This is the full Cloudflare setup for serving short links from go.yourbrand.com instead of snipvio.com.
Before you start
Check that Cloudflare is actually in charge of your DNS. Open your domain's registrar and look at its nameservers. If they read something like ada.ns.cloudflare.com, Cloudflare answers every lookup for your domain, and Cloudflare is the only place a new record will have any effect.
This matters more than it sounds. Adding the record somewhere else — your registrar's old DNS panel, or a hosting dashboard you used previously — changes nothing at all. The record exists, you can see it, and the rest of the internet never receives it, because those nameservers are no longer being asked.
1. Add the subdomain in Snipvio
Go to Dashboard → Custom Domains and add the subdomain you want, for example go.yourbrand.com. It will sit at Pending DNS until the record resolves.
Use a subdomain, never your root domain. Your root domain is where your website lives, and pointing it at Snipvio would take your site offline.
2. Create the CNAME in Cloudflare
In the Cloudflare dashboard, select your domain, open DNS → Records, and click Add record:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | CNAME |
| Name | go |
| Target | snipvio.com |
| Proxy status | DNS only |
| TTL | Auto |
Cloudflare appends your domain to the name automatically, so go becomes go.yourbrand.com. Typing the full hostname gives you go.yourbrand.com.yourbrand.com, which is the single most common mistake here.
3. Turn the proxy off
This is the step that catches almost everyone.
Cloudflare shows an orange cloud next to each record. Orange means Cloudflare proxies the traffic: visitors reach Cloudflare, and Cloudflare fetches from the target. For a Snipvio domain this breaks certificate issuing, because our certificate authority needs to see your DNS pointing directly at us.
Click the cloud so it turns grey and reads DNS only. The record still resolves through Cloudflare's DNS. Only the proxying stops.
4. Verify
Back in Dashboard → Custom Domains, press Check DNS. Snipvio looks up the CNAME on your subdomain and accepts it when it points at snipvio.com.
The status moves from Pending DNS to Live, and your existing links start resolving on the new host immediately. Cloudflare usually publishes a new record within a minute or two.
If it stays pending
- You added the record at the wrong provider. Re-read "Before you start". This is the most common cause by a wide margin.
- The proxy is still orange. Switch it to DNS only and check again.
- The name is doubled. Look for
go.yourbrand.com.yourbrand.comin your record list. - You created an A record instead. Snipvio verifies CNAME records only. An A record pointing at an IP address will not be accepted, deliberately: shared IP addresses are not proof that you control the domain.
What happens to your links
Once the domain is live, new links are issued on go.yourbrand.com. Links you created earlier keep working on snipvio.com and are not rewritten, so nothing you have already shared breaks.
Only your account's links resolve on your domain. Someone else's short code will not open on your brand, which stops anyone attaching a destination you did not choose to a domain your audience trusts.
Frequently asked questions
Should the Cloudflare proxy be on or off?
Off. Set the record to DNS only, shown as a grey cloud rather than an orange one. Proxying routes traffic through Cloudflare, which prevents the certificate for your domain being issued because the certificate authority cannot see your DNS pointing directly at us.
What CNAME value do I use for Snipvio?
A CNAME on your chosen subdomain with the value snipvio.com. Enter only the subdomain part in the Name field, for example go, because Cloudflare appends your domain automatically.
Why does my Cloudflare record not work?
The most common cause is that the record was added somewhere other than Cloudflare. If your nameservers point at Cloudflare, Cloudflare answers every lookup and records added at your registrar are never served. After that, check the proxy is set to DNS only and that the name has not been doubled into go.yourbrand.com.yourbrand.com.
How long does Cloudflare take to propagate?
Usually a minute or two. If the status has not changed after several minutes, something is misconfigured rather than slow, so re-check the points above instead of waiting.