up to 5 domains.
You need a domain you own, and access to the place where its DNS is managed. That's usually where you bought the domain (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Squarespace…), or Cloudflare if you moved your DNS there.
Pick an address that isn't used for anything else. A short subdomain such as go., link., l. or s. on your main domain works best.

Step-by-step setup

Add the domain. Log in, open Domains in the top menu, type the full address (for example go.yourbrand.com) and press Add domain.

Copy the two DNS records the dashboard shows you:

Type	Name / Host	Value / Points to	What it does
CNAME	`go.yourbrand.com`	`domains.extendlink.com`	Sends visitors to ExtendLink
TXT	`_extendlink.go.yourbrand.com`	`extendlink-verify=…` (your own code)	Proves the domain is yours

Instead of the CNAME you can use an A record pointing to 52.40.225.107. Root domains (like yourbrand.com) need the A record, see below. Use the CNAME or the A record, never both.

Create the records at your DNS provider. Find step-by-step instructions for common providers below.
Press Verify on the Domains page. If the records aren't visible yet, we tell you exactly what's missing. Wait a few minutes and try again.
Wait for HTTPS. Once your domain is verified we request a free certificate for it automatically. This usually takes 1 to 5 minutes. The badge changes to HTTPS on.
Use it. When you create or edit a link, open More options and pick your domain under Domain.

Subdomain or root domain?

We recommend a subdomain, like go.yourbrand.com. Your website stays on yourbrand.com and www.yourbrand.com and nothing about it changes. A CNAME record works at every DNS provider.

You can use a root domain (yourbrand.com), but only if it isn't used for a website or anything else, because every visit to it will go to ExtendLink. DNS rules don't allow a CNAME at the root at most providers, so use an A record pointing to 52.40.225.107. Providers with "CNAME flattening" or "ALIAS"/"ANAME" records (Cloudflare, DNSimple, some others) can point the root at domains.extendlink.com instead. Leave your MX (email) records alone; they keep working.

Visitors who open the bare domain with no link after it (https://go.yourbrand.com/) are sent to extendlink.com by default. You can change that to your own website under Settings on the Domains page.

Instructions for your DNS provider

In the steps below, replace go with your own subdomain and use the TXT value shown on your Domains page. Most providers add your domain to the end of the name automatically, so you only type the part before it: go for the CNAME and _extendlink.go for the TXT. If you're asked for a TTL, the default or "Automatic" is fine.

Cloudflare

Log in to the Cloudflare dashboard, choose your domain and open DNS → Records.
Click Add record. Type CNAME, Name go, Target domains.extendlink.com.
Important: click the orange cloud so it turns grey (Proxy status: DNS only). If the record is proxied, Cloudflare hides our server and we can't verify the domain or issue its certificate. Save.
Click Add record again. Type TXT, Name _extendlink.go, Content: your verification value. Save.

For a root domain on Cloudflare you can add a CNAME with Name @ and target domains.extendlink.com (Cloudflare flattens it automatically). It must still be DNS only (grey cloud).

GoDaddy

Sign in, go to My Products, and next to your domain choose DNS (or Manage DNS).
Click Add New Record. Type CNAME, Name go, Value domains.extendlink.com, TTL 1 hour (default). Save.
Add another record. Type TXT, Name _extendlink.go, Value: your verification value. Save.

Root domain: edit the existing A record named @ (it may say "Parked") and set its value to 52.40.225.107. Delete any domain forwarding set up for it under Forwarding.

Namecheap

Sign in, open Domain List, click Manage next to your domain, then the Advanced DNS tab.
Under Host Records click Add New Record. Choose CNAME Record, Host go, Value domains.extendlink.com, TTL Automatic. Click the green tick.
Add another: TXT Record, Host _extendlink.go, Value: your verification value. Click the green tick.

If your domain uses Namecheap's "Basic DNS" it works as above. If it shows "Custom DNS" with other nameservers, add the records wherever those nameservers are managed. Root domain: add an A Record with Host @ and value 52.40.225.107, and remove the default URL Redirect record for @.

Squarespace Domains (including former Google Domains)

Sign in to Squarespace and open Domains, choose your domain, then DNS → DNS Settings.
Under Custom records click Add record. Host go, Type CNAME, Data domains.extendlink.com. Save.
Add another: Host _extendlink.go, Type TXT, Data: your verification value. Save.

Google Domains moved to Squarespace in 2023, so former Google Domains customers use these same steps. If your domain is connected to a Squarespace website, use a subdomain: the root is needed for your site.

Amazon Route 53

Open the Route 53 console, choose Hosted zones and click your domain.
Click Create record. Record name go, Record type CNAME, Value domains.extendlink.com, TTL 300. Create.
Create another record: Record name _extendlink.go, type TXT, Value: your verification value in double quotes, for example "extendlink-verify=abc123…". Create.

Root domain: create an A record with an empty record name and value 52.40.225.107 (don't use an Alias record; those only point at AWS resources).

Other providers

Every DNS provider has the same two record types. Look for "DNS", "DNS records", "Zone editor" or "Advanced DNS", add a CNAME from your subdomain to domains.extendlink.com (or an A record to 52.40.225.107) and a TXT record named _extendlink. plus your subdomain. If you're unsure, send your provider's support these two records; they'll know what to do.

How long it takes

DNS changes: usually visible within 5 to 30 minutes. Some providers (and records that existed before with a long TTL) can take a few hours, and in rare cases up to 48 hours.
Verification: instant when you press Verify, as soon as the records are visible. You can press it as often as you like.
HTTPS certificate: usually 1 to 5 minutes after verification.

HTTPS (SSL)

Every connected domain gets its own free certificate from Let's Encrypt. You don't need to buy or upload anything. We request it automatically after verification and renew it automatically before it expires (certificates last 90 days, we renew about a month early).

Until the certificate is ready, links on your domain work over http://, and https:// will show a browser warning. That's why the dashboard shows an "HTTPS being set up" badge. Wait for HTTPS on before you share links. Once HTTPS is on, http:// addresses redirect to https:// automatically.

For us to get a certificate, your records must point straight at us. Proxies and CDNs in front of the domain (such as Cloudflare's orange cloud) block it.

Using the domain for your links

Pick the domain under More options → Domain when you create a link, or edit an existing link and change it. The link's short address (and its QR code) then uses your domain.
Every one of your links also works on your domain, and on extendlink.com, so old links you've already shared never break.
Addresses on your domain that don't match one of your links show a plain "Link not found" page.
Click stats are the same whichever domain people use.

Troubleshooting

"We couldn't find the TXT record": Check the name. Many providers add your domain automatically, so typing the full _extendlink.go.yourbrand.com creates _extendlink.go.yourbrand.com.yourbrand.com. Type only _extendlink.go. Check the value is pasted exactly, without extra spaces. Then wait a few minutes.
"It isn't pointing to us yet" or "points to another server": There may be an older record for the same name (an A, AAAA or CNAME left from something else). Delete it, keeping only the one record from your Domains page. If you use Cloudflare, make sure the cloud is grey (DNS only).
"It looks like it goes through Cloudflare's proxy": In Cloudflare DNS, click the orange cloud on your record so it turns grey (DNS only), save, and verify again.
Verified, but HTTPS isn't on after 30 minutes: Usually an AAAA (IPv6) record for the same name points somewhere else, or a proxy sits in front. Remove it and press Check DNS again. We retry automatically with increasing gaps. If it still says "HTTPS problem", contact us with your domain name.
Browser shows a security warning: The certificate isn't ready yet. Use http:// or wait a few minutes. If it persists, see the point above.
"Link not found" on my domain: The part after the slash must exactly match one of your link aliases (it's case-sensitive). Links from other ExtendLink accounts don't work on your domain.
Checking DNS yourself: Use a free tool such as dnschecker.org and look up the CNAME (or A) record for your subdomain and the TXT record for _extendlink. + your subdomain.

FAQ

How many domains can I connect?: Up to 5 on the Business plan. Ask us if you need more.
Does it cost extra?: No. Custom domains and their HTTPS certificates are included in Business. You only pay your registrar for the domain itself.
Will this affect my website or email?: Not if you use a subdomain that isn't used for anything else. The records only cover that one name. Your email (MX records) is never touched.
Can I use the same domain on two accounts?: No, each domain can be connected to one account.
Can I remove or change a domain?: Yes. Remove it on the Domains page. Links that used it switch back to extendlink.com and keep working there. Addresses on the removed domain stop working, so update anything you've printed or shared. To change address, add the new domain first, move your links, then remove the old one.
What happens if I downgrade or my subscription ends?: Your custom domains are switched off and stop serving links, but every link keeps working on extendlink.com. Your domain settings are kept, so if you return to Business they switch straight back on.
Can I keep the DNS records after removing the domain?: Delete them at your DNS provider when you remove a domain, so the name doesn't point at us any more.
Does it support IPv6?: Not yet. Don't add an AAAA record for the name.
Can I use the API?: Yes. Send domain_id when you create or update a link; the ID is shown in the Domains page addresses.

Go to your domains See the Business plan