Blog/Guide

Custom Domain Link Tracking

Brand your tracking links with your own custom domain. Set up in 5 minutes with automatic SSL, and get higher click-through rates on every link you share.

Published March 19, 2026 — Updated March 21, 2026

Why use a custom domain for link tracking?

When you share tracked links, the domain is the first thing people see. A custom domain like go.yourbrand.com/sale instantly communicates trust and professionalism, while bit.ly/3xK9mP looks generic and potentially suspicious. Pairing a branded domain with a free link tracker gives you the best of both worlds — branded URLs without paying enterprise prices.

Higher click-through rates

Branded links (go.yourbrand.com/sale) get 25-40% more clicks than generic short URLs (bit.ly/abc123). People trust links from recognizable domains.

Brand reinforcement

Every link you share becomes a brand touchpoint. Your domain name appears in emails, social posts, SMS, and everywhere you share links.

Professional appearance

Custom domains signal professionalism. Whether you are a startup or enterprise, branded links look more trustworthy than generic shorteners.

Full analytics included

Custom domain links get the same full analytics as default links — click counts, geographic data, device info, UTM tracking, and conversion tracking.

Automatic SSL

Track Link provisions SSL certificates automatically for your custom domain. Your branded links are always served over HTTPS.

Free on the free plan

Unlike most competitors that reserve custom domains for paid plans, Track Link includes 1 custom domain on the free tier.

How to set up custom domain tracking

Once your custom domain is connected, every link you create with the tracking link generator automatically uses your branded URL — and works as a full URL tracker with click analytics, geo data, and UTM capture.

1

Choose your subdomain

Pick a subdomain for your tracking links. Common choices: go.yourbrand.com, link.yourbrand.com, trk.yourbrand.com, or l.yourbrand.com. Use something short and professional.

2

Add CNAME record in your DNS

Log into your DNS provider (Cloudflare, Namecheap, GoDaddy, etc.) and create a CNAME record pointing your chosen subdomain to cname.gettrack.link.

3

Add the domain in Track Link

Go to Settings > Domains in your Track Link dashboard and add your custom domain. Track Link will verify the CNAME record and provision an SSL certificate automatically.

4

Wait for SSL activation

SSL provisioning typically takes 1-5 minutes. Track Link uses Cloudflare for SaaS to handle SSL certificates. Once active, your custom domain is ready to use.

5

Start using branded links

Create new links and they will be available on both your custom domain (go.yourbrand.com/r/slug) and the default domain (gettrack.link/r/slug). Copy either URL from the dashboard.

DNS provider guides

The CNAME setup works with any DNS provider. Here are tips for the most common ones:

Cloudflare

Create a CNAME record pointing to cname.gettrack.link. Both proxied and DNS-only modes work. SSL provisioning usually takes 5-10 minutes.

Namecheap

Go to Domain List > Advanced DNS > Add New Record. Type: CNAME. Host: your subdomain (e.g., "go"). Value: cname.gettrack.link. TTL: Automatic.

GoDaddy

Go to DNS Management > Add Record. Type: CNAME. Name: your subdomain. Value: cname.gettrack.link. TTL: 1 Hour.

Google Domains / Squarespace

Go to DNS > Custom Records > Manage. Type: CNAME. Host: your subdomain. Data: cname.gettrack.link.

Troubleshooting

SSL stuck on "pending_validation"

Ensure your CNAME points to cname.gettrack.link. SSL provisioning usually takes 5-10 minutes. If still pending after 10 minutes, try removing and re-adding the domain.

CNAME not resolving

DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours, though usually completes within minutes. Verify the record exists with: dig go.yourbrand.com CNAME

SSL certificate error in browser

Wait for the SSL status to show "Active" in your Track Link dashboard before using the custom domain. SSL provisioning typically takes 1-5 minutes.

Related resources

Get your custom domain free

1 custom domain included on the free plan. Automatic SSL, branded links, full analytics.

Set up custom domain