This is the reference for the DNS side of connecting your own domain. It assumes you have already submitted the domain in the dashboard, which is covered step by step in how to add your own domain to Digily Link. Custom domains are included on the Starter and Pro plans.
The two scenarios
Which record you add depends on whether the domain already has a website.
- The domain already has a website (example.com opens your site). You cannot point the root at two servers, so use a subdomain such as links.example.com and add a CNAME record for it. Your pages then live at links.example.com/page and short links at links.example.com/offer.
- The domain has no website (nothing is hosted at example.com). You can use the root itself and add an A record. If the domain has no hosting at all, the simplest route is to manage its DNS at Cloudflare, which is free, and add the A record there.
| Scenario | Record type | Name (host) | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| links.example.com, site exists at example.com | CNAME | links | digily.link |
| example.com, no website | A | @ | 217.154.56.111 |
| www.example.com alongside the root | CNAME | www | digily.link |
The Connect domain screen in your dashboard shows the current IP address and hostname to use. At the time of writing the IP address is 217.154.56.111 and the CNAME target is digily.link. If the dashboard ever shows different values, the dashboard is right.
Cloudflare
- Log in, select the domain, and open DNS, then Records.
- Click Add record.
- For a subdomain choose the type CNAME, enter the subdomain as the name (for example links) and digily.link as the target. For the root choose the type A, enter @ as the name and 217.154.56.111 as the IPv4 address.
- Proxy status can be proxied or DNS only. If you choose proxied, set SSL/TLS to Full so Cloudflare talks to Digily Link over HTTPS.
- Save. Cloudflare changes usually take effect within a few minutes.
If the domain is not on Cloudflare yet, add it as a site on the free plan and change the nameservers at your registrar to the two Cloudflare gives you. Existing records are imported, so email keeps working.
cPanel
- Log in to cPanel and open Zone Editor in the Domains section.
- Click Manage next to the domain.
- Click Add Record. For an A record set the name to the domain (cPanel fills in example.com.) and the address to 217.154.56.111. For a CNAME record set the name to the subdomain (links.example.com.) and the CNAME to digily.link.
- Save the record.
DirectAdmin
- Log in and open DNS Management.
- Select the domain and choose Add Record.
- For an A record use the name @ (or leave it blank, depending on the version), type A and value 217.154.56.111. For a CNAME record use the subdomain as the name, type CNAME and value digily.link with a trailing dot if DirectAdmin asks for one.
- Save.
Plesk
- Log in and open Websites & Domains.
- Select the domain and open DNS Settings.
- Click Add Record. For an A record choose the type A, leave the domain name field empty for the root, and enter 217.154.56.111 as the IP address. For a CNAME record choose the type CNAME, enter the subdomain, and digily.link as the canonical name.
- Click OK, then Update if Plesk asks you to apply the changes.
Checking the record
Open the DNS lookup, enter the exact name you connected and choose the record type. A correct A record shows 217.154.56.111; a correct CNAME shows digily.link. Changes spread across the internet gradually, usually within an hour and occasionally up to a day, so an old answer on your own connection does not mean the record is wrong. Once the domain shows as Active in the dashboard, the HTTP headers lookup should return a 200 or a redirect from your custom index URL.
HTTPS
If the record is proxied through Cloudflare, Cloudflare issues the certificate and the padlock appears as soon as the record is live. If the domain is on ordinary hosting and you added the record there, the host's certificate only covers the names it was issued for, so ask them whether the subdomain is included. Digily Link can also activate a certificate on its side after the domain has been approved. If the padlock is missing once the domain is Active, send the domain name through the contact page. The SSL lookup shows which certificate a name is currently serving and when it expires.
Why connect a domain at all
- Links read as yours. go.example.com/offer is recognised and trusted in a way a generic shortener is not, which is why branded links are clicked more often.
- Everything stays portable. Pages, short links, QR codes and static sites all live on the same domain, and the address never changes when you edit them.
- The address does the marketing. A short link on your own domain in an advert or an email signature repeats your brand every time it is seen.
The guide to branded short links on a .uk domain goes into the numbers.
Frequently asked questions
A record or CNAME, which is better?
Both work. Use a CNAME for a subdomain and an A record for the root, because most DNS providers do not allow a CNAME at the root of a domain.
Will my email stop working?
No, as long as you only add the record for the name you are connecting and leave the MX records alone. Adding an A record for the root does not affect mail.
How long does it take?
The DNS change is usually visible within an hour. Approval in the dashboard is done by the team and normally completes the same working day.
Can I connect more than one domain?
Yes. Starter includes five custom domains and Pro ten, and each is available for every link type in the account.
Can I use the domain for an AI or HTML website too?
Yes. Static sites created in the dashboard can be served from a custom domain in the same way as pages and short links.
Final checks
- The name in the record matches the name submitted in the dashboard exactly.
- The value is the IP address or hostname shown on the Connect domain screen.
- The DNS lookup returns the expected value.
- The domain shows as Active and the padlock appears in a browser.
- MX and other existing records were left untouched.
