> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.maestra.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # How to Set Up a Branded Domain for Short Links By default, the [Maestra link shortener](https://help.maestra.io/campaigns/sms-campaigns/how-to-shorten-links-in-sms-mms-and-other-channels.md) shortens links in SMS and **Notifications and messengers** campaigns on the shared Maestra domain, so a link looks like `https://mst.io/xxxxxxxx`. Set up your own short-link domain, and customers will see your brand name in every link instead. ## Why set up your own domain * The link looks like part of your website. Recipients trust it more, and it's less likely to be mistaken for spam or phishing. * You keep everything the link shortener gives you: click stats and fewer characters per SMS. * If your account has several brands, each one can get its own domain. ## What you'll need * The `View custom domains` and `Edit custom domains` permissions. * A short domain or a free subdomain that you control. * Access to the DNS settings at your registrar or hosting provider, so you can add NS records for that domain. > [!NOTE] > > If you don't see **Short link domain** in the menu, contact your Maestra Forward Deployed Marketer or reach out to support. ## How to choose a domain You delegate the whole domain to Maestra Platform, and from then on Maestra Platform manages all of its DNS records. That means the domain can't run anything except short links. **Good choices:** * **A separate short domain**, for example `brnd.com`. The shorter the domain, the fewer characters each link takes in an SMS. * **A free subdomain** of your main domain, for example `s.brand.com` — as long as it isn't used for your website, return path, or any other service. **Don't use:** * **Your main website domain**, for example `brand.com`. Once it's delegated, Maestra Platform serves all of its DNS records, and your website, email, and other services on that domain stop working. * **A domain or subdomain that already runs something** — a website, return path, your [branded click tracking](https://help.maestra.io/campaigns/email-campaigns/email-authentication-methods/how-to-set-up-branded-click-tracking.md) domain, or any other service. The domain has to be used for short links only. > [!WARNING] > > Each brand can have only one short-link domain. > [!NOTE] > > **Link length** > > An SMS short link is your domain name, `/`, and an 8-character key. On `brnd.com`, for example, a link takes 17 characters: `brnd.com/6jOi25ml`. > > In **Notifications and messengers** campaigns, the protocol is added to the link: `https://brnd.com/6jOi25ml`. ## Step 1. Add the domain in Maestra Platform **1. Open Short link domain** Go to **Settings** → **Communication** → **Short link domain**. ![Open Short link domain](https://mintcdn.com/maestraio/7t1f550x2CYSdfhQ/images/branded-short-link-domain/step-1-open-short-link-domain.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=7t1f550x2CYSdfhQ\&q=85\&s=d3ce0932227996e34f60daa84303db88) **2. Click Add domain** **3. Fill in the fields and click Save** * **Brand** (for multi-brand accounts) — the brand the domain is for. * **Domain name** — the domain or subdomain for short links, for example `s.brand.com`. * **Reserve URL** (optional) — where customers land once a short link has expired. A short link works for 5 years after it's sent. Most brands use their home page. Then click **Save**. **4. Review the DNS records** Maestra Platform shows the DNS records you need to add. Click **Open instructions** to get a page with the setup steps — it opens without logging in, so you can send it straight to whoever manages your DNS. ![Review the DNS records](https://mintcdn.com/maestraio/7t1f550x2CYSdfhQ/images/branded-short-link-domain/step-1-dns-records.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=7t1f550x2CYSdfhQ\&q=85\&s=8670c5a2767a33d2dd5ad3d4761dc0cd) ## Step 2. Add the DNS records 1. Copy every NS record Maestra Platform shows you. 2. Add them in your domain's DNS settings at your registrar or hosting provider. 3. Wait for Maestra Platform to check the records and update the domain status. > [!TIP] > > DNS records don't take effect right away — it can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. ## Step 3. Check the domain status You'll see the domain status on the **Short link domain** page. ![Domain status on the Short link domain page](https://mintcdn.com/maestraio/7t1f550x2CYSdfhQ/images/branded-short-link-domain/step-3-domain-status.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=7t1f550x2CYSdfhQ\&q=85\&s=2a224cb91e021cad0a92b82a792a3ad0) | Status | What it means | What to do | | - | - | - | | **Waiting for DNS records** | Maestra Platform hasn't confirmed the DNS records yet | Make sure you've added the records in your DNS settings. They can take a few hours to apply | | **Configuring** | Maestra Platform is setting up the domain on its side | Wait for the setup to finish | | **Confirmed** | The domain works, and Maestra Platform uses it to shorten links for this brand | Nothing | | **Not confirmed** | The DNS records are wrong | Check every NS record for typos — each one has to match exactly what Maestra Platform showed. If the records are correct but the status hasn't changed in more than 48 hours, reach out to support | Once the status changes to **Confirmed**, Maestra Platform shortens links on your domain in every SMS and **Notifications and messengers** campaign for that brand, except FastTrack channels. ## If your account has several brands Set up a short-link domain for each brand separately — each brand gets its own domain and reserve URL. That way, links in one brand's campaigns never point to another brand's domain. ## If the NS records are removed If the domain is no longer delegated to Maestra Platform — the NS records were deleted or overwritten: * Links you've already sent on your domain stop working, because the domain no longer points to Maestra Platform. * New campaigns keep going out, with links shortened on the shared Maestra domain. * Maestra Platform flags an issue in your account saying the domain has stopped working. * Once you add the records back, Maestra Platform switches back to your domain, and links you sent earlier work again. ## How to delete a short-link domain Open the domain on the **Short link domain** page and click **Delete**. From then on, short links are created on the shared Maestra domain. Remember to remove the NS records at your DNS provider too. ![Delete a domain](https://mintcdn.com/maestraio/7t1f550x2CYSdfhQ/images/branded-short-link-domain/delete-domain.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=7t1f550x2CYSdfhQ\&q=85\&s=c32f93a2183577a888460b524c564e5e) This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.