Custom Domain

Your tags, your brand, end-to-end.

Swap tapd.ink/A7K2P for tags.yourcompany.com/A7K2P. One DNS record on your side, we handle the SSL and routing on ours.

$10/month add-on · For organizations on Essential or Professional
What changes

The URL people see reads like your company.

When a customer scans one of your smart tags, the address in their browser bar carries your name — not a service you use.

Without custom domainWith custom domain
tapd.ink/A7K2Ptags.acmehvac.com/A7K2P
tapd.ink/H3N9Xaccess.hotel-laurel.com/H3N9X
tapd.ink/M5Q8Rscan.willowbakery.com/M5Q8R

Every tag on your account automatically routes through your custom domain once it's active — existing tags, new mints, minted-for-others, everything. No reprogramming required. Organizations can pair a custom domain with an org logo and org-wide QR style so the whole fleet matches the brand.

What you'll need

Before you start.

Heads up

You don't need to move your domain to Cloudflare. You don't need to change your main website. You don't need to change your email. One DNS record (a CNAME — plus a TXT record in the rare case your dashboard asks for one) is all we're touching — for the subdomain only.

Choosing a subdomain

Pick something short and memorable.

Your subdomain is the first thing customers see in the URL bar when they scan a tag. Keep it short — one word is ideal. Here are our most popular picks:

SubdomainExample URLBest for
gogo.yourcompany.com/A7K2PUniversal — works for any industry
scanscan.yourcompany.com/A7K2PClear intent — invites the tap/scan
tagtag.yourcompany.com/A7K2PProduct-focused brands
taptap.yourcompany.com/A7K2PNFC-heavy deployments
mm.yourcompany.com/A7K2PMinimal — one letter, clean look
linkslinks.yourcompany.com/A7K2PMarketing teams, agencies
accessaccess.hotel-laurel.com/A7K2PHospitality, guest-facing
infoinfo.yourcompany.com/A7K2PField services, equipment tags
The DNS records

One record to add (sometimes two).

Log into your DNS provider and add both of the following records. The CNAME routes traffic to our servers; the TXT record proves you own the domain so we can issue an SSL certificate.

Record 1 — CNAME (routing)
Type
CNAME
Name / Host
go   ← the subdomain you chose (just the prefix, not the full domain)
Value / Target
custom.tappedtags.com
TTL
Auto (or 3600 if no auto option)
Proxy
Off / DNS only   (Cloudflare users only — look for the orange cloud, turn it gray)
Record 2 — TXT (only if your dashboard shows one)
Type
TXT
Name / Host
_cf-custom-hostname.go   ← copy the exact name shown in your Tapped dashboard
Value / Content
(unique code)   ← copy the exact value shown in your Tapped dashboard
TTL
Auto (or 3600 if no auto option)
Will I even need the TXT record?

Usually not. Once your CNAME is in place, ownership is normally verified automatically over HTTP — one record and you're done. The dashboard only shows a TXT record when extra verification is required for your domain. If the Custom domain card shows a "TXT record (validation)" section, add it exactly as displayed (each row has a Copy button); if it doesn't, skip Record 2 entirely.

Different registrars label these fields slightly differently. Here's a cheat sheet:

RegistrarWhere to find DNS settings
GoDaddyDomain Portfolio → your domain → DNS → Add New Record
NamecheapDomain List → Manage → Advanced DNS → Add New Record
CloudflareWebsites → your domain → DNS → Records → Add Record
Google Domains / SquarespaceMy Domains → your domain → DNS → Custom Records
AWS Route 53Hosted Zones → your domain → Create Record
Network SolutionsManage Account → Manage Domain → Advanced DNS Records
Setup

The four-step process.

1

Add the custom domain in your dashboard

Go to Organization → Branding → Custom domain in your Tapped dashboard. Enter the subdomain you'd like to use (e.g. go.acmehvac.com) and tap Set up domain. The card will display the DNS details to add — the CNAME, plus a TXT verification record if one is required for your domain.

2

Add the DNS record(s) at your provider

Using the details from your dashboard, add the CNAME record (points your subdomain to custom.tappedtags.com) — and the TXT record too, if your dashboard displayed one. Save. Most DNS changes propagate within 5-15 minutes; worst case a few hours.

3

Click "Check verification" in your dashboard

Once the record is live, click Check verification on the Custom domain card. Our system checks your DNS, verifies ownership, and provisions a free SSL certificate for your subdomain (so URLs show the padlock in the browser). The status chip moves from Pending DNS to Validating to Active — usually within a few minutes, occasionally up to 24 hours.

4

You're live

Once verified, every tag on your account redirects through your custom domain automatically. Nothing else to change — no reprogramming, no re-minting, no new dashboard. You'll see the status chip switch to "Active" right on the Custom domain card.

Troubleshooting

Common issues.

If you're using Cloudflare as your DNS

Make sure the proxy (the orange cloud icon next to your CNAME record) is turned off — it needs to be gray "DNS only". An orange-cloud proxy will try to serve the record through Cloudflare's CDN and break SSL validation.

If your subdomain already exists for something else

A subdomain can only point to one place at a time. If tags.yourcompany.com is already in use for another service, you'll need to pick a different prefix (go., scan., tap., m., etc.) or retire the existing record first.

If the TXT record isn't being detected

First, check whether you need one at all — most setups verify automatically from the CNAME alone. If your dashboard does show a TXT record, copy its Name and Value exactly as displayed (the name starts with _cf-custom-hostname.). Some registrars automatically append your root domain to the name, so you may only need to enter the prefix portion.

If validation fails after 24 hours

Check that your CNAME points to exactly custom.tappedtags.com (no https://, no trailing slash, no path) and, if your dashboard displayed a TXT record, that it is in place too. You can verify your CNAME is live by running nslookup -type=CNAME go.yourcompany.com in a terminal. If it still fails, contact us and we'll look at it with you directly.

FAQ

Questions worth asking.

Can I use my root domain (e.g. acmehvac.com, not tags.acmehvac.com)?

Technically yes, but we don't recommend it — your root domain is where your main website lives, and a CNAME on the root conflicts with almost everything else (email routing, MX records, your actual site). Every customer using custom domains uses a subdomain. It keeps things clean.

Will existing tags I've already printed still work?

Yes. Every physical tag is encoded with a universal 5-character identifier (like A7K2P) that works on both tapd.ink and your custom domain. Existing printed tags continue to function on the original domain forever. New tags you mint after the add-on is live will be encoded with your custom domain by default.

Can I change my subdomain later?

Yes, but tags already printed with the old subdomain will keep working on that subdomain. New tags will use the new one. Switching is a simple DNS swap plus an email to us.

Can I have multiple custom domains on one account?

The $10/mo add-on covers one custom domain. If you need multiple (for example, separate domains for separate brands or regions), reach out — we can structure it as an organization-level account with domain-per-org-unit pricing.

What if I cancel the add-on or my subscription?

If you cancel the add-on, your custom domain will stop routing within 24 hours and tags will fall back to tapd.ink redirects. Your tags keep working — they just lose the branded URL. You can re-enable the add-on anytime.

Is there a setup fee?

No. The $10/mo covers everything — SSL certificate, hostname validation, ongoing renewal, and any support we provide during setup. First-year setup assistance is white-glove for every customer.

Does my DNS provider matter?

No. Any registrar that supports CNAME and TXT records works — that's essentially all of them. You don't need to move your domain to us or to Cloudflare.

How long does the whole process take?

Most customers are live within 15-30 minutes. Add both DNS records, wait a few minutes for propagation, click Verify in your dashboard, and you're done. The longest wait is usually DNS propagation, which varies by provider but rarely takes more than an hour.

Ready to brand your tags?

Open your Tapped dashboard, head to Organization → Branding, and add your custom domain. One DNS record and a click — you'll be live in minutes.

Open Dashboard