How to Use Custom Domains for Branded QR Codes and Short Links

Created on 19 August, 2024Tutorial • 3 minutes read

In today’s digital world, your web address is a key part of your brand identity. A custom domain lets you personalize your URL, moving beyond generic addresses to something uniquely yours, like www.yourbrand.com.

What Are Custom Domains?

A custom domain is a web address that you own and can tailor to your brand. Instead of using a standard URL like www.qrpathway.com/shortlink, you can create something branded, such as www.yourbrand.com/shortlink. This helps reinforce your brand and provides a professional appearance to your audience.

Using Custom Domains with QR Codes and Links

QrPathway allows you to seamlessly integrate custom domains with your QR codes and short links. This means every QR code you generate can display your branded URL, making it instantly recognizable and trustworthy.

If you already have a website, you can also use a subdomain to keep your branding consistent. For example, instead of using www.yourbrand.com, you might use qr.yourbrand.com for all your QR codes and short links. This approach maintains your main domain’s identity while still leveraging the power of custom links.

Example of Custom Domains in Action

Imagine you own a company called "your company name" and have the domain www.yourcompanyname.com. With QrPathway, you can create links like www.yourcompanyname.com/promo or, if you prefer to use a subdomain, qr.yourcompanyname.com/sale2024. These links can be printed on products, used in marketing campaigns, or shared online.

If you already have a main website, using a subdomain like qr.yourcompanyname.com allows you to keep your branding consistent while directing users to specific content. Whether you choose a main domain or subdomain, custom domains give your QR codes and links a professional, branded touch that reinforces your brand every time they’re used.

Before you follow these steps, be sure you are familiar with the guides first:

How to create a Dynamic Qr Code with QrPathway

How to create short links using QrPathway URL shortener

Follow these steps to create your custom branded url:

1) You must own a domain name. If you do not have one, you can buy one at https://www.namecheap.com/ or any other domain name register.

2) Determine if you want to use your domain or a subdomain. For example, lets say you own www.example.com   

It is recommended to use a subdomain for branding, as you may want to host a website on the main domain. Choose a sub domain for your website, for this example, we will use the subdomain "qr".

Now log in to your domain name registrar (the website where you registered your domain name), and go to your DNS settings. 

Add a new CNAME record.   Type="CNAME", Name="sub domain name", and target="www.qrpathway.com".

See image below.

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4) Log into your account at qrpathway. and go to custom domains

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Click the "connect domain" on top right.

5) Add your custom domain info as seen in example below.

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"custom index url" is the webpage to redirect to if a user visits your custom domain without adding the url at the end.

For example, suppose you created a qr code or short link that takes to qr.example.com/promotion_link

If a user visits qr.example.com without the the /promotion_link, they will be redirected to the custom index url you provide instead. If you leave it empty, it will redirect to qrpathway.com by default.

"custom 404 not found url" is the page to redirect users to when they visit your custom domain with an invalid url. For example a user visits your custom domain qr.example.com/invalid_link   and you do not have a short link created, then they will be redirected. If left empty, they will be redirected to qrpathways.com by default.

6) After you filled in your info, click "create". Your custom domain will be pending, please allow us 24 hours to approve your domain.

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7) After your domain gets approved, the status will be changed into "active".

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Once your domain is active, you can use it to create links and link them to your qr codes.

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