We recommend setting up a custom URL shortener (i.e., shortening the links in your campaigns using a URL that includes your brand name, instead of using generic domains like bitly, cuttly, etc.).
This will improve your campaign results and increase trust in your messages.
Below, we explain how to purchase a domain from the market’s leading provider: GoDaddy
1. Create an account in GoDaddy
Go to https://www.godaddy.com
Click on Sign In (top right) and then Create Account.
Fill the information with your email, username and password.
Click on Create Account.
2. Choose your domain
In the main page, you will see a box where it says "Lock in a domain name for your business".
Write the name of the domain you'd like to buy (
yourbrand.com) and click on the button next to the box.If available, you will see a button that says "make it yours", i.e. you can buy it.
Then you can buy the domain (no need to purchase extras like Hosting, website creator, email, extra privacy protection, etc.) You only need the domain and access to the DNS configuration.
You can pick other domain name extensions if .com is not available (e.g. .ex, .shop, .co, etc.)
3. Integrate your domain in Instasent
First, log in into Instasent, then go to Settings > Short links and click on Add domain for short links.
Choose Subdomain / Branded Domain - Subdomain
Write down your root domain (
mydomain.com) or a short subdomain (sms.mydomain.com).Copy and paste the DNS registers from GoDaddy (CNAME, Hostname and Points to.) Save > Next.
4. Access to your domain's DNS configuration
Follow these steps on GoDaddy’s DNS page to add the required CNAME for Instasent:
1. Add a new CNAME record
Access the DNS panel for your domain on GoDaddy.
Look for the DNS Records section.
Click Add New Record.
For the record type, select CNAME from the dropdown menu.
2. Complete the CNAME records
GoDaddy will ask you to complete three fields:
Name (Host):
This is the part of the domain that will be used to shorten the links.
It can be the root domain (e.g., yourbrand.com) or a subdomain (e.g., sms.yourbrand.com).
If you want to use the root domain, enter
@in this field.If you want to use a custom subdomain, just enter the prefix (e.g.,
sms,go,click, etc.)Do not include the full domain name here.
Value (Points to):
Enter the destination URL provided by Instasent.
Do not copy any generic example — always refer to your Instasent account for the correct, up-to-date value.
If you're not sure how to find it, check [this article] for guidance.TTL (Time To Live):
This is the time it takes for the changes to propagate.
You can leave the default value (e.g., 1 hour), which is enough in most cases.
3. Save the records
After filling in all the required information:
Click on save to add the CNAME record to your domain
The new record should appear on the DNS record list with a structure that looks like this (depending on your setup):
Type: CNAME
Host: @ or sms
Points to: [value provided by Instasent]
TTL: 1 hour
Example scenarios:
Usage type | Host (name) | Final format |
Use root domain |
| links will appear like: yourbrand.com/abc123 |
Use subdomain | sms | links will appear like: sms.yourbrand.com/abc123 |
Both options are valid. Instasent supports both domains and subdomains; it will depend on your personal choice or brand preferences.