How do I set up a secure custom tracking domain in Bluehost?
Custom tracking domains allow you to use any domain you want for your Tracking Links and Rotators.
And, if you want to do any social media or email marketing with Tracking Links, setting up a custom tracking domain is required – because you can’t use our generic clkmg.com and clkmr.com tracking domains for either of those things.
But, even if you’re not doing social media or email marketing, you may still want to use custom tracking domains for the “branding” and other benefits they provide.
This article shows you step by step exactly how to set it up …
Note: We strongly recommend buying an entirely new domain to be used only for tracking.
Setting up a custom tracking domain requires modifying the domain’s DNS records. If you do this incorrectly for a domain already pointing to an existing website, you could temporarily break your website.
Also, please remember that setting up a custom tracking domain is one of the more technical things you’ll do with ClickMagick. If necessary, click the “I need help setting this up” tab, and we’ll gladly help.
With all that being said, please select whether you will use a new domain, if you want to use an existing domain, or if you want us to walk you through the process (or even just do it for you entirely!)
The following guides help you through the steps required to set up your custom tracking domain if you bought a brand new domain:
Note: If you bought a brand new domain, you do not need to follow the steps outlined in the “I’m using an existing domain” tab.
RECOMMENDED: How To Set Up A Secured Custom Domain In CloudFlare
1. Log in to CloudFlare (or create a new account if you have not already)
2. If you are buying a new domain, choose the “Buy Domains” option in CloudFlare and search for the domain you want, then follow the process to purchase.
3. If you use an existing domain, go to “Websites” and choose the domain you want.
4. Click on "DNS" in the menu on the left
5. Click “Add Record” to add a new record.
6. Choose “A” as the record type, use the @ symbol for the name, and put in the appropriate IP address as the value (listed below in this article) for which type of tracking domain you are using, whether that is Rotators or Tracking.
7. Click Save
8. Click on “SSL/TLS” on the left menu
9. In the “Overview” section, make sure SSL is set to “Full”
10. In the “Edge Certificates" section, ensure "Always use HTTPS” is turned on.
11. Now, your domain is ready. You can use the link below to go to the domain manager and add your new domain to your account.
Note: When adding your new domain to ClickMagick, choose “CNAME DNS or A Record" for the setup option, and choose the appropriate “For Use With" option based on which IP address you used when setting up your DNS in your registrar.
How To Set Up A Secured Custom Domain In Namecheap
1. Log in to CloudFlare (or create a new account if you have not already)
2. Click On "Add Site" in the top right of the page, and add your site to your CloudFlare account.
3. Choose the free plan when prompted.
4. Once your current records have been scanned, find the record that shows type "A” with the name that matches your domain name.
5. Replace the content of that record with the appropriate IP address you want to use (found below in this article), whether for use with Tracking Links or Rotators.
6. Next, you will see a prompt to update your nameservers. Copy the CloudFlare name servers…
Go back to Namecheap, manage the domain you're setting up here, and change the Nameservers setting from “Namecheap Basic DNS" to “Custom DNS”
Add the nameservers from CloudFlare and click the green check mark to save the settings:
7. When the quick start menu pops up, make sure “Always Use HTTPS” is turned on, and leave the rest of the settings the same.
8. Once you are through the quick start and you see the dashboard, click on the SSL settings on the left and make sure the SSL/TLS encryption mode is set to “Full”
9. Once your domain is confirmed to be connected to CloudFlare, go to the Domain Manager in ClickMagick to add your custom domain.
1. Log in to CloudFlare (or create a new account if you have not already)
2. Click "Add Site" in the top right of the page, and add your site to your CloudFlare account.
3. Choose the free plan when prompted.
4. Once your current records have been scanned, find the record that shows type "A” with the name that matches your domain name.
5. Replace the content of that record with the appropriate IP address you want to use (found below in this article), whether for use with Tracking Links or Rotators.
6. Next, you will see a prompt to update your nameservers. Copy the CloudFlare name servers…
7. Go back to GoDaddy > My Products and go to the DNS settings of the domain you are using here
8. Scroll down on the page until you see the section for nameservers, then click the button to change the nameservers.
9. Click the link that says, “Enter my own nameservers (advanced)”
10. Add the nameservers you copied from CloudFlare and click Save
11. Now, go back to CloudFlare and continue the setup process.
12. When the quick start menu pops up, make sure “Always Use HTTPS” is turned on, and leave the rest of the settings the same.
13. Once you are through the quick start and you see the dashboard, click on the SSL settings on the left and make sure the SSL/TLS encryption mode is set to “Full”
14. Once your domain is confirmed to be connected in CloudFlare, go to the Domain Manager in ClickMagick to add your custom domain.
How To Set Up A Secured Custom Domain In Hostgator
1. Log in to CloudFlare (or create a new account if you have not already)
2. Click "Add Site" in the top right of the page, and add your site to your CloudFlare account.
3. Choose the free plan when prompted.
4. Once your current records have been scanned, find the record that shows type "A” with the name that matches your domain name.
5. Replace the content of that record with the appropriate IP address you want to use (found below in this article), whether for use with Tracking Links or Rotators.
6. Next, you will see a prompt to update your nameservers. Copy the CloudFlare name servers…
7. Head back to Hostgator and click on the More button next to the domain you are using
8. Click on the option for “Name Servers” on the left-hand menu (you may have to hover your mouse over the menu to show the names)
9. Make sure the option for “Manually set my name servers” is selected and update the name servers to what you already copied from CloudFlare, then save your changes.
10. Now, go back to CloudFlare and continue the setup process.
11. When the quick start menu pops up, make sure “Always Use HTTPS” is turned on, and leave the rest of the settings the same.
12. Once you are through the quick start and you see the dashboard, click on the SSL settings on the left and make sure the SSL/TLS encryption mode is set to “Full”
13. Once your domain is confirmed to be connected to CloudFlare, go to the Domain Manager in ClickMagick to add your custom domain.
1. Log in to CloudFlare (or create a new account if you have not already)
2. Click "Add Site" in the top right of the page, and add your site to your CloudFlare account.
3. Choose the free plan when prompted.
4. Once your current records have been scanned, find the record that shows type "A” with the name that matches your domain name.
5. Replace the content of that record with the appropriate IP address you want to use (found below in this article), whether for use with Tracking Links or Rotators.
6. Next, you will see a prompt to update your nameservers. Copy the CloudFlare name servers…
7. Head back to Bluehost and click on the Manage button next to the domain you are using here.
8. Click the DNS menu option and then the “Edit” button to update the name servers.
9. Change the setup type to “Custom”, update the name servers to those you copied from CloudFlare, and then save your changes.
10. Now, go back to CloudFlare and continue the setup process.
11. When the quick start menu pops up, make sure “Always Use HTTPS” is turned on, and leave the rest of the settings the same.
12. Once you are through the quick start and you see the dashboard, click on the SSL settings on the left and make sure the SSL/TLS encryption mode is set to “Full”
13. Once your domain is confirmed to be connected to CloudFlare, go to the Domain Manager in ClickMagick to add your custom domain.
How To Set Up A Secured Custom Domain In Siteground
1. Log in to CloudFlare (or create a new account if you have not already)
2. Click "Add Site" in the top right of the page, and add your site to your CloudFlare account.
3. Choose the free plan when prompted.
4. Once your current records have been scanned, find the record that shows type "A” with the name that matches your domain name.
5. Replace the content of that record with the appropriate IP address you want to use (found below in this article), whether for use with Tracking Links or Rotators.
6. Next, you will see a prompt to update your nameservers. Copy the CloudFlare name servers…
7. Head back to Siteground, go to the Services menu, and click “Domains".
8. From there, click on the three dots next to the domain and choose “Manage Domain”
9. Click “Manage Nameservers” on the right-hand side, update your name servers to what you copied from CloudFlare, and then confirm your changes.
10. Now, go back to CloudFlare and continue the setup process.
11. When the quick start menu pops up, make sure “Always Use HTTPS” is turned on, and leave the rest of the settings the same.
12. Once you are through the quick start and you see the dashboard, click on the SSL settings on the left and make sure the SSL/TLS encryption mode is set to “Full”
13. Once your domain is confirmed to be connected to CloudFlare, go to the Domain Manager in ClickMagick to add your custom domain.
Here are the IP Addresses you can use for Tracking Links and Rotators:
For Tracking Links use:
76.223.117.43
For Rotators use:
76.223.62.35
Note: Do not use both IP addresses when setting up a single custom domain. The Tracking Links or Rotators features will not work correctly if you do. If you want a custom domain for each feature, you need to either use different domains entirely (e.g., mytracking.com and myrotating.com) or use separate subdomains of the same domain (e.g. track.mydomain.com and rotator.mydomain.com).
How to Add the Custom Tracking Domain to ClickMagick
Click on Domain Manager in the Tools menu inside Tracking Links and click on the New Domain button.
Enter your root domain (without any subdomain or the https):
Just use the default options for now and save your changes.
You can always change your domain settings using the Domain Manager.
Note: You might be unable to add your domain to ClickMagick immediately. This is because it can take anywhere from 1 to 24 hours for the DNS records to propagate. If you are having problems adding your new custom domain, give it some time and return later to try again.
How to Add Your New Domain to Your Links or Rotators
To learn how to set up Tracking Links or Rotators in the first place, review the articles linked below.
To add a new domain to a tracking link (whether you are creating one or editing one), click on the dropdown menu next to “Tracking Link” and choose the new domain:
To add a new custom domain to your rotator (whether you are creating one or editing one), click on the dropdown menu next to “Rotator Link" and choose the new domain:
And that’s it! You now have a custom domain ready to use with your Tracking Links or Rotators with ClickMagick!
The following guides will help you through the steps required to set up your custom tracking domain if you are using an existing domain:
Note: Following the below steps will not delete or break your website. If you have any questions when following the steps, contact our Helpdesk
How To Set Up A Secured Custom Domain In Namecheap
1. Log in to CloudFlare (or create a new account if you have not already)
2. Click "Add Site" in the top right of the page, and add your site to your CloudFlare account.
3. Choose the free plan when prompted.
4. Create a new record once your current records have been scanned.
For the “Type”, choose CNAME.
For the “Name”, add whatever you want to use for your tracking subdomain.
Then, for the “Target”, use www.clkmg.com for Tracking Links, and www.clkmr.com for Rotators.
5. Once you save the record, ensure it appears in the list, and click Continue.
6. Next, you will see a prompt to update your nameservers. Copy the CloudFlare name servers…
Go back to Namecheap, manage the domain you're setting up here, and change the Nameservers setting from “Namecheap Basic DNS" to “Custom DNS”
Add the nameservers from CloudFlare and click the green check mark to save the settings:
7. When the quick start menu pops up, make sure “Always Use HTTPS” is turned on, and leave the rest of the settings the same.
8. Once you are through the quick start and you see the dashboard, click on the SSL settings on the left and make sure the SSL/TLS encryption mode is set to “Full”
9. Once your domain is confirmed to be connected in CloudFlare, go to the Domain Manager in ClickMagick to add your custom domain.
1. Log in to CloudFlare (or create a new account if you have not already)
2. Click "Add Site" in the top right of the page, and add your site to your CloudFlare account.
3. Choose the free plan when prompted.
4. Create a new record once your current records have been scanned.
For the “Type”, choose CNAME.
For the “Name”, add whatever you want to use for your tracking subdomain.
Then, for the “Target”, use www.clkmg.com for Tracking Links, and www.clkmr.com for Rotators.
5. Once you save the record, ensure it appears in the list, and click Continue.
6. Next, you will see a prompt to update your nameservers. Copy the CloudFlare name servers…
7. Go back to GoDaddy > My Products and go to the DNS settings of the domain you are using here
8. Scroll down on the page until you see the section for nameservers, then click the button to change the nameservers.
9. Click the link that says, “Enter my own nameservers (advanced)”
10. Add the nameservers you copied from CloudFlare and click Save
11. Now, go back to CloudFlare and continue the setup process.
12. When the quick start menu pops up, make sure “Always Use HTTPS” is turned on, and leave the rest of the settings the same.
13. Once you are through the quick start and you see the dashboard, click on the SSL settings on the left and make sure the SSL/TLS encryption mode is set to “Full”
14. Once your domain is confirmed to be connected in CloudFlare, go to the Domain Manager in ClickMagick to add your custom domain.
How To Set Up A Secured Custom Domain In Hostgator
1. Log in to CloudFlare (or create a new account if you have not already)
2. Click "Add Site" in the top right of the page, and add your site to your CloudFlare account.
3. Choose the free plan when prompted.
4. Create a new record once your current records have been scanned.
For the “Type”, choose CNAME.
For the “Name”, add whatever you want to use for your tracking subdomain.
Then, for the the “Target”, use www.clkmg.com for Tracking Links, and www.clkmr.com for Rotators.
5. Once you save the record, ensure it appears in the list, and click Continue.
6. Next, you will see a prompt to update your nameservers. Copy the CloudFlare name servers…
7. Head back to Hostgator and click on the More button next to the domain you are using
8. Click on the option for “Name Servers” on the left-hand menu (you may have to hover your mouse over the menu to show the names)
9. Make sure the option for “Manually set my name servers” is selected and update the name servers to what you already copied from CloudFlare, then save your changes.
10. Now, go back to CloudFlare and continue the setup process.
11. When the quick start menu pops up, make sure “Always Use HTTPS” is turned on, and leave the rest of the settings the same.
12. Once you are through the quick start and you see the dashboard, click on the SSL settings on the left and make sure the SSL/TLS encryption mode is set to “Full”
13. Once your domain is confirmed to be connected to CloudFlare, go to the Domain Manager in ClickMagick to add your custom domain.
1. Log in to CloudFlare (or create a new account if you have not already)
2. Click "Add Site" in the top right of the page, and add your site to your CloudFlare account.
3. Choose the free plan when prompted.
4. Create a new record once your current records have been scanned.
For the “Type”, choose CNAME.
For the “Name”, add whatever you want to use for your tracking subdomain.
Then, for the “Target”, use www.clkmg.com for Tracking Links, and www.clkmr.com for Rotators.
5. Once you save the record, ensure it appears in the list, and click Continue.
6. Next, you will see a prompt to update your nameservers. Copy the CloudFlare name servers…
7. Head back to Bluehost and click on the Manage button next to the domain you are using here.
8. Click the DNS menu option and then the “Edit” button to update the name servers.
9. Change the setup type to “Custom”, update the name servers to those you copied from CloudFlare, and then save your changes.
10. Now, go back to CloudFlare and continue the setup process.
11. When the quick start menu pops up, make sure “Always Use HTTPS” is turned on, and leave the rest of the settings the same.
12. Once you are through the quick start and you see the dashboard, click on the SSL settings on the left and make sure the SSL/TLS encryption mode is set to “Full”
13. Once your domain is confirmed to be connected in CloudFlare, go to the Domain Manager in ClickMagick to add your custom domain.
How To Set Up A Secured Custom Domain In in Siteground
1. Log in to CloudFlare (or create a new account if you have not already)
2. Click "Add Site" in the top right of the page, and add your site to your CloudFlare account.
3. Choose the free plan when prompted.
4. Create a new record once your current records have been scanned.
For the “Type”, choose CNAME.
For the “Name”, add whatever you want to use for your tracking subdomain.
Then, for the “Target”, use www.clkmg.com for Tracking Links, and www.clkmr.com for Rotators.
5. Once you save the record, ensure it appears in the list, and click Continue.
6. Next, you will see a prompt to update your nameservers. Copy the CloudFlare name servers…
7. Head back to Siteground, go to the Services menu, and click “Domains".
8. From there, click on the three dots next to the domain and choose “Manage Domain”
9. Click “Manage Nameservers” on the right-hand side, update your name servers to what you copied from CloudFlare, and then confirm your changes.
10. Now, go back to CloudFlare and continue the setup process.
11. When the quick start menu pops up, make sure “Always Use HTTPS” is turned on, and leave the rest of the settings the same.
12. Once you are through the quick start and you see the dashboard, click on the SSL settings on the left and make sure the SSL/TLS encryption mode is set to “Full”
13. Once your domain is confirmed to be connected to CloudFlare, go to the Domain Manager in ClickMagick to add your custom domain.
If you are using an existing domain, you first need to figure out what you want your subdomain to be. This is a descriptive word in front of your domain name. Here are some examples:
www.yourdomain.com
learn.yourdomain.com
blog.yourdomain.com
offer.yourdomain.com
In the examples above, the subdomains are www, blog, learn, and offer. You can use any combination of letters and numbers for a subdomain.
Once you have figured out what you will be naming your subdomain for tracking, You will use one of the values below:
For Tracking Links, use:
Type: CNAME
Name: The subdomain you chose. For this article, we used “track”.
Target: www.clkmg.com
For Rotators, use:
Type: CNAME
Name: The subdomain you chose. For this article, we used “track”.
Target: www.clkmr.com
Note: Do not use the same CNAME reference for Tracking Links and Rotators when setting up your custom domain. If you do, you cannot add your custom domain to the tracking or rotator features will not work properly. You need to use separate subdomains for Tracking Links and Rotators.
How to Add the Custom Tracking Domain to ClickMagick
Click on Domain Manager in the Tools menu inside Tracking Links and click on the New Domain button.
Enter your root domain (without any subdomain or the https):
Use the default options now and click “Add Custom Domain” to save your changes.
You can always change your domain settings using the Domain Manager.
Note: You might be unable to add your domain to ClickMagick immediately. This is because it can take anywhere from 1 to 24 hours for the DNS records to propagate. If you are having problems adding your new custom domain, give it some time and return later to try again.
How to Add Your New Domain to Your Links or Rotators
To learn how to set up Tracking Links or Rotators in the first place, review the articles linked below.
To add a new domain to a tracking link (whether you’re creating one or editing one), click on the dropdown menu next to “Tracking Link” and choose the new domain:
To add a new custom domain to your rotator (whether You’re creating one or editing one), click on the dropdown menu next to “Rotator Link" and choose the new domain:
And that’s it! You now have a custom domain ready to use with your Tracking Links or Rotators with ClickMagick!
If you've set up a custom domain with ClickFunnels, you may be able to use that same domain with ClickMagick.
Here’s how you can tell …
If you bought your domain and you set that domain up with ClickFunnels as an “external domain” or as an “external subdomain”, then you can use that same domain for tracking with ClickMagick. Just click on the tab above that says “I’m using an existing domain” and follow the instructions.
If, on the other hand, you registered a new domain through ClickFunnels and paid ClickFunnels a registration fee, then you will need to buy a new domain that you can use for tracking purposes.
You can’t use your ClickFunnels domain with ClickMagick—in this case—because the tracking domain must be secure. When you buy a domain directly from ClickFunnels, they set it up so that only your ClickFunnels pages are secure.
There is no way to make the necessary changes to use that same domain as a tracking domain and make the tracking domain secure. It’s just a limitation of how ClickFunnels sets up the domain.
Fortunately, buying a new domain for tracking is easy and inexpensive.
You should be able to buy a new domain for as little as $8 to $20 USD per year.
You don’t need to get a fancy domain name for tracking because, oftentimes, you’ll only use the domain inside of ads where your visitors will never even see them.
You certainly don’t need to buy any additional options that registrars offer when buying a domain. Just answer “No” to every additional option. All you want is the domain. You don’t need “hosting,” “private registration,” or anything else.
Seriously, if at checkout time the total is more than $20 USD for a single year, you’ve chosen some additional option you absolutely don’t need.
Once you’ve purchased a new domain through GoDaddy or some other registrar, click on the tab above that says “I’ve bought a new domain” and follow the instructions.
Note: If you’re unsure about which type of domain you’ve set up with ClickFunnels—an “external” domain or a “new domain through ClickFunnels”—click on these two ClickFunnels knowledge base articles that describe each type. That should trigger your memory about which type you initially set up:
