Branded Domains Your Domain on Every Short Link — Free to Start

Every short link you share is a brand touchpoint. A link that reads yourbrnd.link/campaign reinforces your name before anyone clicks it. A link that reads cutt.ly/aBcDeF reinforces the shortener's brand instead. Cuttly's branded domains feature lets you connect any domain you own — a dedicated short domain, a subdomain of your main site, or a new domain registered specifically for your links — and use it on every short link you create, starting on the free plan.

This page covers everything about branded domains in Cuttly: how to connect a domain, which DNS records you need, how to choose the right domain, how branded links behave across all Cuttly features, and why the difference between a branded and a generic link matters more than most people realise.

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What Is a Branded Domain for Short Links?

A branded domain for short links is a custom domain you own that replaces the generic shortener domain in every short link you create. Without a branded domain, your Cuttly links use the cutt.ly domain — functional, but carrying the shortener's brand rather than yours. With a branded domain connected, every link you create reads yourbrnd.link/slug or go.yourcompany.com/slug.

The underlying infrastructure — routing, analytics, redirect speed, QR Code generation, all Cuttly features — remains exactly the same. The only thing that changes is the domain the recipient sees in the link. But that visible domain is the part of the link that carries brand identity, trust signal and recognition before anyone clicks.

A branded short link is not a vanity feature. It is a practical marketing asset. It affects click-through rates in email and SMS (recipients are more likely to click a link from a recognizable domain). It affects trust in printed materials (a branded link on a business card or poster is clearly attributable to your business). It affects link performance in contexts where the link is shown as text — social captions, video overlays, presentations, spoken references in podcasts — because a meaningful branded slug is far more likely to be typed correctly from memory than a random alphanumeric string.

How to Connect Your Domain to Cuttly — Step by Step

Connecting a branded domain to Cuttly requires access to your domain's DNS settings at your registrar. The process typically takes 15–30 minutes including DNS propagation.

DNS Setup Explained: A Record and TXT Record

DNS (Domain Name System) records tell the internet what to do when someone visits your domain. Cuttly requires two specific records:

DNS A Record

The A record maps your domain name to an IP address. When someone clicks a short link using your branded domain, their browser looks up your domain's A record to find out which server to connect to. The Cuttly A record points your domain to Cuttly's routing infrastructure — ensuring that every click on a yourbrnd.link/slug link goes through Cuttly's redirect system, which handles the analytics and the redirect to the destination URL.

DNS TXT Record

The TXT record is used for domain verification. It contains a token that Cuttly generates uniquely for your domain and your account. When you click Verify in Cuttly, the platform checks that the TXT record with this specific token exists in your domain's DNS — confirming that you control the domain and authorizing Cuttly to use it for your links. Without this verification, Cuttly cannot activate the domain.

Important: Never Use CNAME for Root Domains

Some URL shorteners instruct users to configure a CNAME record. Cuttly requires an A record for root domains (e.g. yourbrnd.link). CNAME records are not supported for root domains by most DNS standards — using a CNAME on a root domain can break your domain's email and other DNS functionality. For subdomains (e.g. go.yourcompany.com), a CNAME would technically work at the DNS level, but Cuttly's setup requires an A record for consistent behavior. Always use the A record + TXT record combination shown in your Cuttly dashboard.

Choosing the Right Domain for Short Links

The domain you use for branded short links is a long-term branding decision. Links printed on business cards, embedded in emails, posted on social media and included in marketing campaigns will carry this domain for months or years. Choose carefully.

Option 1: A Dedicated Short Domain

The most common approach for professional branded links is registering a dedicated short domain specifically for link shortening. This is a separate domain from your main website domain — shorter, punchier and purpose-built for links.

Examples of good dedicated short domain patterns:

• yourbrnd.link — .link is the most popular TLD for branded link domains, widely recognized and available at low cost
• yrbrnd.co — abbreviated brand name on a .co TLD
• yourbrandname.io — popular in tech and SaaS
• ybn.link — initials on .link for maximum brevity
• yourbrand.me — personal branding use cases
• yourbrand.tv, yourbrand.fm — media and podcasting

The ideal short domain is: short enough to type quickly, clearly associated with your brand, available to register, and uses a TLD that is widely trusted. Avoid TLDs associated with spam in your region. Check availability at any major domain registrar before settling on a name.

Option 2: A Subdomain of Your Main Domain

If you already have a strong main domain and want your short links to carry that domain's authority and recognition, using a subdomain is a clean solution. Common subdomain patterns:

• go.yourcompany.com — the most widely used subdomain for link shortening
• links.yourcompany.com — descriptive, clear purpose
• out.yourcompany.com — used by some publishers
• l.yourcompany.com — single-letter subdomain for maximum brevity
• share.yourcompany.com — social sharing focused

Using a subdomain has a practical advantage: it does not require registering a new domain. You add DNS records for the subdomain without affecting the root domain's existing DNS configuration — your main website, email and other services continue working normally. The subdomain DNS records are isolated to that subdomain.

Option 3: Your Main Domain (Root)

Using your main domain as a short link domain — for example yourcompany.com/campaign — is technically possible with Cuttly but requires careful DNS planning. The A record for your root domain would need to point to Cuttly's infrastructure, which would conflict with your main website if it's hosted separately. This approach is only practical if your main website and short link domain are the same, which is rarely the case. For most organizations, a subdomain or a dedicated short domain is strongly preferable.

Root Domains vs Subdomains — Comparison

How Many Branded Domains Can You Connect?

Each connected domain is fully independent — different slugs, separate analytics, distinct branding. A marketing agency on the Team Enterprise plan can manage ninety-nine client brand domains from a single Cuttly account, with each client's links using their own domain and each link's analytics accessible in the shared dashboard.

Branded Domains and QR Codes

Every Cuttly short link — including every link on a branded domain — automatically generates a corresponding QR Code. The QR Code encodes the branded short link URL, not the destination URL. This means:

• The QR Code is dynamic. If you update the destination URL of the short link, the QR Code automatically redirects to the new destination without needing to be regenerated or reprinted. Print a QR Code today; update the destination next month; the printed code still works.
• Every scan is tracked. QR Code scans are recorded as link clicks in Cuttly's analytics — with device, location, time and referrer data. You see total clicks and QR scans in the same analytics view.
• The branded domain appears in the QR Code. If a QR Code scanning app shows the URL before redirecting (some security-focused apps do this), the user sees your branded domain rather than a generic shortener. This increases scan confidence.
• High-resolution download. QR Codes are available for download at print-ready resolution — suitable for large-format materials like posters, banners, packaging and outdoor advertising.

For businesses that use QR Codes on physical materials — packaging, business cards, in-store displays, event materials, direct mail — the combination of a branded domain and a dynamic QR Code means that printed materials never go out of date. The design stays permanent; the destination is always under your control.

Branded Domains in Link in Bio

Cuttly's Link in Bio feature lets you create a micro landing page at your branded short domain — the domain itself becomes the bio link. Instead of pointing your Instagram bio to cutt.ly/yourname or a third-party Link in Bio tool, your bio link is simply yourbrnd.link. The landing page at that URL contains multiple tracked buttons for all your important destinations.

This is one of the most impactful applications of a branded domain in social media marketing. Your Instagram bio, TikTok bio, LinkedIn profile and every other social platform that allows one link in the bio all point to the same branded URL — your domain, your brand, fully tracked. When you want to update what's on the page — promote a new product, feature a new article, add a booking button — you update the Link in Bio page in Cuttly. The bio link never changes.

Branded Domains in Team Workspaces

In Cuttly's Team plans, all team members create links under the same shared branded domain. This means that regardless of which team member creates a link — a marketing manager, a content creator, a social media coordinator, an account manager — every link they create uses the organization's branded domain. Consistent brand presentation is enforced by the shared infrastructure rather than by relying on every team member to remember to select the right domain.

Team plans support multiple branded domains, which is particularly useful for agencies managing multiple client brands. Each client's domain is connected to the team workspace; account managers create client links under the correct client domain without needing separate Cuttly accounts for each client.

Branded Domains and the Cuttly API

Every branded domain connected to your Cuttly account is available through the API. When creating a short link programmatically, pass the userDomain=1 parameter to use your primary branded domain, or specify the domain directly in the API request. This means that every link created through automated workflows — Zapier, Make, custom scripts, AI agent integrations — uses your branded domain rather than cutt.ly.

For organizations running high-volume automated link creation — content distribution pipelines, SMS campaign automation, programmatic marketing tools — the API + branded domain combination ensures that every automatically generated link is branded, tracked and indistinguishable from manually created links in terms of professional presentation.

Full API documentation at cutt.ly/cuttly-api.

What Happens to Links If You Disconnect a Domain?

If you disconnect a branded domain from your Cuttly account — or if the domain expires at your registrar — all short links using that domain stop working. Recipients who click those links receive a domain error rather than being redirected to the destination.

This is the most important operational consideration for branded link domains: renew your domain registration and maintain your DNS records. A domain that lapses for non-payment breaks every link, QR Code and bio link that used it — including printed materials that cannot be easily updated.

Best practices for domain continuity:

• Enable auto-renewal at your domain registrar.
• Set a calendar reminder 60 days before expiration as a backup.
• Use a registrar email address that is monitored — registrar expiration notices go to the domain's registered email.
• If transferring a domain to a new registrar, verify that DNS records are correctly migrated before completing the transfer.
• If you need to retire a branded domain, use Cuttly's bulk edit function to migrate all links to a new domain before disconnecting the old one.

Common DNS Errors and How to Fix Them

Domain not verifying after adding DNS records

DNS propagation can take up to a few hours with some registrars, even though 10–30 minutes is typical. Wait at least 60 minutes before troubleshooting. If the domain still does not verify after 2 hours: double-check that the TXT record value exactly matches the token shown in your Cuttly dashboard (no extra spaces, no truncation), and confirm that the A record points to the exact IP address shown in Cuttly.

Links returning "domain not found" after setup

This typically means the A record has not propagated yet, or was entered incorrectly. Verify the A record value using a DNS lookup tool (e.g. dig or nslookup) to confirm it matches Cuttly's IP. If using Cloudflare as your DNS provider, ensure the proxy (orange cloud) is turned off for the branded domain record — Cuttly requires direct DNS, not proxied.

Cloudflare proxy conflict

If your domain uses Cloudflare for DNS, set the A record to DNS only (grey cloud icon) rather than Proxied (orange cloud). When Cloudflare proxies traffic, it intercepts the connection before it reaches Cuttly's routing infrastructure, breaking the redirect. DNS only mode passes the connection directly to Cuttly's servers.

Cannot add A record because CNAME already exists

If your domain already has a CNAME record for the same name, you cannot add an A record — they conflict. Delete the existing CNAME record first, then add the A record. If the CNAME is for a service you need, contact that service's support to confirm whether they support A record configuration as an alternative.

Subdomain not working but root domain works

If you configured records for a root domain but intended to use a subdomain (or vice versa), the mismatch will cause this issue. Ensure that the Name field in your DNS A record matches exactly the subdomain prefix you entered in Cuttly. For go.yourcompany.com, the Name field should be go, not @.

Why Branded Links Outperform Generic Short Links

The performance difference between branded and generic short links is documented across multiple dimensions of digital marketing. Understanding these differences helps justify the modest investment in a branded domain — typically a few dollars per year for a .link or .co domain.

Click-Through Rate in Email

Email recipients make a trust judgment about every link before clicking. A link from a recognized domain — one that matches the sender's brand — consistently generates higher click-through rates than a link from an unfamiliar shortener domain. In email security environments with link preview features, branded domains are significantly less likely to trigger warning indicators than generic shortener domains that have been associated with spam by other users.

For email marketing specifically, branded domains also protect your sending reputation. If your emails contain cutt.ly links and another Cuttly user sends spam with cutt.ly links, your emails may be affected by the shared domain's reputation. A branded domain is used exclusively by you — its reputation is entirely determined by your own sending behavior.

Click-Through Rate in SMS

SMS recipients are acutely aware of phishing and scam messages. A link in an SMS message from a recognized branded domain — one that matches the business that sent the message — generates measurably higher click rates than a generic shortener link. Many mobile users have learned to be suspicious of messages containing links from unknown domains, even from senders they trust. A branded domain removes this friction entirely.

SMS also benefits from the character count efficiency of branded short links. A 20-character branded short link leaves significantly more room for message content than a 60-character destination URL — even before considering that raw destination URLs often contain tracking parameters that push them to 100+ characters.

Performance in Print and Offline Media

In print — business cards, brochures, posters, packaging, direct mail — the link is typed rather than clicked. A branded link like yourbrnd.link/offer is readable, memorable and typeable in under ten seconds. A generic short link like cutt.ly/aBcDeF requires exact character-by-character transcription with no semantic cues. The practical difference in successful transcription rates is significant.

For QR Codes on print materials, the branded domain provides an additional layer of trust for scanning app users who review the URL before confirming the scan. A QR Code that previews yourbrnd.link/product is more likely to be scanned without hesitation than one that previews an unfamiliar short domain.

Brand Consistency Across All Channels

A branded domain creates a consistent brand signal across every channel where links appear. Your Instagram bio, LinkedIn profile, email signature, SMS campaigns, printed materials, QR Codes and any other context where you share links all carry the same branded domain. This consistency accumulates over time — recipients who encounter your branded links across multiple contexts develop recognition and trust for the domain itself, which compounds the click-through rate advantage with each successive encounter.

Plan Guide for Branded Domains

The Free plan ($0) includes one branded custom domain at no cost — the full branded domain feature, including QR Code generation and analytics, on a free account. The only requirement is that you own the domain you want to connect.

The Starter plan ($12/month) includes one branded domain with expanded link volume (300 links/month) and the ability to change link destinations — making it suitable for professional individual use where the link library grows over time.

The Single plan ($25/month) includes five branded domains — suitable for professionals who manage multiple brands or projects and want separate domain branding for each. Unlimited custom slugs and 365 days of analytics history.

The Team plan ($99/month) includes ten branded domains with full team collaboration features. Suitable for agencies and marketing teams managing multiple client brands from one account.

The Team Enterprise plan ($149/month) includes 99 branded domains — designed for large agencies, media groups and enterprise organizations managing link infrastructure across dozens of brands simultaneously.

Create a free Cuttly account and connect your first branded domain today — no credit card required. Registration required; free plan includes one branded domain.