Branded domains
Connect your own domain by verifying ownership with a file or TXT DNS record. Configure CNAME, check the connection and HTTPS, then choose this domain for short links.
• Open «Domains», enter the hostname and add it. Do not enter the path to the page instead of the domain.
• Copy the contents of the test file shown by the service. It looks like clk-ms-verify=YOUR_TOKEN.
• Place it on your domain at the path /.well-known/clk-ms-domain-verification.txt, accessible without logging in or blocking requests.
• Click domain verification and wait for confirmation. If there is an error, check the exact hostname, file contents, external accessibility, and HTTPS settings.
• Prepare the direction of domain traffic to the service and the correct TLS certificate together with the serving party. Proof of ownership itself does not create a DNS record or issue a certificate.
• Select a verified and included domain when creating a link or in its routing settings.
• Check the finished short address from another device and network.
Switching a domain affects the published address. Before disabling or deleting a domain, check the links and printed materials that refer to it. If the domain is already occupied in the service, adding it again does not transfer rights to it.
Domain verification example
Let's say you added go.example.com. In your browser, open https://go.example.com/.well-known/clk-ms-domain-verification.txt and compare the text shown with the value from the domain card. What you need is verification text for this domain, not an HTML page with an error message, a login form, or a file that is only accessible on your local network. A token from another added domain is not suitable.
If a regular browser opens a file and the service check fails, check accessibility from the external network, server restrictions, and site security rules. The card displays the result of the last attempt; After correction, repeat the check. Do not replace the contents of the file with the example YOUR_TOKEN from this tutorial - copy your actual value.
Verifying ownership verifies your ability to manage the domain name. The final check of the short link checks another chain: DNS, HTTPS, hit of the request to the service, identifier and target URL. Save both results before bulk domain replacement in placements.
Connecting a domain via TXT and CNAME
Instead of a verification file, ownership can be confirmed via DNS. Add, for example, go.example.com and reveal «TXT record and connection verification». Copy the full TXT record name _clk.go.example.com and the exact value clk-ms-verify=YOUR_TOKEN, replacing YOUR_TOKEN with your token. In the DNS panel, the record inside the zone example.com is usually called _clk.go; some providers expect the full name. Do not add the zone name twice.
Save the TXT record, wait for it to propagate, and click «Verify via DNS». TXT confirms ownership; to direct traffic, create a CNAME for go.example.com with the value specified in section «CNAME target». This is the hostname without https:// and the path. Then click «Check DNS connection». Repeated checks are limited; wait between attempts.
For an address like aa.com/short_link, a root domain aa.com is required. A regular CNAME at the zone root is not supported by all providers; ALIAS, ANAME, or CNAME flattening is required. If this is not possible, use go.aa.com/short_link. When IP addresses match, diagnostics report this separately from the confirmed CNAME chain. DNS provider proxying may hide the CNAME and change addresses; in this case, check its connection settings to the service.
DNS and domain ownership do not yet confirm HTTPS readiness. A certificate must be set up for your domain. If there is a certificate error, contact support; do not publish the link until it is fixed. When HTTPS works, select the domain when creating the link and open the result from another network. Old links on the main domain keep their addresses. Disabling your own domain stops clicks on its links; after enabling a verified domain, check them again.