How to Set Up Custom Brand Domains for Your URL Shortening Service with Smler.in

If you run a business or manage a website, having custom-branded URLs can significantly enhance your brand presence and build trust with your users. At Smler.in, we make it easy for you to set up your own custom domain for your shortened URLs. In this blog post, I’ll guide you through the simple steps to set up your custom domain with our service.

Why Use a Custom Domain?

Before diving into the setup process, let's briefly discuss why you should use a custom domain for your shortened URLs:

Branding: A custom domain gives your links a professional look, keeping your brand front and center.

Trust: Users are more likely to click on a branded link than a generic one.

Consistency: Custom domains help you maintain consistent branding across all your marketing channels.

Improved Analytics: Use your custom domain to better track the performance of your URLs.

Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up a Custom Domain

The process of setting up a custom domain with Smler.in is very straightforward. All you need to do is update your domain's DNS settings and configure our API to use the domain in your shortened URLs.

Step 1: Update Your CNAME Record

The first step in setting up a custom domain is to configure the CNAME (Canonical Name) record for the domain or subdomain you want to use for your shortened URLs.

Here’s how to do it:

Log in to your domain registrar: This is where you bought your domain (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare).

Navigate to DNS settings: Find the DNS settings or domain management section.

Add or modify a CNAME record: In your DNS settings, create or modify a CNAME record for the domain or subdomain you want to use.Host: If you're using a subdomain (e.g., go.yourdomain.com), enter go or whatever subdomain you prefer. If you're using the root domain (e.g., yourdomain.com), leave this blank or enter @ depending on your registrar’s rules.Points to: Set this to smler.in. TTL (Time to Live): You can leave this at the default value or set it to a lower value if you want changes to propagate faster.

Host: If you're using a subdomain (e.g., go.yourdomain.com), enter go or whatever subdomain you prefer. If you're using the root domain (e.g., yourdomain.com), leave this blank or enter @ depending on your registrar’s rules.

Points to: Set this to smler.in.

TTL (Time to Live): You can leave this at the default value or set it to a lower value if you want changes to propagate faster.

Save the changes: Your DNS changes will take effect shortly, typically within a few minutes to a few hours depending on your DNS provider.

Step 2: Register Your Custom Domain in Smler.in Dashboard

Before you can use your custom domain with Smler.in, you'll need to register it within our platform. Follow these steps to complete the registration:

Log in to your Smler.in account: If you don't have an account yet, sign up at Smler.in.

Navigate to the "Custom Domain" section: Once logged in, find the "Custom Domain" option in the side navigation menu.

Add your domain: In the "Custom Domain" section, enter the domain or subdomain you wish to use (e.g., go.yourdomain.com) or (yourdomain.com). This should match the CNAME record you configured in your DNS settings.

Save the changes: After adding the domain, click "Save" to complete the registration.

Your custom domain is now registered with Smler.in and ready to be used in your API requests.

Step 3: Start Sharing Your Branded Short URLs

That's it! Once your custom domain is set up and registered with our API, you can start generating shortened URLs using your custom domain. Your users will see branded, trustworthy links like https://go.yourdomain.com/awesome instead of the default https://smler.in/awesome.

To see complete API documentation please visit our docs at https://docs.smler.in

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

Here are some tips if things don’t work as expected:

CNAME Record Not Propagating: DNS changes can take time to propagate globally. You can use online tools like whatsmydns.net to check if your CNAME record has been updated worldwide. 

API Errors: Make sure the domain field in your API request exactly matches the CNAME you set up in your DNS settings.

If you face any issue will setting up. Please contact us at [email protected] and our team will be happy to help you in any case.

Conclusion

Setting up a custom domain for your URL shortening service with Smler.in is quick and easy. By following the steps above, you’ll have branded, secure, and professional-looking shortened URLs in no time.

If you have any questions or run into any issues, feel free to reach out to our support team. We’re here to help you get the most out of your custom-branded links.

Happy shortening! 😊