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Can I use my own custom domain for my links? How can I register and setup a custom branded domain for my JotUrl links?

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The JotURL Support Team
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Can I use my own custom domain for my links? Sure you can!


We always recommend all of our users to use a custom domain to create their branded links.

Using branded links will in fact provide you with many advantages:

  • branding improvement
  • higher link Trust
  • higher CTR (+34% Click Through Rate on average, and up to +400%)
  • avoid to be banned on Facebook and Google
  • avoid to be blacklisted within emails
  • best mobile deep linking experience
  • and more...

 

Do you already have a domain name that hosts a website and want to use this domain for your tracking links?

The short answer is: you can't. Regardless of JotUrl, you cannot use a domain name that already hosts other content (a website, a blog, etc...). Custom domains must be uniquely assigned to JotUrl. The main reason for this is that you need to change the DNS records of your domain and have them point to JotUrl.

 

Thus, you have two choices:

1) Register a new domain name

We recommend that you register a new domain name with your company name / brand name and a different extension (TLD). For example, if your company is called MyComp and your current domain is mycomp.com, you can register mycomp.to (or mycomp.link, mycomp.io, mycomp.rocks, etc.)

There is no best practice in choosing the domain extension, it mainly depends on your needs for your branded links and on the availability of the domain name and TLD you're looking for; however, you may prefer something related to your business, in this way you will ensure the visibility of your brand.


2) Create a subdomain/third-level domain from your main domain

If you prefer to use the domain you already own, you can still define a subdomain / third-level domain (e.g., on.mycomp.com), in this case mycomp.com hosts your website / blog and on.mycomp.com is used for your tracking links. Suggested subdomains / third-level domains are:

on.*
go.*
to.*
at.*
app.*
link.*
visit.*
share.*
discover.*

where * is your main domain (e.g. your website).  

(Wondering what is the difference between domain, subdomain and third level domain? Read this article first → https://joturl.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360026241411)

 

IMPORTANT: Facebook Business Manager Settings

Whatever your choice on the type of custom domain to use, if you intend to use your domain with Meta apps we recommend registering and verifying your domain in the Facebook Business Manager by going to Settings → Brand Safety → Domains (https://business.facebook. com/latest/settings/domains).

 

What to do to configure your domain / subdomain to use it with JotUrl?

The first step in using a custom domain is to configure its DNS records. Just log into your registrar's dashboard and update the DNS zone of the domain you want to use in JotUrl.

Each registrar has its own DNS management interface. These interfaces are similar to each other, but they can present substantial differences about how they work. If in doubt, the best option for you is to contact your registrar's customer support or search for specific documentation (each registrar usually has a page dedicated to DNS settings)

 

If you want to configure a subdomain / third-level domain (e.g., on.mycomp.com), you can:

  • create a CNAME record and point it to cd.joturl.com.

OR

 

If you want to configure a domain (e.g., mycomp.com) , follow these few steps:

  • add/update the record A of your domain mycomp.com and let it point to the following IP: 65.52.146.52
  • add/update the record A of the domain www.mycomp.com and let it point to the following IP: 65.52.146.52
  • if present, remove all records AAAA (IPv6) for mycomp.com, www.mycomp.com

You can find a copy of these instructions, within your dashboard, by clicking on your account's name (top right corner of your dashboard), then going to "Settings" → "Domains".

Once done, you have to wait for the complete propagation of the DNS, it usually takes few hours, but in some cases it can take up to 48 hours (it does not depend on our platform, it is an Internet protocol → read more about the argument at https://joturl.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360025892772). Note that if JotUrl allows you to add a custom domain, this does not mean that DNS records have fully propagated, since our engine does not test all DNS servers worldwide, but only a small part of them.

You can use the following online service to test the status of your domain's DNS records: https://dnschecker.org/. Type in your domain name and click on search to check whether and where it was already propagated or not.

After the complete propagation, you can add your domain to your JotUrl dashboard. Here is a video tutorial that will show you how to add custom domains in JotUrl: jo.my/joturl-branded-domain 

 

Note: We strongly suggest you install a dedicated SSL Certificate in your JotURL Dashboard to leverage the full potential of custom domains, as this is often required by many services and modern browsers. If you don't have your SSL Certificate you can generate one for free, if you are interested in knowing more read this guide: https://jo.my/ssl-certificates

 

Below you can find some specific examples of configuration, for different providers:

Finally, you can also have a look at further DNS zone configuration examples below, based on different providers (note how symbols and strings may depend upon the specific registrar):

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AFTER the registration of your custom domain you have to configure it within the JotURL dashboard.

At this link, you will find a step-by-step guide.

In case of trouble, feel free to contact our customer service.

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