Connect a Custom Domain to Digily Link With A and CNAME Records

This reference covers the DNS side of connecting your own domain. It assumes you have already submitted the domain in the dashboard, as explained 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

The 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 to two servers, so use a subdomain such as links.example.com and add a CNAME record for it. Your pages will then be at links.example.com/page and your 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 option is to manage its DNS through Cloudflare, which is free, and add the A record there.

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, follow the dashboard.

Cloudflare

1. Log in, select the domain, and open DNS, then Records.
2. Click Add record.
3. For a subdomain, choose CNAME as the type, enter the subdomain as the name (for example, links), and enter digily.link as the target. For the root, choose A as the type, enter @ as the name, and enter 217.154.56.111 as the IPv4 address.
4. Proxy status can be Proxied or DNS only. If you choose Proxied, set SSL/TLS to Full so Cloudflare communicates with Digily Link over HTTPS.
5. Save the record. 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 provided by Cloudflare. Existing records are imported, so email will keep working.

cPanel

1. Log in to cPanel and open Zone Editor in the Domains section.
2. Click Manage next to the domain.
3. 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.
4. Save the record.

DirectAdmin

1. Log in and open DNS Management.
2. Select the domain and choose Add Record.
3. For an A record, use @ as the name (or leave it blank, depending on the version), A as the type, and 217.154.56.111 as the value. For a CNAME record, use the subdomain as the name, CNAME as the type, and digily.link as the value, with a trailing dot if DirectAdmin asks for one.
4. Save the record.

Plesk

1. Log in and open Websites & Domains.
2. Select the domain and open DNS Settings.
3. Click Add Record. For an A record, choose A as the type, leave the domain name field empty for the root, and enter 217.154.56.111 as the IP address. For a CNAME record, choose CNAME as the type, enter the subdomain, and enter digily.link as the canonical name.
4. 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, while a correct CNAME shows digily.link. Changes spread across the internet gradually, usually within an hour and occasionally taking up to a day, so seeing 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 uses regular hosting and you added the record there, the host's certificate only covers the names it was issued for, so ask 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 after the domain becomes 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 look like they belong to you. go.example.com/offer is recognized and trusted in a way that 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 ad or email signature repeats your brand every time someone sees it.

The guide to branded short links on a .uk domain explains the numbers in more detail.

Frequently asked questions

Should I use an A record or a CNAME?

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 this stop my email from 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 email.

How long does the connection take?

The DNS change is usually visible within an hour. Approval in the dashboard is handled by the team and normally completed the same business day.

Can I connect more than one domain?

Yes. Starter includes five custom domains and Pro includes ten, and each one is available for every link type in the account.

Can I also use the domain for an AI or HTML website?

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 exactly matches the name submitted in the dashboard.
• 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 unchanged.