Create Your Custom Shortener Without Buying A Domain

I think, we all, already are introduced with bitly's new feature, it's brand tools. It allows you to do something great. You know what? It enables you to make your custom shortener with your company URL. But, that URL should be short. Maximum, of 15 characters and minimum, one character. Well, it is impossible to have a domain with only one character because there can be no domain without dot (.) and of course, it's an extension, that will make it contain more than three characters because a domain name is included in it too!

So, these days developers and bloggers are buying short domains like TechCrunch, a famous tech blog, have shortener of domain- tcrn.ch, my blog, Blogger Guider have shortener of domain blgr.us.to. Don't you think it is cool? There are many benefits of getting, purchasing or buying your shortener domain. Then, your shortened URLs will have a unique character code, and it would make it easy to understand for your fans that it's your URL!

Today, I am going to tell you, how to get that shortener URL for free within 10 minutes. There is no credit card required, not a single rupee. It only needs your fingers and your concentrated mind (I know, you have one!).

Now, let's start with creating a bit.ly account!

Create A Bit.ly Account

You can't create a custom shortener without making a bit.ly account. So let's follow these steps to create a bit.ly account:

Steps are following:

1. Go to Bit.ly's sign up page using this link.
2. Now, fill up your details like Email, Password and Username and then click on CREATE ACCOUNT button after verifying that you are a human.
3. Now, after clicking on that button, you will get an email of verification.
4. Verify it.
5. Yay! You have created a new account.

Register A Free Domain

Now, let's start registering a free domain for your use using codotvu.com.

1. Go to www.CoDotVu.com
2. Now, search for a four character short domain (because it will ask you for money if you will try to register less than four character domain).
3. Further, it will check that the domain name that you have entered is available or not. If it is available, then you will see a purple button below, on the page.
4. Click on that button and now, it will ask you to sign up. Fill up your details and click on "Create Account" button.

5. Now, it will ask you that whether, you want to register it as a premium domain or free domain. Of course, click on free domain. 

6. In the next window, it will show below like page. Now, click on that "Configure Domain" button.

7. Now, you will see some tabs like the image below. Move to "Custom DNS" tab and then click on "+ New DNS Record" button.

8. Keep this tab opened in the web browser and do further work on another tab.

Set It Up On Bit.ly

Now, it is the time to set up your brand new domain on bit.ly and use it. 

1. Sign into your bit.ly account and go to this page. 
2. Now, you will see a link with text "Activate a Branded Short Domain for personal use." Click it.

3. Now, open the tab in which you had opened the "Custom DNS" tab and clicked "+ New DNS Record" button. Now, edit the settings same as the image below:

4. At last, click on "Create New DNS Record" button.
5. Further, go to bit.ly tab in which you had clicked "Activate a Branded Short Domain for personal use." text. You will get a text bar on the next page. Type your registered URL in it and hit enter from your keyboard.
6. In the next page, click on "Verify" button.
7. On the next page, you will see that your domain has got set up.
8. Now, again visit this page and find "Branded Short Domain Root Redirect" and change it from bit.ly's homepage to your blog's homepage.

9. All done!

Note: - For changing or applying DNS settings, codotvu.com will take 24-48 hours. So, be patient.

Note #2: - You can add any free domain in bit.ly if you have access to DNS manager.

Final Words

I have felt the benefits of custom shortener. Really, it is a useful tool by bit.ly. It makes your blog's post URLs unique and so, no user hesitate to click on the link you share if he has trust on your blog. I hope this little piece of information has helped you a lot to gain traffic and impress your viewers. At last, please do share it. Thanks!

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