How to use a branded link for your publication

Branded links are customized links associated with your brand or domain, these links are sent within an email using the same custom email domain. Using branded links strengthens your sender reputation with mailbox providers and builds subscriber trust by keeping your links consistent with your brand.

By default, beehiiv routes email links through shared domains (e.g., bhclick.com or link.mail.beehiiv.com). With a branded link, your publication will use a unique, branded link associated with its custom domain. These links appear in email posts for tracking purposes. When subscribers hover over or copy a link, they will see the branded version before being redirected to the final destination.

A custom branded link may look something like this:

elink3gd.mail.yourbrand.com

Branded links are available to anyone using a custom email domain. If you're setting up a custom email domain for the first time, follow the directions in this article to set up the branded link with the rest of your domain.

If you already have a custom email domain, this article will guide you through adding a branded link using the Entri or Manual setup process.

Setting up a branded link involves two steps:

1. Set up and verify your branded link using Entri or Manual setup.
2. Update a record within your domain provider account. 

If you initially used Entri to set up your custom domain, follow these steps for setting up a branded link using your email domain. Click on the steps in the interactive image to explore them, or follow the written instructions below.

1. Click on Settings in the bottom left corner of your dashboard.
    
2. Your publication settings will open. If you have access to multiple publications, select the desired publication in the top left corner. Click on Domains in the left panel.  
    
3. On the right side under your Verified email domain, you’ll see a badge that says Branded Link Setup Available for email. Click on the badge to start your setup.
   
   
   
4. If you used the guided Entri Setup to configure your custom domain, you will be redirected to use Entri again. A popup will appear to confirm your choice to continue to use Entri. Click Continue.
   
   
   

5. You may be prompted to log in to your domain provider or provide additional information to verify your account. The examples pictured in this article’s screenshots are using a Cloudflare domain.
   
   
   
6. Once verified, click Authorize with [your provider name] (e.g., Authorize with Cloudflare) to allow Entri to create your DNS records.
   
   Some providers may not require verification codes. You can continue without this step if not prompted.
   
   
   
7. Entri will automatically retrieve your domain information and configure all required DNS records. Once setup is complete, you’ll see a confirmation message that your [custom domain] is now configured. Click Done to return to the Domains page.
   
   
   

8. Back on the Domains page, you may see a badge labeled Entri Verification in Progress while the system completes setup. 
   
   
   
9. Once your Entri verification finishes, the branded links badge will update to say Action Required. There will also be a banner at the top of the page, indicating that you need to complete your branded link setup. 
   
   Click the Action Required badge (or the link in the banner, if visible) to continue.
    
10. Branded links setup is in two parts, the first of which you’ve already completed. In the popup, click on the Verify with Entri button to continue your setup. 
    
    
    
11. A confirmation popup will appear. Click Continue. 
    
    
    

12. You may be prompted to log in to your domain provider or provide additional information to verify your domain provider account. Some providers may not require verification codes.
    
    
    
13. Entri will update your DNS record for branded links. When the update is complete, click Done to return to the Domains page.
    
    
    
14. After returning to the Domains page, you may still see the setup banner briefly while verification finalizes. The banner will disappear once your branded link configuration is complete.
    
    Once verified, the in progress badge will be gone and your email domain will show as Live.

If you initially configured your custom domain using the Manual Setup, follow these steps for setting up a branded link using your email domain. Click on the steps in the interactive image to explore them, or follow the written instructions below.

1. Click on Settings in the bottom left corner of your dashboard.
    
2. Your publication settings will open. If you have access to multiple publications, select the desired publication in the top left corner. Click on Domains in the left panel.  
    
3. On the right side under your Verified email domain, you’ll see a badge that says Branded Link Setup Available for email. Click on the badge to start your setup.
   
   
   

4. Setting up a branded link is a two-part process. To begin, copy both branded link records shown (each with Type, Name, and Value) and add them to your DNS provider.
   
   After adding them, click Verify. If the setup is correct, you’ll proceed to step 2.
   
   
   
5. If you return to the Domains page before proceeding to step 2, you may see a Configuring Email badge; this simply means beehiiv is still processing your branded link setup.
   
   Once ready, the badge will update to Action Required, and a banner at the top of the page will prompt you to continue.
   
   Click the Action Required badge (or the banner link, if visible).  

6. Copy the Value listed for the final CNAME record and paste it into your provider’s DNS settings. Click Verify to complete this step. 

7. You’ll return to the Domains page. You may see a Configuring DNS badge while the update finalizes. Once complete, the Branded Links badge will show Live.