Custom domains are a great way to improve the click-through rates of your short links. They are especially useful if you want to use a domain that is relevant to your audience and content.
On Dub.co, you can add custom domains for free. The number of domains that you can add depends on your plan:
- Free plan: 3 domains
- Pro plan: 10 domains
- Business plan: 40 domains
- Enterprise plan: Unlimited domains
Which custom domain should I choose for my short link?
When choosing a custom domain for your short links, consider the following factors:
- Brand: Choose a domain that best reflects your brand – ideally containing your brand name in it. For example, if your company domain is
jupiter.com, you can use a domain likejupiter.linkorgo.jupiter.com. - Length: Shorter domains are easier to remember and type. To achieve this, some companies might opt for acronyms or abbreviations. For example, one of our customers Tinybird uses
tbrd.cofor their short domain.
The only exception here is you're going for a .link TLD, or a go.
subdomain, which are both slightly longer than your original domain.
Here are some examples of custom domains that you can use for your short links – based on what we've seen our customers use:
| Option | Format | Real-world examples | Usage on Dub |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subdomains | go.domain.com | Clerk → go.clerk.comNuxt → go.nuxt.comCal.com → go.cal.comCausal → go.causal.app | 32.1% |
| Different TLDs | domain.link | Framer → framer.linkSupabase → supabase.linkVercel → vercel.fyiReplicate → replicate.fyi | 6.6% |
| Domain hacks | doma.in | Basedash → baseda.shInngest → innge.stLugg → lu.ggCrowdin → crowd.in | 1.9% |
Option 1: Use a subdomain
This is the easiest option to get started with – especially since you don't need to buy a new domain.
For instance, if you're using domain.com for your main website, you can use a subdomain like go.domain.com for your short links.
Some real-world examples of this are:
- Clerk →
go.clerk.com - Nuxt →
go.nuxt.com - Cal.com →
go.cal.com - Causal →
go.causal.app
At the time of writing, 1,293 out of 4,024 verified domains on Dub.co use a subdomain for their short links – a 31% usage rate.
Option 2: Use a different TLD
Alternatively, you can use a different top-level domain (TLD) like .link or .fyi for your short links. With this option, you get to use a similar length domain – if not shorter – for your short links, with the trade-off being that you'll need to scoop out a few extra dollars for the additional domain.
For example, if you're using domain.com for your main website, you can use a TLD like domain.link for your short links.
Some real-world examples of this are:
- Framer →
framer.link - Supabase →
supabase.link - Vercel →
vercel.fyi - Replicate →
replicate.fyi
At the time of writing, 1,293 out of 4,024 verified domains on Dub.co use a different TLD for their short links – a 6.6% usage rate.
If you're on a Pro plan or higher, you can also use your complimentary .link custom domain as your short link domain.
Option 3: Use a domain hack
Last but not least, you can get creative with your short link domain by using a domain hack. This is a technique where you split your company name into two parts and use the first part as the domain and the second part as the top-level domain (TLD).
For example, if you're using domain.com for your main website, you can use a domain hack like doma.in for your short links.
Some real-world examples of this are:
- Basedash →
baseda.sh - Inngest →
innge.st - Lugg →
lu.gg - Crowdin →
crowd.in
At the time of writing, 78 out of 4,024 verified domains on Dub.co use a domain hack for their short links – a 1.9% usage rate.
