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Short answer: Set a destination URL in your domain’s settings so anyone who opens a link that doesn’t exist on your domain (a wrong or expired slug, e.g., go.yourbrand.com/typo) is automatically sent to a page you choose instead of seeing an error page.

What is a “custom 404 redirect”?

A 404 is the standard “page not found” response. On a connected domain, it happens when someone opens a slug that doesn’t match any of your links, for example a mistyped, deleted, or expired short link. A custom 404 redirect lets you decide where those visitors land instead of hitting a generic “link not found” page.
ExampleA visitor opens go.yourbrand.com/old-promo, but that link no longer exists. With a 404 redirect set, they’re sent to https://yourbrand.com (or any page you choose).

Why set it?

Mistyped, deleted, and expired links are unavoidable. A 404 redirect avoids dead-ends: instead of an error page, visitors land on your homepage, a hub page, or a campaign page.
In ShortPen, this is an optional setting per connected domain. Your domain must be connected and Active/verified before you can edit its settings.If you don’t set one, visitors who open a non-existing link see ShortPen’s default “link not found” page.

How to set the custom 404 redirect: Steps

1

Open Domains

In ShortPen, go to Settings → Organization → Domains. (This is where connected domains are listed.)
2

Edit the domain

Click the domain you want to configure and choose Edit.
3

Enter the destination

In 404 redirect (optional), paste the full URL where visitors should land when they open a link that doesn’t exist, e.g. https://yourbrand.com or https://yourbrand.com/links.
4

Confirm

Click Confirm/Save. Your change is live.Opening a non-existing link on this domain now redirects to the page you set.
Tip: paste a complete URL including https:// to avoid errors. Then open a private browser window and test by visiting your domain with a slug that doesn’t exist.

Root domain redirect vs. 404 redirect

These two settings cover different situations:
  • Root domain redirect is used when someone visits your domain without any slug (e.g., go.yourbrand.com).
  • 404 redirect is used when someone opens a domain link with a slug that doesn’t exist (e.g., go.yourbrand.com/typo).