Understanding domains in beehiiv

Before we dive into domains, let’s quickly break down the components of a typical URL. Here's an example using: https://www.beehiiv.com/pricing

1. Protocol: The start of a URL, either https:// (secure) or http:// (not secure).
2. Subdomain: Often www, but can also be something like newsletter.beehiiv.com, blog.beehiiv.com, or mail.beehiiv.com.
3. Domain: The central part of the web address or root of the URL, this is often your company or brand name (e.g., beehiiv).
4. Top-Level Domain (TLD): Usually .com, .net, or similar; it's the part that comes right after the domain. If desired, multiple TLDs can be used for the same domain. 
5. Slug/Path: Everything that follows the slash after the TLD (e.g., /pricing).

Every beehiiv publication comes with a default subdomain, like newsletter.beehiiv.com, where your publication lives online. This gives you an instant presence, even if you don’t have your own website or domain yet.

A subdomain is kind of like a specific room in a house, in that it serves a purpose, such as hosting your newsletter or blog. For example, a visitor might land on www.yoursite.com, then click to view your newsletter at newsletter.yoursite.com.

You don’t need a custom domain to use beehiiv, but if you have one, you can connect it to your publication to personalize your brand and boost email deliverability. A custom domain is a unique, branded URL that you own, like yoursite.com. It helps build trust, professionalism, and a consistent experience across your site and emails. 

After verifying your custom domain, you can use it in several ways:

• Web Domain: Host your beehiiv content on your domain (e.g., newsletter.yoursite.com).
• Redirect Domain: Set up a redirect between versions of your domain (e.g., www.yoursite.com → yoursite.com).
• Email Domain: Send newsletters from an address like [email protected].
• Branded Links: Display your custom domain in email links (e.g., elink3gd.mail.yoursite.com) for brand consistency and trust.

Web and email domains can share the same name like yoursite.com or use different subdomains depending on your setup.

Once your custom domain is connected, beehiiv automatically warms it up through Smart Warming, a process that gradually increases the volume of emails sent over the first 4-8 weeks. This behind-the-scenes process helps build your domain's sending reputation and ensures healthy deliverability, without impacting your subscriber experience.

To learn more about this automated beehiiv feature, see Smart Warming and how it applies to you.

If you’re looking to explore more, check out Custom domains and branded links FAQ for detailed answers on setup, troubleshooting, and best practices.