Key takeaways
- A branded short link uses your own domain, such as go.yourbrand.com/sale.
- A subdomain of your existing domain is the quickest, cheapest option and does not touch your website.
- A separate short domain is worth it when you share links constantly or print them.
- You need one DNS record; changes can take up to 48 hours to reach everyone.
- Owning the domain means you can move providers without breaking printed links.
A branded short link is a short link on your own domain: go.yourbrand.com/sale instead of a random shortener address. It looks like you, it survives a change of provider, and people can see who a link belongs to before they tap it. Setting one up takes about ten minutes and one DNS record.
Why do branded short links matter?
Short links hide their destination. That is convenient for you and a reason for caution for the person receiving one, because scammers use generic shorteners too. A recognisable domain answers the question “who sent this?” at a glance. It also:
- Keeps your options open. If the address inside your printed QR codes is your own domain, you can point it somewhere else later.
- Looks consistent across posts, emails, print and ads.
- Separates brands and clients, one domain each, for agencies.
Subdomain or separate short domain?
| Option | Example | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subdomain of your site | go.yourbrand.com | Free | Most businesses: quick, clearly yours |
| Separate short domain | ybrnd.co | Price of a domain | Heavy sharers, print, podcasts, ads |
| Your main bare domain | yourbrand.com/x | — | Not recommended: conflicts with your website |
For most people a subdomain is the right first step. It costs nothing, it does not affect your website or email, and it is unmistakably yours. Choose a separate short domain when you share links all day or when every character on a poster or in a sentence matters.
How do you choose a good short domain?
- Short and pronounceable. Someone should be able to say it on a podcast once and type it correctly.
- Close to your brand. Abbreviations that people recognise beat clever puns.
- Unambiguous. Avoid letters that are confused when spoken (m/n, b/d) and names that resemble another company’s.
- A trusted ending.
.com,.coand other well-known endings are safest. - Available as a subdomain too. Even with a short domain, keep
go.yourbrand.comas a backup.
How do you connect a domain to GoTinyURL?
- Pick the name: a subdomain like
go, or your new short domain. - Add the DNS record at your registrar or DNS host, using the exact record shown in the Domains screen of the app.
- Add the domain in GoTinyURL, and optionally set where the bare domain and unknown back-halves should go.
- Wait for DNS and activation: DNS often takes minutes (up to 48 hours), and the domain shows as Pending in the app until our team activates it, normally within one business day.
- Create a test link on the new domain and open it on your phone.
Our help guide on connecting a custom domain walks through each step and what to check.
What mistakes break branded links later?
- Letting the domain expire. Every printed code and shared link dies with it. Turn on auto-renew at your registrar.
- Changing DNS without a plan. If you move providers, recreate the same back-halves before you switch the record.
- Using the bare main domain. It clashes with your website’s own pages.
- Mixing brands on one domain for clients who later leave. Give each client their own.
Which GoTinyURL plans include custom domains?
All of them. Free includes 1, Pro 5, Business 25, and the lifetime tiers up to 40. See pricing and the custom domains feature for details.
Written by
Product and support team, TheBigBot LLC
The people who build, host and support GoTinyURL. We write about the things customers ask us most: short links, QR codes, bio pages and reading click data honestly.
Tags: custom domains, branded links, dns, short links
