Custom domains

This guide covers managing custom domains in the portal: requesting one, adding the DNS record, tracking the review, and deleting or restoring domains. What domains are and why verification runs through the OptoLink team is explained in Domains: default vs custom.

Requesting and deleting need the Developer role or above; viewers and analysts get a read-only list (no card menus, no request button). Custom domains are available from the Solo plan up. See Plans, quotas & entitlements and Team & roles.

Open the page

Custom domains in the sidebar. The entry is always visible; what you can do on the page depends on your plan and role.

Read the list

The page anchors on the platform default card: a dashed-border card with the shared OptoLink hostname, a "Platform default — included on every plan" badge, and the URL shape it gives every link ({default-domain}/{org-key}/abc123). It has no actions and no quota cost.

Each custom domain you request is a card below it with a status badge:

Badge	Card copy
Requested	Waiting for admin review. Configure your CNAME record while you wait.
Approved	Deployment in progress — we're setting up your domain on our edge. You'll be notified when it's verified.
Verified	A Verified / {date} row.
Rejected	Rejected: {reason}, red badge.
Removing	Removing in {N}d — links keep resolving until then.

The list refreshes every 30 seconds, so review decisions show up without a reload. There is no email notification; this page is where you watch.

Request a domain

1. Click Request your first custom domain (empty list) or the header request button.
2. Type the hostname into Domain name. Use a subdomain you control, like links.example.com. Bad input is flagged inline: Domain is required or Invalid domain name.
3. Submit. A Domain request submitted for review. toast confirms it, and the page swaps to a submitted card showing {domain} is pending admin review, a What happens next explainer, and the DNS panel.

Add the CNAME record

The DNS panel on the submitted card shows both values:

Field	Value
Host / Name	Your domain, e.g. links.example.com
Value / Target	The OptoLink target shown in the panel

Add that CNAME record at your DNS provider while the request is in review. The panel's propagation note: DNS changes can take up to 24 hours to propagate, but usually complete within minutes. Adding the record doesn't change the status; the OptoLink team verifies and deploys the domain.

Delete or restore

Delete on a card depends on whether the domain is live:

• Verified: the dialog warns Links on it keep resolving for a 30-day grace window, then the domain is permanently removed. You can cancel the removal any time during the window. The card moves to Removing with the toast Domain removal scheduled (30-day grace).
• Requested, Approved, or Rejected: the dialog reads This domain is not live yet, so it will be deleted immediately. The toast reads {domain} deleted.

A Removing card has one menu action, Cancel Removal. The toast {domain} restored to verified confirms it, and the domain is Verified again.

A Rejected card has Delete and Re-request. Re-requesting sends the domain back into the review queue ({domain} re-submitted for review).

A Removing domain still resolves but has freed its plan slot, so you can request a replacement before the old domain is gone.

Limits

Plan	Custom domains
Starter	Not included
Solo	3
Growth	5
Scale	25
Enterprise	No cap

At the quota limit, requesting shows the prompt You've reached your custom domains limit. Upgrade your plan to add more custom domains. Its button opens the plans page; see Billing & subscription.

If your plan doesn't include custom domains at all, the request form is replaced by the prompt Custom domains available on paid plans with an upgrade button.

Use a verified domain

Only Verified domains can be attached to links. Pick one while creating a link or when moving links; domains still in review don't appear in the selector. The platform default is always available.

Troubleshooting

What you see	Why	What to do
You don't have permission to request custom domains banner, no form	Your role is below Developer.	Ask a developer, admin, or owner. See Team & roles.
Custom domains available on paid plans prompt instead of the form	Your plan doesn't include custom domains.	Upgrade from the prompt's button.
You've reached your custom domains limit… prompt	The quota is full.	Delete an unused domain (a Removing one already freed its slot), or upgrade.
Rejected: … on a card	The review found a problem; the reason is on the card.	Fix it, then use Re-request.
Status stuck on Requested	The review queue is manual.	Wait; the list updates itself every 30 seconds.
Red error banner instead of the list	The fetch failed.	Click Retry.