How to Create Your Own Customized Short URL for Your Blog

Are you interested in creating a personalized short URL for your blog? Branded short URLs are concise and easy to remember, making them ideal for sharing. At WPBeginner, we utilize wpbeg.in for our branded custom short URLs. In this blog post, we will guide you through the process of creating your own customized short URLs for your WordPress blog.

Why Should You Use a Branded Customized Short URL in WordPress?

If you’ve ever visited popular websites like The New York Times, Twitter, Facebook, or TechCrunch, you may have noticed that they use branded short URLs on social media. For instance, The New York Times employs nyti.ms, TechCrunch uses tcrn.ch, and WPBeginner opts for wpbeg.in as their domain name for shorter customized URLs.

These branded domain names are referred to as domain hacks. They combine the brand name with a domain top-level domain (TLD) to cleverly spell out the brand name. Since .com is the primary domain for most websites, this method enables you to create a short URL for your WordPress site. You can find tips on selecting the best domain for your blog in our article.

Using your own customized short URL enhances brand recognition among your audience and enables you to create shorter URLs for effortless sharing on social platforms. Moreover, you can easily track the performance of these URLs to determine the number of clicks they receive when shared.

Now, let’s delve into the process of creating your own branded customized short URLs in WordPress.

Note: If you simply wish to create memorable short URLs using your primary domain, we recommend utilizing the Pretty Links plugin. This tool is favored by prominent podcasters and YouTubers who mention short links in their videos.

Step 1: Acquire a Short URL or Short Domain Name

In most cases, our primary domain name is not a short URL. Therefore, you will need to register a new domain name that is significantly shorter than your current domain. For instance, when WPBeginner sought a branded shorter domain for WPBeginner.com, we acquired WPBeg.in. This shortened our URL by six characters compared to our primary domain.

Numerous free domain name generators are available to assist you in generating domain name suggestions automatically. You can refer to our list of the 14 best free domain name generators for more information. One of the recommended tools is Domainr, which specializes in helping you find short domains through domain hacks. Experiment with different combinations and explore creative ways to spell your brand name.

Once you discover a domain name that meets your requirements and is available, you can register it with any top domain registrars. We suggest using Domain.com, which is renowned as the best domain registrar in the market. By using our Domain.com coupon code, you can even obtain a 25% discount. Other reputable domain registrars include Network Solutions and GoDaddy.

The cost of domain name registration depends on the TLD you choose. Country-specific TLDs typically cost slightly more than certain other new TLDs. After registering your domain name, you will be able to manage it through your domain registrar’s control panel.

Step 2: Configure Your Custom Domain in Bitly

Bitly is a popular URL shortening service that allows you to manage and track links. We utilize Bitly to shorten our WordPress URLs and manage them effectively. To get started, you need to create a Bitly account. To use your own custom domain name for link shortening, you will require at least the Basic plan, which is a paid feature.

Once you have completed the sign-up process, you will arrive at your Bitly account dashboard. From there, navigate to Account settings » Custom domains in the menu, and click on the Add a domain button.

On the subsequent screen, you will be presented with options to purchase a new domain name or use your own domain name. Select the “I want to use my own domain name” option to proceed.

Next, enter the domain name you recently acquired. Below that, choose the “No, this is an unused domain name” option, and click Next.

You will then be prompted to choose a group. Bitly enables you to organize your links, domains, and users into groups, allowing you to restrict certain domains to specific users. To make your custom domain available for all groups, select “All groups.”

Following that, you will be required to add DNS records to your branded domain name before proceeding. You can keep this window open and move on to the next step.

Step 3: Configure DNS A Record to Point to Bit.ly

To create your own branded custom short URLs, you must point your domain to Bitly servers. This necessitates adding DNS records to your custom domain name, which act as instructions directing the domain name to the appropriate servers.

On the Bitly website, you can find the necessary DNS records that need to be added. There are two types of DNS records you can incorporate: A records for root domain names (e.g., wpbeg.in) and CNAME records for subdomains (e.g., on.wsj.com).

To add the records, visit the domain management area on your domain registrar’s website and locate the DNS records. If you followed our recommendation and registered your domain with Domain.com, you will find the DNS & Nameservers settings in the left column.

Switch to the DNS Records tab and click on the Add DNS Record button. This will bring up a popup where you need to enter the following information:

Enter the hostname under the Name field.
Choose A as the Type.
Copy and paste the Bitly IP address.
Select 1 hour under the TTL.
Click on the Add DNS button to save your settings. If you are using a subdomain, such as on.wsj.com, you need to set a CNAME record and point it to cname.bitly.com.

After adding the DNS records, return to the Bitly website and click on the Add Domain button. You will receive a notification indicating that your domain settings are being verified. Bitly will check your domain for DNS records, and if everything appears to be in order, you will receive an email notification.

Step 4: Configure Short URL on Your WordPress Site

The great advantage of using Bitly is that you can conveniently manage, share, and track your short URLs directly from your WordPress site. First, install and activate the Bitly WordPress Plugin. For detailed instructions, refer to our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

After activation, visit the Settings » Writing page and scroll down to the “WP Bitly Shortlinks” section. Click on the Authorize button and allow Bitly to connect to your WordPress site.

Once connected, you can choose which post types you want to generate shortlinks for. Additionally, you can select the default domain you previously added.

Ensure that you click on the Save changes button to store your settings. The plugin will now begin generating your custom branded short URLs, which you can view on your Bitly dashboard.

The WP-Bitly plugin also provides Bitly statistics for each post. To access these statistics, edit a post and locate the WP Bitly metabox. This feature enables you to track the number of times your short URL for a specific post has been clicked, as well as identify the referring websites.

We hope this article has assisted you in acquiring the knowledge to create your own customized short URLs in WordPress. You may also find our comprehensive WordPress conversion tracking guide and our selection of the best social media plugins for WordPress useful.