How to Configure Bit.ly Pro - Setup Your Own Custom Bitly URL Shortener With Your Domain

Setting up your own URL shortener can give you and your brand a sense of identity. Throughout 2010, it became more and more common for companies to get their own custom URL shortener. We saw this with goo.gl (Google), fb.me (Facebook), nyti.ms (New York Times), tcrn.ch (TechCrunch), and many more. There are several ways to get your own custom-branded URL shortener, but perhaps the most popular way is with bitly.Pro. For most people, this will serve as mainly a vanity URL shortener, however, it’s also just pretty cool to have.

I should run out and say, bitly.Pro is entirely FREE. The only thing you’ll have to pay for is your own custom (preferably short) domain.

Currently, bitly.Pro accounts are only being given to those who request them. You can find the request form here. You may have to wait up to a week or two before they get back, however, they seem to be accepting requests fairly quickly lately. I list this as step 1 (unlike most other folks) because this is the part that’s typically out of your control and just involves waiting. So why not go ahead and get it out of the way?

Head over to NameCheap.com or Domai.nr and find a suitable domain. You will probably want to go with something other than .com, as most of the short .com's are already taken. Some great domain extensions for this are .co (brand new!), .me, and perhaps letters that are part of your website’s name (like tcrn.ch uses Switzerland’s TLD .ch).

Remember: Shorter is better! Try to find a domain that you like, represents you, your website, or your brand. Be warned, different TLDs (Top Level Domains) can cost significantly more than others. While .com domains can be registered for as little as a few dollars, .hn domains, for example, cost $138 per year! Not all are expensive, though. You’ll just have to shop around, and be creative!

Then continue to your registrar of choice or the sites linked above to order your domain.

Once you now own your domain, you have to actually point it to Bit.ly’s servers so they can redirect your short URLs for you. You’ll have to create an ‘A-record’ and point it to their servers (168.143.174.97).

The above screenshot is using Linode's DNS manager. However, you'll want to be certain to leave the hostname blank unless you want to use a subdomain. Make sure that you are adding an A record and that the IP address is 168.143.174.97. The TTL is fine at the default value.

That’s it! Your Bit.ly account functions just as it always did, except now all links will use your custom domain. In addition, the API will use your new domain for all of the links you shorten too, so programs like TweetDeck will use your custom domain. If you want, you can add a tracking domain which allows you to get some more realtime stats for all of your links that point to your tracking domain. For example, TechCrunch.com is the tracking domain for the short domain tcrn.ch. This is entirely optional, however, and doesn't add any extra features other than domain-wide stats.

Now that you have your domain and have pointed it to Bit.ly’s servers, you’ll need to tell bitly.Pro to accept your new domain. Simply login to bitly.Pro and add your custom short domain. It will verify that you have configured the domain correctly, and then you’re all set! Note: If it doesn’t immediately verify your domain, check that you followed step 3 correctly. If you’re certain you did, try to verify again in a few minutes to a few hours. It can take a while for these records to propagate.

I hope this article helps you in setting up your own custom bitly.Pro URL shortener! Leave any questions you have below, and thanks for reading!