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Short answer: add your domain in Settings → Organization → Domains, copy the CNAME and TXT records that ShortPen shows into your DNS provider (where you manage your domain’s DNS settings, usually your hosting or registrar, like GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, etc.), wait for propagation, then verify. Once active, you can create links on your branded domain.
Custom domains are available on all plans (see plans and limits).

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Prerequisites

  • Owner or Admin access to the organization. Admins can manage domains.
  • Access to your DNS provider. This is the place where you manage your domain. Examples: if you bought your domain on GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, or your hosting (like Hostinger or SiteGround), that’s your DNS provider.
  • A domain or subdomain to dedicate to ShortPen links. You can use either.
Important notesDo not connect your primary website domain (e.g., yourbrand.com). Instead, connect a dedicated subdomain or completely different domain used only for links (e.g., go.yourbrand.com or yrbrnd.com).

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How to connect custom domains to ShortPen: Steps

1

Open Domains

Go to Settings → Organization → Domains and click Connect domain.
2

Enter the domain

Type your domain or subdomain (e.g., go.yourbrand.com).If you want, set a Root Domain Redirect. This is where people go if they type your domain without anything after it.
3

Add the DNS records

ShortPen will now show you two pieces of information to add to your DNS provider: a CNAME record and a TXT record.
  • A CNAME record tells the internet that your subdomain (like go.yourbrand.com) should point to ShortPen.
  • A TXT record is used to verify that you really own the domain.
To add them:
  1. Log in to your DNS provider (for example, GoDaddy, Cloudflare, or your hosting control panel).
  2. Find a section called DNS, Zone Editor, or Manage DNS.
  3. Click Add Record, select CNAME or TXT, and copy the values exactly as shown in ShortPen.
Important: If your DNS already has another record (A, AAAA, or CNAME) with the same name, remove it first before saving the new one, otherwise, the connection may fail.
4

Wait for propagation

Once saved, your changes need a little time to spread across the internet.This process is called DNS propagation. It’s often quick (a few minutes), but it can take up to 24 hours depending on your DNS provider.In ShortPen, click Check status in the dialog after a few minutes, or come back later and try again.
5

Verify the domain

When ShortPen successfully detects the records, the domain’s status changes from Pending to Active.If it still shows Invalid, double-check your records and re-scan.
Learn more: How to verify your domain in ShortPen
6

Use your domain in links

Now your domain is ready!When you create a new link, open the Shortened URL → Domain dropdown and pick your custom domain.This makes your links look branded and professional (e.g., go.yourbrand.com/sale)

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Notes & tips

  • Cloudflare users: disable Proxy (orange cloud) for the record and set SSL/TLS encryption mode to Full to avoid validation issues.
  • Prefer a subdomain if your main website already serves content.

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FAQ

Yes. Enter the subdomain (like go.yourbrand.com) during setup and create the records shown.
It can take up to 24 hours for DNS to propagate, after which ShortPen will verify automatically.