A branded domain such as digily.bio works well for most pages and links. A custom domain is for when you want an address that is yours alone, so a short link reads go.yourbrand.com/offer and your bio link page sits at links.yourbrand.com. This guide covers how to connect one through the dashboard. For the DNS side, including exact steps for Cloudflare, cPanel, DirectAdmin, and Plesk, see the custom domain documentation.
Before you start
- You need to already own the domain. You can use any registrar.
- Custom domains are available on the Starter plan, with up to 5, and the Pro plan, with up to 10. See the plans page.
- Choose between a subdomain and the root domain. If yourbrand.com already hosts a website, use a subdomain such as links.yourbrand.com or go.yourbrand.com. If the domain does not have a website, you can use the root.
- You need access to the domain's DNS settings, either through the registrar or Cloudflare.
Step by step in the dashboard
- Open Custom domains from the dashboard menu and click Connect domain.
- In the Domain or subdomain field, enter the exact name you will point to Digily Link, such as links.yourbrand.com. Enter it without https:// or a trailing slash.
- Custom index URL is optional. This is where visitors go if they open the bare domain with nothing after it. Most people point it to their main website or bio link page.
- Custom 404 not found URL is also optional. This is where visitors go if they open an address on your domain that does not exist, such as a mistyped slug. Your home page is the usual choice.
- Submit the domain. The dashboard confirms that it has been submitted for approval and processing, and the domain appears in your list as Pending.
- Add the DNS record through your registrar or Cloudflare. The Connect domain screen shows 2 options: an A record pointing to the displayed IP address or a CNAME record pointing to digily.link.
- Wait for the domain to show as Active. DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to 1 day to propagate, and approval is completed by the team.
Using the domain once it is active
When you create a bio link page or short link, your domain now appears in the domain list alongside the branded domains. Choose it to use your own address. You can move existing pages and links to the new domain through their settings, but their old addresses will stop working. Update your profiles and printed materials at the same time, or leave the old page live with a button pointing to the new one.
A single domain can serve everything. links.yourbrand.com/menu can be a short link, links.yourbrand.com/team can be a bio link page, and a QR code created from either will keep working when you edit it.
HTTPS
Visitors expect to see the padlock. If your DNS is managed through Cloudflare and the record is proxied, Cloudflare provides the certificate for the domain. If the domain uses standard hosting, your host's certificate applies to the subdomain you pointed to Digily Link only if it was issued for that name, so check with your host. Digily Link can also activate a certificate on its side after the domain is approved. If the padlock is still missing after the domain becomes Active, send a message through the contact page with the domain name. The SSL Lookup shows which certificate a name is currently serving.
When the domain does not resolve
- Still Pending after 1 day. Check the record with the DNS Lookup. Choose A or CNAME, enter the exact name you connected, and confirm that the value matches the Connect domain screen. A common mistake is adding the record for the root when you connected a subdomain, or the other way around.
- "This custom domain already exists." The name is connected to another account, possibly an old account of yours. Contact support with proof of ownership.
- The root domain already has a website. You cannot point the root to 2 places. Use a subdomain and leave the website as it is.
- Cloudflare proxy. Either setting works for the record itself. If you see certificate errors, try the proxied setting with the SSL/TLS mode set to Full.
- Old address in the browser cache. After a DNS change, test in a private window or over cellular data. A phone that visited the address yesterday may remember the old result for a while.
The Whois Lookup is useful if you are not sure where the domain's DNS is managed because it shows the nameservers.
Choosing the subdomain
If your root domain already hosts a website, the subdomain is the part visitors will see in every short link, so choose it carefully. go.yourbrand.com sounds natural in "go to" instructions on radio and in print. links.yourbrand.com makes its purpose clear. l.yourbrand.com is the shortest but can be difficult to hear. bio.yourbrand.com works well for a page that is mostly a profile. Whatever you choose, keep it lowercase and avoid hyphens, which are easy to forget when someone types the address from a poster.
Moving links from a branded domain
You can edit links created on digily.bio or another branded domain to use your new domain, but the old address will then stop working. Move the important links in a single sitting, update profiles and printed materials the same day, and leave any link that is already printed on a flyer where it is until the flyers run out. From then on, create new links directly on your domain.
Frequently asked questions
Can I connect a domain on the free plan?
No. Custom domains start with Starter, which costs £2 a month. The free plan includes the 15 branded domains instead.
Do I have to buy my domain from Digily Link?
No. Digily Link does not sell domains. You can buy one anywhere and point it here.
Can I use 1 domain for both pages and short links?
Yes. The domain is available for every link type in the account, including QR codes and static sites.
What happens if I downgrade my plan?
Links on the custom domain stop resolving when your plan no longer includes it. Keep a copy of important pages on a branded domain, or upgrade again before the plan ends.
Can I add www and the root domain?
Yes. Connect both names and add a record for each, with an A record for the root and a CNAME for www. The custom index URL can send bare-domain visitors wherever you choose.
Final checks
- The name entered in the dashboard matches the DNS record exactly.
- The record value matches the Connect domain screen.
- The custom index and 404 URLs point to appropriate destinations.
- The domain shows as Active and the padlock appears in a browser.
- Profiles and printed materials have been updated if an address changed.
