Branded domains and client links

Signed-in users can connect their own domain or subdomain, confirm ownership, and create branded links such as https://go.example.com/sale. Once a domain is verified and enabled, it appears in the create form and in link settings. This lets teams keep campaigns, QR codes, printed materials, and partner links under a recognizable brand while still using the same expiration, password, targeting, analytics, and QR features as regular clk.ms links.

A branded domain lets a team show its own host in the short URL instead of the default service domain. This is useful when links appear in ads, printed materials, partner portals, emails, or customer-facing reports. A domain such as go.example.com communicates ownership, makes links easier to trust, and keeps campaign assets visually consistent. The short code still behaves like any other clk.ms link: expiration, click limits, QR codes, analytics, access controls, UTM tags, and smart routing continue to work.

The usual workflow is to add the domain in the Domains section, verify ownership, and enable it after verification. Verification protects users from attaching domains they do not control. After the domain is verified, it can be selected when creating a link or changed later in link settings. If a domain is disabled, links using it should be reviewed before new sharing begins.

Example: a restaurant connects menu.example.com and creates menu.example.com/lunch. The same link has a QR code printed on tables, analytics for scans, and a destination that can be changed when the menu changes. Customers see the restaurant domain, while the owner still manages the link inside clk.ms.

Best practice: use a short subdomain dedicated to links, such as go, link, promo, menu, or qr. Keep the visible slug readable, avoid ambiguous characters, and verify the domain before planning printed materials so there is time to test every final link.

How to apply this section

Each topic explains a feature, the user decision behind it, and how to use it without making the link harder to manage. Read the checklist before changing a link that is already shared.

Before you publish or update

Start from the visitor experience: who opens the link, from where, on which device, and what should happen next.
Check that the destination is correct, opens quickly, and shows the expected page for the intended audience.
Choose only the controls that match the goal, such as expiration, password, referrer, QR design, UTM, routing, or analytics sharing.
Save a short note for important changes so future review, rollback, or teamwork stays clear.
Open the short link in a private browser session and, when relevant, test mobile, desktop, QR scan, and protected access paths.
Review analytics after sharing to confirm real visitors, source quality, device mix, and campaign performance.

Practical example

Example: create a test link for an internal page, add a clear slug, set a short expiration, enable preview if the destination is sensitive, scan the QR code from a phone, then check whether the visit appears in the link statistics.

Next step

After this topic is clear, combine it with one adjacent feature. For example, pair UTM with campaigns, QR with print layouts, targeting with fallback, or webhooks with conversion tracking.