> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://chuckwired.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The cheapest way to get a custom, branded short link domain - URL: https://chuckwired.com/the-cheapest-way-to-get-a-custom-branded-short-link-domain/ - Published: 2023-04-03T07:35:16.000Z - Updated: 2023-04-03T07:35:16.000Z - Author: Chuck Rice - Tags: Coding ### How I got chk.fyi and 1,000 short links per year, for £2.14. ![Landing page with friendly illustration: shorten links using your own domain.](https://chuckwired.com/content/images/2023/03/image-1.png) I was getting tired of telling people to "go to " to find my CV, and my Skillshare referral link was pretty long too. I'd have to copy paste it, and it'd look pretty unprofessional. After some searching and reading reviews, I found the cheapest way to get set up, but still get great control over your links and analytics to boot. ## The goal Here's some comparisons before and after link shortening: ### Link to my CV 🤢 Before: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RqqmxoxBucL\_ENC1VvZirjl5LxsQgv83/view](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RqqmxoxBucL%5FENC1VvZirjl5LxsQgv83/view?ref=chuckwired.com) 🤩 After: ### Skillshare referral link, 1 month free 🤢 Before: [https://www.skillshare.com/en/r/user/chuckwired?gr\_tch\_ref=on&gr\_trp=on](https://www.skillshare.com/en/r/user/chuckwired?gr%5Ftch%5Fref=on&gr%5Ftrp=on&ref=chuckwired.com) 🤩 After: If that sounds good, let's get stuck in! ## Get a domain You can get a domain through most short link providers as part of signing up, but I prefer to keep my domains all in one place. It doesn't matter where you purchase the domain from, ultimately. ### Decide a domain name First, you'll want to get a rough idea what short link domain you want. Here's some criteria that may help you: - Keep it 6 letters or less in length - Experiment with alternative spellings e.g. chk, chuk, chyk - Let the domain search show you results for the domain endings Common shortlink endings include .ly, .io, and .to. ### Decide a domain provider Secondly, choose a provider to search through and purchase your domain. Here's a few suggestions, with reasons why you might pick them (don't worry, no affiliate links here): - [GoDaddy](https://www.godaddy.com/?ref=chuckwired.com)—they had a one-click setup with the short-link provider I used - [Google domains](https://domains.google.com/?ref=chuckwired.com)—recognisable, and keep everything with your Google account - [Namecheap](https://www.namecheap.com/?ref=chuckwired.com)—lucratively priced domains, and they've improved the UI a lot > **Protip**: if you change your mind, you can always transfer out your domain to another provider later. Usually there's a lock-in period of 3-6 months before you can do this. ## Setup your short link provider We're going to be using . I compared a few others, but here's why I chose them: - Well designed landing page—I'm a designer, I'm a sucker for this stuff! - Generous free plan—up to 5 domains and 1,000 custom links - Customer base—over 20 million redirects daily, and high-profile customers - Analytics included—I get to see clicks, locations, and any dead links attempted - **One-click setup with GoDaddy**—no manual editing of records needed! By using short.io and GoDaddy I didn't need to do much. If you're setting yours up manually, you'll need to set up a few records. Don't worry, it's usually pretty easy through most domain providers. You'll need 3 records: 1. An `A` record with value `52.2.56.64`, and TTL of `1 hour` 2. An `A` record with value `52.21.33.16`, and TTL of `1 hour` 3. A `CNAME` record with value `your.domain`, and TTL of `1 hour` The first two record will tell visitors to visit short.io, and ask it where the short links point to. The third record points the `www.your.domain` to the naked domain, `your.domain`. ## Add your first short link You can edit links after the fact, but it can take time for those changes to propagate. By that I mean, it takes time for the link to update everywhere for everyone. Therefore, pick something that's highly unlikely to change, such as a link to your CV. ![](https://chuckwired.com/content/images/2023/03/image-2.png) Want to try it? [https://chk.fyi/ltX0xz](https://chk.fyi/ltX0xz?ref=chuckwired.com) ## Test it out! In a matter of seconds, your short link is generated, and you'll be able to load it from any browser in the world! Amazing when you think about it, right? --- > Liked this? Forward to a friend, subscribe to [my newsletter](https://chuckwired.com/#/portal/signup), [Medium](https://chuckwired.medium.com/subscribe?ref=chuckwired.com), [YouTube](http://youtube.com/@chuckwired?sub%5Fconfirmation=1&ref=chuckwired.com), or [become a Medium member](https://chuckwired.medium.com/membership?ref=chuckwired.com) to support my writing (and other writers, too!).