Use Your Own Subdomain
Serve your Grovs links from a branded subdomain you control, like links.acme.com, with SSL included.
Links on a custom subdomain look like https://links.acme.com/summer-sale instead of using the default *.sqd.link host.
Before you start
- An active paid plan. Without one, the dashboard prompts you to upgrade in Settings → Usage & Billing. See Custom Domains.
- A subdomain you control, such as
links.acme.com, and access to its DNS settings.
Submit the subdomain in Grovs before you change DNS. Grovs issues SSL first, and traffic only moves once DNS points at Grovs, so existing links keep working.
Set up your subdomain
Go to Links → Link Settings → Domain and click Use your own subdomain.
Type the hostname, for example links.acme.com, and click Add subdomain. Grovs previews the full URL (https://links.acme.com).
Use ASCII characters only. Each project gets one custom subdomain.
Add each record Grovs shows at your DNS provider. Your provider may call Host "Name" or "Subdomain", and Value "Target" or "Points to".
| Checklist item | Record | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hostname ownership verified | TXT (if shown) | If the hostname's DNS is already on Cloudflare, ownership completes once the CNAME is in place. |
| SSL certificate issued | TXT for SSL validation | If an _acme-challenge record exists, replace its value or add another with the same name. |
| CNAME pointing to Grovs | CNAME | Add it once SSL is active. This record moves traffic to Grovs. |
The checklist shows progress as it goes:
- Preparing SSL validation TXT: the record appears once Grovs creates it.
- SSL validated, certificate deploying: nothing to add. This usually takes a couple of minutes.
- Waiting for DNS to point at Grovs: the CNAME doesn't resolve yet.
On Cloudflare DNS, set the CNAME to DNS only (gray cloud), not Proxied (orange cloud). A proxied record blocks the certificate and stops links from resolving.
Status refreshes automatically as DNS propagates. Certificate issuance usually takes a few minutes. When the domain shows Active, new links resolve on your subdomain.
Add the subdomain to each app and ship an updated build, so deep links open the app on the new host.
Add applinks:links.acme.com to the Associated Domains entitlement. See Developers → SDK Setup → iOS.
Add the subdomain to your App Links intent filters. See Developers → SDK Setup → Android.
Status reference
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pending / Verifying | DNS and SSL are still validating. Click View setup to see what's left. |
| Active | The subdomain is live and serving links. |
| Verification failed | Setup couldn't complete. Click Fix to review the records and retry. |
| Suspended | The subdomain is being removed. |
Remove a subdomain
In Links → Link Settings → Domain, click Manage, then Remove, and confirm. Removal is immediate: links stop resolving on the subdomain and fall back to your *.sqd.link host. You can add the subdomain again later.