Your tags, your brand, end-to-end.
When a customer scans one of your smart tags, the URL they see in their browser bar reads like your company — not a service you use.
| Without add-on | With Custom Domain |
|---|---|
tapd.ink/A7K2P |
tags.acmehvac.com/A7K2P |
tapd.ink/H3N9X |
access.hotel-laurel.com/H3N9X |
tapd.ink/M5Q8R |
scan.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.
Before you start.
- A domain you own (e.g.
acmehvac.com) — any registrar works: GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, Google Domains, AWS Route53, etc. - Access to your DNS settings (the same place you set up email records or your main website).
- A subdomain you'd like to use (see our suggestions below) — typically something short and memorable like
go.,scan., ortag.followed by your domain. - An active Tapped subscription on Essential or Professional with the Custom Domain add-on enabled.
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. Two DNS records (a CNAME and a TXT) are all we're touching — for the subdomain only.
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:
| Subdomain | Example URL | Best for |
|---|---|---|
go | go.yourcompany.com/A7K2P | Universal — works for any industry |
scan | scan.yourcompany.com/A7K2P | Clear intent — invites the tap/scan |
tag | tag.yourcompany.com/A7K2P | Product-focused brands |
tap | tap.yourcompany.com/A7K2P | NFC-heavy deployments |
m | m.yourcompany.com/A7K2P | Minimal — one letter, clean look |
links | links.yourcompany.com/A7K2P | Marketing teams, agencies |
access | access.hotel-laurel.com/A7K2P | Hospitality, guest-facing |
info | info.yourcompany.com/A7K2P | Field services, equipment tags |
Two records to add.
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.
After you add the custom domain in your Tapped dashboard (Settings → Custom Domain), the dashboard will display your unique TXT verification value. Copy it exactly as shown — it will look something like tapped-verify=a1b2c3d4.
Different registrars label these fields slightly differently. Here's a cheat sheet:
| Registrar | Where to find DNS settings |
|---|---|
| GoDaddy | Domain Portfolio → your domain → DNS → Add New Record |
| Namecheap | Domain List → Manage → Advanced DNS → Add New Record |
| Cloudflare | Websites → your domain → DNS → Records → Add Record |
| Google Domains / Squarespace | My Domains → your domain → DNS → Custom Records |
| AWS Route 53 | Hosted Zones → your domain → Create Record |
| Network Solutions | Manage Account → Manage Domain → Advanced DNS Records |
The four-step process.
Add the custom domain in your dashboard
Go to Settings → Custom Domain in your Tapped dashboard. Enter the subdomain you'd like to use (e.g. go.acmehvac.com). The dashboard will display the two DNS records you need to add — a CNAME and a TXT verification code unique to your account.
Add both DNS records at your provider
Using the details from your dashboard, add the CNAME record (points your subdomain to custom.tappedtags.com) and the TXT record (proves you own the domain). Save both records. Most DNS changes propagate within 5-15 minutes; worst case a few hours.
Click "Verify" in your dashboard
Once both records are live, click the Verify button in your Tapped dashboard. Our system checks the CNAME and TXT records, verifies ownership, and provisions a free SSL certificate for your subdomain (so URLs show the padlock in the browser). Verification usually completes within a few minutes.
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 update to "Active" right in your settings.
Common issues.
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.
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.
Double-check that the TXT record name is exactly _tapped-verify.yoursubdomain (e.g. _tapped-verify.go) — some registrars automatically append your root domain, so you may only need to enter the prefix portion. The value must match exactly what the dashboard shows, including the tapped-verify= prefix.
Check that your CNAME points to exactly custom.tappedtags.com (no https://, no trailing slash, no path) and that the TXT verification record is in place. You can verify your records are live by running nslookup -type=CNAME go.yourcompany.com and nslookup -type=TXT _tapped-verify.go.yourcompany.com in a terminal. If it still fails, contact us and we'll look at it with you directly.
Questions worth asking.
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.tapd.ink redirects. Your tags keep working — they just lose the branded URL. You can re-enable the add-on anytime.Ready to brand your tags?
Open your Tapped dashboard, head to Settings, and add your custom domain. Two DNS records and a click — you'll be live in minutes.
Open Dashboard