How do I setup my own Custom Branded Domain or Subdomain for Smart Links?

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Summary

Using a Custom Branded Domain for Smart Links drives more than just brand impressions and visibility – it can drive up to a 34% increase in CTR! It is the... smart thing to do. A Custom Branded Domain is the domain that takes the place of “shrlc.com” in a Smart Link. For example, instead of https://shrlc.com/Aj3CnXC you can use  https://go.mywebsite.com/Aj3CnXC.

Once you have a domain (or sub-domain) you would like to use as your Custom Branded Domain, there are three steps you need to follow to connect your domain to your Shareaholic site profile:

  1. Add the domain or sub-domain in your Shareaholic dashboard
  2. Connect the domain to Shareaholic
  3. Verify its connection in Shareaholic

At a high level, to connect your domain to Shareaholic, you need to edit one or both of the following DNS settings:

  • For apex domains, your A record should point to Shareaholic's IP address, which are:

    52.87.42.69
    34.230.158.142

    An apex domain is a root domain that does not contain a subdomain part. Apex domains are also known as base, bare, naked, root apex, or zone apex domains. In DNS provider settings apex domains are sometimes symbolized by an @ symbol.

    For example, mywebsite.com is an apex domain because it doesn't have any subdomain parts. Whereas www.mywebsite.com is not an apex domain because it contains the subdomain part www.

    Configuring two A records protects your smart links by adding redundancy. If there is an issue with one of the IP addresses we will automatically switch to the other one to ensure your links continue to work as expected. If for some reason your hosting provider does not allow multiple A Records to be configured, then simply set either of the two IP's as the A record.

  • For subdomains, your CNAME record should point to:

    shrlc.com

Note: It might take from a few minutes to up to 48 hours for your custom domain or sub-domain to point to your Shareaholic site profile after you've updated your domain's DNS settings. The wait varies among DNS providers. If you have problems or need help setting your domain's DNS settings, you should reach out to your domain or DNS provider.

How to setup a DOMAIN for Branded Smart Links

  1. Log in to the account you have with your domain or DNS provider.
  2. Find your DNS settings. Look for your domain management area, DNS configuration, or similar. The option might be called something along the lines of DNS Management, Name Server Management, or Advanced Settings.
  3. Edit your A records to point to Shareaholic's IP address:
    52.87.42.69
    34.230.158.142
    If there is one or no existing A Record, add new ones. If you have additional A Records pointing to other IP addresses, remove all others and leave only the ones pointing to Shareaholic's IP addresses.
  4. Save the A Record (click Save, Save Zone File, Add Record, or similar).
  5. Find the CNAME record in your DNS settings.
  6. Change your www CNAME record to point to shrlc.com. Often, you need to provide just the prefix without the dot, but for some domain providers, you need the whole subdomain. Use the existing entries as a guide, or follow your provider's instructions. CNAME records must always point to a domain name, never to an IP address.
  7. Save the CNAME Record (usually by clicking Save or Add record or similar).
  8. From your Shareaholic Site Profile Settings, click Link Manager, and then click Settings->Domains.
  9. Enter your domain (for example, mywebsite.com).
  10. Click Verify DNS Settings to confirm that your custom domain has been connected to your Shareaholic site profile.

How to setup a SUB-DOMAIN for Branded Smart Links

If you already have a domain, a sub-domain such as go.yourwebsite.com can be a great option for your Custom Branded Domain. link.yourwebsite.com, visit.yourwebsite.com and share.yourwebsite.com are all great sub-domain options.

  1. Log in to the account you have with your domain or DNS provider.
  2. Find your DNS settings. Look for your domain management area, DNS configuration, or similar. The option might be called something along the lines of DNS Management, Name Server Management, or Advanced Settings.
  3. Find the CNAME record in your DNS settings.
  4. Change your subdomain CNAME record to point to shrlc.com. For example, if you want your subdomain go.mywebsite.com to point to Shareaholic, then change your go CNAME record to point to shrlc.com. CNAME records must always point to a domain name, never to an IP address.
  5. Save the CNAME Record (usually by clicking Save or Add record or similar).
  6. From your Shareaholic Site Profile Settings, click Link Manager, and then click Settings->Domains.
  7. Enter your subdomain (for example, go.mywebsite.com).
  8. Click Verify DNS Settings to confirm that your custom domain has been connected to your Shareaholic site profile.

How to enable HTTPS (SSL) for my branded Smart Links?

Once you have verified that your custom branded domain is connected to a Shareaholic site profile, we will automatically setup a SSL certificate for the domain through LetsEncrypt. This can take about an hour after you've verified the connection. You don't need to do a thing! Once setup, all new links created will return HTTPS Smart Links.

What to tell your third-party provider

Your third-party domain provider is familiar with the terms related to domains.

If you're setting up a DOMAIN, when you call your provider for support, you can tell them that:

  • You want your root domain (your A record) to point to Shareaholic's IP address, which are:
    52.87.42.69
    34.230.158.142
  • You want your www subdomain (your CNAME records) to point to shrlc.com.

Or, if you're setting up a SUB-DOMAIN, when you call your provider for support, you can tell them that:

  • You want your subdomain (your CNAME records) to point to shrlc.com.

Where to go for help

If you have problems or need help pointing your custom domain to Shareaholic, then you should contact your third-party provider's support team. Shareaholic Support will be more limited in assisting you because every provider is different.

Third-party domain providers

If you own a domain from one of the following providers, then click the link to get specific instructions for connecting your domain:

Next steps after adding your custom domain to Shareaholic

After you've added your domain in Shareaholic, you need to choose your primary URL Shortener for your Site Profile and Link Manager.

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