Custom link domain

By default, tracked links look like promotionbot.net/r/aB3xY9k. With a custom link domain they look like links.yourassociation.nl/r/aB3xY9k instead. Same tracking, same analytics, but the link carries your name, and people are warier of short links they don't recognise.

Setup is one DNS record on a subdomain you own.

Who can use it#

• Pro includes it.
• Team can add it: the Custom Domain add-on is +€10 a month or +€100 a year, sold as the "Team + Domain" plan. See Plans & billing.
• Starter can't. Starter doesn't rewrite links at all, so there is nothing to put on a domain.

Only the owner can add or remove the domain. Admins can see its status in Settings but not change it.

Before you start#

You need:

• a domain you control, and access to its DNS settings (your registrar, or wherever the DNS is hosted);
• a subdomain to dedicate to this, such as links.yourassociation.nl, go.yourassociation.nl or l.yourassociation.nl.

Use a subdomain nobody else is using. Never your main domain, and not www. Once a hostname is connected, it serves redirects and nothing else. Every other page on it returns a 404. If you point a hostname that currently hosts your website at us, that website goes offline. Changing the DNS record back is the only way to undo it.

A CNAME also can't sit on a bare root domain (yourassociation.nl) at most DNS providers, so a subdomain is what works anyway.

Set it up#

1. Enter the domain. In the app, open Settings → Sending, find Link tracking domain, type your subdomain and click Save domain. It must be a plain hostname like links.yourassociation.nl: no https://, no path, no port.
2. Copy the record we show you. The app then displays a CNAME record with three values: type, name and target. Copy the target exactly as shown in the app. It's currently links-origin.promotionbot.net, but the app is the source of truth.
3. Add it at your DNS provider. Create a record of type CNAME, with the name set to your subdomain and the value set to the target. Some providers want only the first part of the name (links), others the full name (links.yourassociation.nl). Follow what your provider's form asks for.
4. If your DNS is on Cloudflare, set the record to DNS only (grey cloud), not proxied (orange cloud). A proxied record can stop the certificate from being issued.
5. Wait for it to go active. The domain shows PENDING at first. The app checks every 15 seconds and switches to ACTIVE by itself once the record has propagated and the HTTPS certificate is issued. That usually takes a few minutes, occasionally longer while DNS propagates. You don't need to click anything.

While the status is pending, your links keep using the default promotionbot.net address, so nothing breaks during setup.

Once it says ACTIVE, every new tracked link your organisation creates uses your domain.

What happens to links you've already sent#

They keep working through setup and through plan changes. A link already in someone's chat history is not broken by the domain going from pending to active, or by leaving Pro or cancelling the add-on (see below). Links sent before the domain was active keep resolving at the shared promotionbot.net address, and new ones use yours.

Removing the domain is different. It disconnects the hostname, so links already sent on that domain stop working. Only remove it if you accept that.

If you change or leave your plan#

• Leaving Pro, or cancelling the add-on: links you've already sent keep working on your domain. New tracked links go back to the shared promotionbot.net address. Get the plan or add-on back and your domain resumes straight away, with no new setup.
• Sending stops entirely if your subscription lapses. See When a subscription lapses.

Removing the domain#

The owner can click Remove domain in the same Settings → Sending section and confirm. New tracked links go back to the shared address straight away, and links already sent on that domain stop working. You can do this even after leaving a plan that included it.

Afterwards, delete the CNAME record at your DNS provider so the subdomain doesn't point at us any more. You can also add a different domain later, but only one domain can be set at a time, so remove the old one first.

Troubleshooting#

It's stuck on "pending." In rough order of likelihood:

• The CNAME is proxied in Cloudflare. Switch it to DNS only (grey cloud).
• The record hasn't propagated yet. Give it 15 minutes or so.
• The name or target is wrong. A typo, or the name doubled up (links.yourassociation.nl.yourassociation.nl happens when a provider appends your domain for you). Check what the world sees with dig links.yourassociation.nl CNAME. You should get our target back.
• The subdomain already has another record. A hostname can't have a CNAME and other records such as an A or TXT record. Remove the old one, or choose a different subdomain.
• A CAA record blocks certificate issuance. If your domain has CAA records, they limit which certificate authorities may issue certificates for it. If the status never moves, ask whoever runs your DNS to check them.

"Invalid domain" when saving. Enter just the hostname, for example links.yourassociation.nl. Raw IP addresses, ports, and anything on promotionbot.net are refused, and it must have at least two parts.

"A custom link domain is already set." Remove the current one first.

The Save button is disabled, or there is no domain box. Only the owner can set the domain. If your plan doesn't include it, the section shows an Add custom domain or upgrade button instead of the box.

My links aren't being shortened at all. Custom domains only change the address of links that are already being tracked. Check your plan includes link tracking, and that links start with http:// or https://.