1. Overview
  2. Custom Domains
  3. Adding and verifying a custom domain

Adding and verifying a custom domain

Serve your short links and bio pages from your own branded URL — such as links.yourbrand.com — instead of the default 1smart.link address. This guide walks you through adding a custom domain, configuring your DNS, verifying the setup, and confirming that SSL is active.

Note: Custom domains require a Pro plan. Free-tier accounts cannot add custom domains. You can add up to 5 custom domains per account.

Before you start

Make sure you have the following ready:

  • A 1smart.link Pro account.
  • A domain you own, with access to its DNS settings at your registrar (e.g. Namecheap, GoDaddy, Cloudflare, or any other provider).
  • A subdomain you want to use (e.g. links, go, bio). Subdomains work with every registrar. Apex (root) domains — like yourbrand.com with no subdomain — require your registrar to support ALIAS or ANAME records, which not all do.

Tip: If you are unsure whether your registrar supports ALIAS or ANAME records, use a subdomain instead. It works everywhere and is the recommended approach.

How custom domains work

Understanding the end-to-end flow helps you troubleshoot if anything goes wrong:

  1. You create a CNAME record in your domain's DNS that points your chosen subdomain to 1smart.link's hostname.
  2. DNS changes propagate across the internet (typically 5–30 minutes, occasionally longer).
  3. You click Verify in the 1smart.link dashboard.
  4. The system runs a dig lookup against your domain to confirm the CNAME is correctly in place.
  5. Once verified, an SSL certificate is automatically issued via Let's Encrypt using Certbot.
  6. An Nginx configuration is auto-generated for your domain so it can serve traffic securely.
  7. Your domain status changes to Active with a green padlock icon.
  8. Future SSL renewals are handled automatically by a server-side cron job — no action required from you.

Step 1 — Add your domain in the dashboard

  1. Log in to your 1smart.link account.
  2. Navigate to Dashboard → Domains (or go directly to /dashboard/domains).
  3. Click Add custom domain.
  4. Enter the full hostname you want to use — for example, links.yourbrand.com or bio.yourbrand.com.
  5. Press Save (or the equivalent confirmation button).

The dashboard now displays the CNAME target you need to point your DNS record to. This is typically 1smart.link or a similar hostname. Keep this page open or copy the target value — you will need it in the next step.

Step 2 — Configure your DNS

  1. Open a new browser tab and log in to your domain registrar (the service where you purchased or manage your domain).
  2. Find the DNS settings or DNS management page for your domain.
  3. Click Add record (or the equivalent option at your registrar).
  4. Set the record type to CNAME.
  5. Fill in the fields:
FieldWhat to enter
Host / NameYour chosen subdomain — e.g. links, go, or bio. Do not enter the full domain; most registrars append the root automatically.
Value / Points toThe CNAME target shown in the 1smart.link dashboard (e.g. 1smart.link).
TTLSet to Automatic or 3600 seconds. Either is fine.
  1. Click Save to commit the DNS change.

Warning: Make sure there is no existing A record on the same hostname. A conflicting A record will prevent the CNAME from working. If one exists, delete it before adding the CNAME.

Step 3 — Wait for DNS propagation

DNS changes need time to propagate across the internet. This typically takes 5–30 minutes, but some registrars can take up to 24 hours in rare cases.

You can check propagation from a terminal or command prompt by running:

dig links.yourbrand.com CNAME

Replace links.yourbrand.com with your actual subdomain. Look for an ANSWER SECTION in the output that shows your subdomain pointing to the CNAME target (e.g. 1smart.link). If you see it, propagation is complete and you can proceed.

Tip: If you do not have access to a terminal, free online DNS lookup tools can run the same check in your browser. Search for "DNS CNAME checker" and enter your subdomain.

Step 4 — Verify in the dashboard

  1. Return to Dashboard → Domains in 1smart.link.
  2. Find your domain in the list. Its status will show as unverified or pending.
  3. Click Verify.

The system performs a dig lookup to confirm your CNAME record is in place. If the check passes:

  • An SSL certificate is issued automatically via Let's Encrypt. This takes roughly 30–60 seconds.
  • An Nginx configuration is generated for your domain behind the scenes.
  • The domain status updates to Active with a green padlock icon.

Your custom domain is now live.

Step 5 — Test your domain

Open a new browser tab and visit your custom domain with a test slug — for example:

https://links.yourbrand.com/test

You should see a secure HTTPS connection (padlock icon in the browser address bar). If you have already created short links or bio pages assigned to this domain, they will resolve immediately.

Troubleshooting

Verification fails immediately

Cause: DNS has not finished propagating.

  1. Wait at least 15–30 minutes after saving the CNAME record.
  2. Run dig links.yourbrand.com CNAME to confirm the record is visible.
  3. Return to Dashboard → Domains and click Verify again.

CNAME record is correct but verification still fails

Cause: A conflicting A record exists on the same hostname, or the registrar is caching stale data.

  1. Log in to your registrar and check for any A record on the same subdomain (e.g. links).
  2. Delete the conflicting A record.
  3. Save the change and wait 15–30 minutes.
  4. Click Verify again in the 1smart.link dashboard.

Propagation takes longer than 30 minutes

Cause: Some registrars propagate DNS changes more slowly — up to 24 hours in edge cases.

  1. Be patient. There is nothing wrong with your setup if the dig command does not yet return results.
  2. Check again after an hour or two.
  3. If the CNAME still does not appear after 24 hours, contact your registrar's support — the issue is on their side.

SSL certificate does not appear after verification

Cause: The Let's Encrypt issuance process occasionally encounters a brief delay.

  1. Wait 2–3 minutes and refresh the Dashboard → Domains page.
  2. If the status still does not show Active with a green padlock, click Verify once more to trigger a re-check.
  3. If the problem persists, contact 1smart.link support.

Using an apex (root) domain

Cause: Standard CNAME records cannot be set on apex domains (e.g. yourbrand.com without a subdomain) due to DNS specification rules.

  1. Check whether your registrar supports ALIAS or ANAME record types. Cloudflare, DNSimple, and some others do.
  2. If supported, create an ALIAS or ANAME record pointing yourbrand.com to the CNAME target shown in the dashboard.
  3. If your registrar does not support ALIAS or ANAME, use a subdomain instead (e.g. links.yourbrand.com). This is the most reliable option.

SSL renewal

You do not need to do anything to maintain your SSL certificate. 1smart.link runs an automatic renewal process that refreshes certificates before they expire. Your custom domain will remain secure without manual intervention.

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