---
title: "Register a branded domain | Unitag Documentation"
description: "Register a branded domain in three steps: request the subdomain, add the CNAME record at your DNS provider, then wait for verification."
canonical: "https://www.unitag.io/documentation/domains/register-a-branded-domain"
locale: "en"
route: "/domains/register-a-branded-domain"
---

# Register a branded domain

A branded domain is a subdomain you own — qr.example.com, say — pointed at Unitag's servers. Once it is verified, every Dynamic Pro QR code you create can resolve through it instead of through a Unitag short URL, and the address is yours end to end.

Registering one takes three steps in the console and one record at your DNS provider. The waiting is DNS propagation, not Unitag.

## Before you start

Two things need to be true before the wizard is worth opening:

- You own the domain, and you can add a DNS record to it. A subdomain is enough — you do not delegate the whole zone to Unitag.
- You have decided which subdomain to use. It is a permanent, public part of every QR code that resolves through it, so pick something short and readable.

A branded domain is billed as an add-on: the wizard states the monthly and yearly price on its first step, and the amount is added to your current subscription. Enabling a second domain adds the same amount again.

## Where to find it

Open Settings from the account menu in console.unitag.io, then Domains under Management. The page lists the domains already registered on the account and carries the Add a domain name button.

![The Domain names list: each row carries the domain, its status, whether SSL is active, the organisations and users it is shared with, and four action buttons](https://www.unitag.io/documentation/images/domains/en/domains-list.webp)

## Step 1 — Introduction

The first step of the wizard sets the choice out: a Unitag regular domain name, which every account gets, against a branded domain name, which is the one you are about to register. The price of the add-on is stated here, per month and per year.

![Step one of the New domain name wizard: a Unitag regular domain compared with a branded domain, and the monthly and yearly price of the add-on](https://www.unitag.io/documentation/images/domains/en/domains-new-domain-step-1.webp)

Nothing is charged by moving to the next step. The domain is only requested at the end.

## Step 2 — Request a domain name

Enter the domain you want to use, for example qrcode.example.com. Unitag checks that the name is well formed and available on the platform.

![Step two of the wizard: the Domain name field filled with qr.example.com, beside an illustration of a branded short URL](https://www.unitag.io/documentation/images/domains/en/domains-new-domain-step-2.webp)

Use a subdomain rather than the apex of your domain. An apex record cannot be a CNAME at most providers, and pointing your main domain at Unitag would take your website with it.

## Step 3 — Configure your domain name

The last step is the one that happens outside Unitag. The console shows the DNS record your zone needs — a CNAME, with the host on the left and Unitag's target on the right, each with a copy button — and the record's current status.

![The domain configuration page: the CNAME record to add, with its host, target and Verified status, above the manual configuration instructions](https://www.unitag.io/documentation/images/domains/en/domains-configuration.webp)

Add that record at your DNS provider, save, and come back. The status turns to Verified once the record resolves.

> Some providers want only the subdomain
>
> Certain DNS providers expect just the subdomain part in the host field — "qrcode" rather than the full "qrcode.example.com". The configuration screen says so beside the record; if your provider rejects the full name, try the short form.

## Pick your DNS provider

The configuration screen has a Your DNS provider selector. Choosing your provider tailors the instructions to the wording that provider actually uses, which saves hunting for the right screen in a control panel you may only visit once a year.

![The Your DNS provider selector open, listing Amazon Route 53, Cloudflare, Gandi, GoDaddy, Hostinger, IONOS and Namecheap](https://www.unitag.io/documentation/images/domains/en/domains-dns-providers.webp)

The list covers the providers most Unitag accounts use:

Amazon Route 53, Cloudflare, Gandi, GoDaddy, Hostinger, IONOS, Namecheap, OVHcloud and Squarespace domains.

If yours is not among them, Other provider gives the generic instructions, and Manual configuration gives you the raw record to add wherever your DNS is hosted. The record itself is the same in every case.

## Verification and propagation

The generic instructions on the configuration screen are worth following in order: log in to your DNS provider, open the DNS management page for the domain (often called DNS zone, DNS records or Name server settings), create the CNAME record with the host and value shown, save, then wait for propagation and come back to verify.

Some DNS providers take up to 24 hours to propagate a change. In practice it is usually minutes. Until it has propagated, the domain sits at Pending verification in the list; the refresh button on its row re-runs the check.

Once the record resolves, the domain shows as Activated and Unitag issues the TLS certificate for it. The Secured column turns green when HTTPS is ready. Certificate renewal is handled on our side from then on.

## Using the domain

A verified domain becomes available wherever Unitag builds a short URL for you:

- in the QR code generator, on Dynamic Pro QR codes, as the domain the short URL is built on;
- in Atlas templates, so a whole batch resolves through your own domain;
- in the Digital Link generator, as the domain field beside the destination URL.

Existing QR codes keep the domain they were created with. A branded domain applies to codes created after it is available, which is the usual reason to register one before a print run rather than after.

## Structured data

```json
[
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "TechArticle",
    "@id": "https://www.unitag.io/documentation/domains/register-a-branded-domain#article",
    "headline": "Register a branded domain",
    "url": "https://www.unitag.io/documentation/domains/register-a-branded-domain",
    "description": "Register a branded domain in three steps: request the subdomain, add the CNAME record at your DNS provider, then wait for verification.",
    "image": "https://www.unitag.io/documentation/og/default-en.png",
    "inLanguage": "en",
    "articleSection": "Domains",
    "isPartOf": {
      "@type": "WebSite",
      "@id": "https://www.unitag.io/documentation/#website"
    },
    "publisher": {
      "@type": "Organization",
      "@id": "https://www.unitag.io/#organization",
      "name": "Unitag"
    }
  },
  {
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
    "itemListElement": [
      {
        "@type": "ListItem",
        "position": 1,
        "name": "Home",
        "item": "https://www.unitag.io/documentation"
      },
      {
        "@type": "ListItem",
        "position": 2,
        "name": "Domains",
        "item": "https://www.unitag.io/documentation/domains/introduction"
      },
      {
        "@type": "ListItem",
        "position": 3,
        "name": "Register a branded domain",
        "item": "https://www.unitag.io/documentation/domains/register-a-branded-domain"
      }
    ]
  }
]
```