How to use branded shortlinks in your campaigns?

Branded links allow you to shorten, share, manage and analyze links to your content in any of your campaigns. Moreover, your deliverability can improve drastically as your domain is trusted by your audience.

If you have a Mobile Marketing Cloud pro subscription, you will have the option to create a custom short link using one of your own domains. By default, links will be created using the "cm.to" domain.

- How to set it up? -

If you already own a custom domain and would like to add your domain, you will first need to configure your DNS settings. The Domain Name System (DNS) is what allows a web browser to translate a domain to a website. You will need to tell DNS that your custom domain now should point to CM.com.

Keep these things in mind as you choose and set up a custom domain: • The domain for your short links must be different from your website domain. • Your Pro plan offers one complimentary domain. (If you have a paid subscription, you will have the option to create a branded link.) • Domains may take up to 24 hours to update their DNS records.

1. Access your branded links settings from the Campaigns and Email Campaigns settings pages or navigate to https://cm.com/app/branded-links/.
2. Click Add domain on the top right of the page. 
   
3. Add a domain or subdomain and click Start verification. Make sure that this domain is not used on your own website. 
4. Go to your DNS provider’s website in a new browser window. The way you update DNS varies depending on your domain registrar. Look for a section to manage DNS entries. The naming varies but is usually something like DNS Configuration, DNS Records, or Advanced DNS. Click I’m ready on the bottom of the page if you found the correct page.
5. Add the records shown on the page to your domain’s DNS records. If you need more help, click open the detailed instructions on the page. Click Continue on the bottom right when you’re done. 
6. If you configured your domain correctly and your provider updated your configuration, you should be able to successfully verify the DNS records by clicking Verify on the bottom right.
7. You’re all set! Your domain is now verified, and you are ready to create your own branded short links.

If your domain won't verify, make sure you've configured your DNS settings correctly. Domain providers may take up to 24 hours to update their DNS records.

- Adding a branded link to your campaign -

You can add branded short links to your campaigns if you have at least one domain verified. These links will be included in campaign analytics to measure click behavior.

All links in one campaign will be shortened with the selected domain. It is not possible to use multiple branded links in one domain

Campaigns

1. Create a new campaign and continue to the Message step.
2. Click the link button to add a link to your message.
3. A new field will appear in the editor called Link shortener. There you can select the domain that you want to use to shorten your link. 

Email Campaigns

1. Create a new Newsletter or triggered email campaign.
2. In Campaign settings, select the desired domain as link shortener under the Links section.