Custom Domains for Short Links: Worth the Setup?

The default link

You sign up for a link shortener. You create your first link. It looks like this:

bit.ly/3xK9mPq

It works. People click it. But nobody knows it's your link. It could be from anyone. And some people don't click it at all because they've learned that random short links can point anywhere, including malware.

Now compare:

go.yourcompany.com/spring-sale

Same redirect. Same destination. But now the link carries your brand. The visitor sees your domain and knows where they're going before they tap.

The numbers

Rebrandly ran a study across 1 billion clicks comparing branded short links to generic ones. Branded links got 39% higher click-through rates. That's not a marginal improvement. On a campaign getting 10,000 clicks, that's 3,900 extra clicks from changing the domain.

The study controlled for everything else: same destinations, same audiences, same platforms. The only variable was whether the link domain was branded or generic.

What "custom domain" means

You own a domain (or register one). You configure it to point to your link shortener. Every short link you create uses that domain instead of the shortener's default.

Common patterns:

• go.company.com (subdomain of your main site)
• link.company.com
• company.link (vanity TLD)
• A separate short domain like cmpy.co

The subdomain approach (go.company.com) is cheapest since you already own the domain. You just add a DNS record. No extra registration cost.

The real cost

Domain (if buying new): $10-15/year for a .com or .io. Free if using a subdomain of a domain you own.

DNS setup: One CNAME record. Five minutes if you've done it before. Your link shortener handles SSL automatically.

Maintenance: Essentially zero. The domain points to the shortener's infrastructure. You don't host anything.

The total cost is somewhere between $0 and $15/year plus 10 minutes of setup time. For 39% more clicks.

When it's worth it

Always if you're sharing links publicly. Social media, email campaigns, partner promotions, print materials. Any link a human sees should carry your brand.

Always if you're sharing links with clients. An agency sending a client bit.ly/a8x9k looks amateurish. go.agencyname.com/client-report looks professional.

Always if you're printing QR codes. The URL printed next to the QR code (as a fallback for people who don't scan) is visible. It should be your domain.

When it's not worth it

Internal links and API calls. If the link is only seen by machines or internal tools, the domain doesn't matter. Use the default.

Throwaway test links. If you're testing a redirect flow in development, don't bother with the branded domain. Use the default, test it, then switch to branded for production.

Multiple domains

Some teams use different domains for different purposes:

• go.company.com for marketing campaigns
• link.company.co.uk for the UK team
• r.company.de for the German market

Attri supports multiple custom domains per workspace. Each link can use any domain. This is useful for international teams or agencies managing multiple client brands.

The setup

Most link shorteners support custom domains on paid plans. The process is roughly the same everywhere:

1. Add your domain in settings
2. Point it to the shortener (CNAME or nameserver update)
3. Wait for SSL provisioning (usually automatic, under 10 minutes)
4. Start creating links on that domain

With Attri, you connect the domain in Settings and we handle SSL and verification. Most teams are live in under ten minutes.

The 39% CTR improvement starts from the first link you create on it.