Custom Domains for QR Codes and Short Links | KeptLink

A custom domain puts your own name on your links. Instead of keptlink.app/abc2345, people see go.yourbrand.com/menu. The same address works on a short link and on a dynamic QR code. This page covers what you get, who it suits and what happens if you ever stop paying. For the full DNS steps, use the custom domain setup guide.

Why a branded address matters

An address is the first thing a person checks before they tap. A familiar name tells them who owns the link. A random string does not.

Generic address	Branded address
bit.ly/3x8kPq	go.yourbrand.com/summer-sale

Industry benchmarks report that branded short links get click-through rates 34% to 39% higher than generic links. Click-through rate means how often people click a link. Treat the number as a benchmark, not a promise for your brand.

Text messages are another reason. Carriers apply rules to business texts, called A2P 10DLC, and generic short links can get flagged by them. Email filters can flag them too. A link on your own domain gives the filters and the reader a clearer sign of who sent it. For more on why people hesitate to scan, read are QR codes safe.

Who it is for

Custom domains help most when the link is printed or sent in bulk, and when trust matters. Here are four examples.

A skincare brand. The team prints go.lumiskin.co/routine on 50,000 product cartons. It leads to a video routine and a rewards signup page. The brand name is on the box and in the link. They choose the domain before they order the packaging.

A commercial real estate broker. Each sign rider shows a QR code and tour.metrorealty.com/401-oak. It opens a virtual tour and a leasing brochure. When the space is leased, the broker points the dynamic link to the next empty space. The printed sign stays up.

A healthcare charity. The team mails donation letters to 25,000 donors and sends reminder texts. The printed code and the text link both use give.hopehealth.org/gala2026. Donors see the charity’s name in both places. The page is a mobile donation form.

A craft brewery. Cans carry beer.apexbrewing.com/ipa, and so do the table tents in the taproom. The link opens a check-in page and the lab results for each batch. Cans sit on store shelves for months, so the brewery needs the link to outlive any one month’s bill.

These are examples, not customers. If you work for clients, see how team workspaces keep each client’s links apart.

How one domain works for links and QR codes

One link record can power both a QR code and a short link. For example, go.yourbrand.com/menu can be the address people scan or click. The route is short:

1. A person scans the code or clicks the short link.
2. Your domain sends the request to KeptLink.
3. KeptLink sends the person to the target page.

A dynamic QR code holds a link whose target you can change. Edit the target and the printed code stays the same. Edits reach scanners in about 1 to 2 minutes. Many phone cameras show the address before the page opens, so your domain can appear in that preview.

Use a dynamic code when you need to edit the target or see scan analytics. Use a static code when the target will never change. The static vs dynamic QR codes guide compares them. To learn more about the links themselves, see short links and dynamic QR codes.

A QR code on a custom domain is still checked like any other. Links on your domain follow the same safety checks as links on keptlink.app.

1. qr.yourbrand.com/k7m2xqaYour short linkOn print and in messages, with your name.
3. TXT _keptlink.qrCNAME qr → domains.keptlink.appTwo DNS recordsYou add them once, where your domain's DNS is managed.
5. yourbrand.com/menu/springYour pageKeptLink sends visitors on. The certificate renews automatically.

The trap: what happens when you cancel

Owning a domain does not protect you from a vendor’s cancellation terms. The domain is yours. The service behind it is not. Before you print, ask four questions:

• Does the domain stay active after I cancel?
• Will the certificate keep renewing?
• Can I move the domain if I change software?
• Which DNS records must stay in place?

An HTTPS certificate keeps the connection secure. When it expires, browsers show a warning.

Here is what two other services say. Under the Bitly custom domain cancellation policy, a downgrade to a plan without custom domains stops certificate renewal. Cancellation has the same effect. Within 90 days, visitors see a warning that the site is “not secure.” Hovercode says that unsubscribing disconnects your custom domain. That breaks the redirects on printed codes.

KeptLink works differently. Under our continuity pledge, paid codes keep working even if you cancel, subject to safety checks. Active custom domains stay active too. Your links keep redirecting to their last destination for as long as your CNAME record points to KeptLink.

There are limits you should know:

• After you cancel, you can’t add new domains or edit your links until you subscribe again.
• If you remove the CNAME record, or let your own domain expire, the links on it stop working. The DNS belongs to you, so we can’t prevent that. Restore the record and they work again.
• Codes blocked for safety or under the acceptable use policy stop redirecting.

Because the domain is yours, you can also move on. Codes on a custom domain can be pointed at another service by changing the DNS record. For a deeper look at expiry, read do QR codes expire.

Plans and limits

Custom domains are on paid plans. Starter and the free trial do not include them. These are the KeptLink plans that do:

Plan	Price	Custom domains	Other limits
Pro	$29/month, or $288/year ($24/month)	1	500 links, 3 workspaces, 3 seats, custom back-halves
Business	$69/month, or $660/year ($55/month)	10	5,000 links, 25 workspaces, 10 seats, custom back-halves
Founders’ lifetime deal	$79 one time	1	100 links, first 100 buyers only

Limits count across a workspace and the child workspaces under it. Full allowances and what each plan adds are on the pricing page.

For context, here are the entry plans with custom domains at some other services. We took the figures from their own pricing pages on 2026-10-17. Check them again before you buy, since plans change.

Service and plan	Monthly billing	Annual billing	Custom domains
KeptLink Pro	$29/month	$24/month	1
Bitly Growth	$35/month	$29/month	Included
Hovercode Pro	$12/month	$10/month	1
Rebrandly Essentials	$16/month	$11/month	2
Dub.co Free	Free	Free	3

Dub.co also offers 10 custom domains on its Pro plan at $30/month. Hovercode Business costs $39/month for 10 custom domains. A lower price is useful, but so is what happens to your printed codes later, so compare the cancellation terms as well.

Subdomain or short domain

A subdomain adds a name in front of a domain you own. Examples are go.yourbrand.com, links.yourbrand.com and qr.yourbrand.com. You do not need to buy anything new.

Some teams prefer a short, separate domain, such as brnd.co, because it is easier to read on a small sticker. That works too. The rule is the same: you connect a subdomain, so you would use something like go.brnd.co. Root domains like yourbrand.com can’t be connected, because most DNS providers do not allow the record we need on a root domain.

Choose a subdomain of your main domain if…	Choose a subdomain of a separate short domain if…
You want to use the domain you already own.	You want the shortest possible address for print.
You want no extra registration cost.	You are willing to buy and renew another domain.

Connecting a subdomain changes records for that subdomain only. Your website and your email records stay as they are. Pick a name you do not use for anything else. For packaging and signs, see print-ready vector formats.

What happens when someone types the bare domain

Some people will type just go.yourbrand.com with nothing after it. You can choose where that goes. Set a root fallback URL on the Domains page, for example your homepage. KeptLink checks it for safety like any other link. Without one, the bare domain shows a “not found” page, so set one before you print.

Security and setup

You add your domain in the Domains page of your workspace. Workspace owners and admins can add and manage domains. KeptLink then shows two DNS records for you to add:

1. A TXT record proves that you own the domain. It starts with kl-verify= and holds a token that is unique to your workspace.
2. A CNAME record points your subdomain to KeptLink.

Once KeptLink finds the TXT record, it gets the HTTPS certificate for your domain. Verification usually succeeds within 5 to 30 minutes.

The TXT check matters for security. Without it, a subdomain that a past customer left pointing at us could be claimed by someone else. That is called a subdomain takeover. The token proves that the person adding the domain controls its DNS. The certificate comes through Cloudflare for SaaS, and KeptLink renews it automatically while the domain is active.

The Domains page also detects who hosts your DNS and shows the steps for that provider, with the exact values to enter. The custom domain setup guide has the same steps for twelve common providers.

app.keptlink.com

Before you print

Use this short list before a large print order:

• Pick the subdomain first, and use it everywhere.
• Connect it and wait until the status shows Connected.
• Set a root fallback URL.
• Create one test link and scan it with an iPhone and an Android phone.
• Keep the DNS records in place, and put a reminder in your calendar for your own domain’s renewal date.

Do that, and your printed codes can last as long as your domain does. Pick the plan that fits your number of domains on the pricing page.