Custom domains
Short links run on your own domain. You add the hostname, create one DNS record, and we verify it and issue the SSL certificate.
Choose a hostname
Use a subdomain that isn't used for anything else: go.yourbrand.com, or link.yourbrand.com. Your links will look like go.yourbrand.com/spring.
yourbrand.com) can't take a CNAME at most DNS providers. Use a subdomain, or use an ALIAS / ANAME record if your provider supports it (Cloudflare calls it CNAME flattening). Also note that visiting the bare domain (go.yourbrand.com/) doesn't redirect anywhere: only paths with a slug are links.Add the domain
The domain is added as pending. Click DNS setup to see the exact record to create.
Create the DNS record
Sign in to the DNS provider where your domain's nameservers point (Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Namecheap, Route 53…) and add one record:
| Option | Type | Name / Host | Value | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (recommended) | CNAME | go | edge.cloakingurl.com. | Proves ownership, routes the traffic and allows SSL. This is all you need. |
| 2 | TXT | _cloaking-verify.go | cloaking-verify-… | Proves ownership only, while the hostname still points elsewhere. You still need the CNAME before links work. |
- Some panels want the host relative to the zone (
go), others the full name (go.yourbrand.com). - Delete any existing
A,AAAAorCNAMErecord on the same host first: a hostname can only have one. - Keep the dot at the end of the CNAME value. Without it some panels save the value as
edge.cloakingurl.com.yourbrand.com, which points nowhere. If your provider rejects the dot, leave it out and check that the saved record ends incloakingurl.com. - TTL: Auto, or 3600.
- Copy the exact values from the DNS setup panel. The TXT token is unique to each domain.
Example: Cloudflare DNS
You want go.yourbrand.com, and yourbrand.com uses Cloudflare nameservers.
- Open DNS → Records for yourbrand.com and click Add record.
- Type CNAME, Name go, Target edge.cloakingurl.com. (with the dot at the end).
- Click the orange cloud so it turns grey (DNS only).An orange, proxied record stops the certificate from being issued.
- Save, then click Verify in CloakingURL.
| Type | Name / Host | Value / Target | Proxy |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNAME | go | edge.cloakingurl.com | DNS only |
Verify and SSL
Click Verify. We look up your DNS live; when the CNAME is found, the domain becomes active and the certificate is requested. With only the TXT record, ownership is verified but the domain shows Waiting for CNAME until the CNAME is added; Check DNS looks again. Refresh SSL re-checks the certificate status.
A domain is usable when its status is Active: it points to CloakingURL and its certificate is issued. We re-check every domain's DNS every 30 minutes. If the CNAME is removed or the domain stops resolving, it goes back to Waiting for CNAME (or DNS not resolving) and you are told in the dashboard and the daily email.
If you see "No matching DNS record found yet", the record hasn't propagated: wait a few minutes and try again.
Domains and teams
Owners and Admins see every domain. Other users see the domains their teams may publish on, set on Teams → Domains this team may publish on. A domain added by a team Leader is automatically available to the teams they lead.
Removing a domain
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
| Verify keeps failing | Check the record at dnschecker.org. Make sure there isn't a second A/AAAA/CNAME record on the same host, and that you edited the zone your nameservers actually use. |
| Active, but SSL stays pending | On Cloudflare, switch the record to DNS only (grey cloud), then click Refresh SSL. |
| "hostname_taken" | The hostname is already connected to another project. Remove it there first. |
| Link shows "Link not found" | The slug doesn't exist on this domain, or the link was trashed. Slugs are per domain. |