How to Set Up a Domain Redirect for Email Marketing Campaigns

TL;DR: Use branded redirects (like promo.yourbrand.com) in email campaigns instead of raw URLs or generic shorteners. Better deliverability, updatable destinations, click tracking. Set up with Domain-Forward.com (free plan) in 5 minutes.

You’re sending an email campaign. The link in your CTA button goes to your latest promotion page — a URL that’s long, ugly, or on a third-party platform.

Options:

Raw URL — https://your-shopify-store.myshopify.com/collections/spring-sale-2026 — long, distracting
Generic shortener — bit.ly/3xKf92 — looks spammy, triggered by spam filters
Branded redirect — promo.yourbrand.com — trustworthy, professional, updatable

Option 3 wins every time.

Why Branded Redirects Are Better for Email

1. Spam filter trust

Email providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) evaluate links in emails. Generic shorteners like bit.ly, tinyurl.com, and others are frequently used by spammers and phishing campaigns. Your own domain is not on those lists.

2. Subscriber trust

Readers hover over links before clicking. promo.yourbrand.com is recognizable. bit.ly/3xKf92 is not.

3. Updatable after sending

Made a typo on the landing page? Sale page changed? Update the redirect destination — every email already sent now points to the corrected URL. No need to resend.

4. One URL for recurring campaigns

promo.yourbrand.com can point to:

Spring Sale in March
Summer Collection in June
Black Friday in November

Same link in templates, same link referenced in past emails — always points to the current campaign.

Setup

Step 1: Choose your campaign subdomain

Subdomain	Use Case
`promo.yourbrand.com`	Promotions and sales
`go.yourbrand.com`	General-purpose campaign link
`offer.yourbrand.com`	Limited-time offers
`news.yourbrand.com`	Newsletter featured content
`event.yourbrand.com`	Event registrations

Free, no credit card.

Step 3: Add your redirect

Source: promo.yourbrand.com
Destination: Your current campaign URL
Type: 301

Step 4: Add DNS record

Record Type	Host	Value
CNAME	promo	`edge.domain-forward.com`

Step 5: Wait and use

DNS propagation: 1-4 hours. SSL provisioned automatically. Use https://promo.yourbrand.com in your email campaigns.

Campaign Rotation Workflow

Q1: Set promo.yourbrand.com → Spring Sale page
Q2: Update destination → Summer Collection page
Q3: Update → Back to School page
Q4: Update → Black Friday page

One subdomain, rotated through campaigns. No DNS changes ever. Update takes 10 seconds in Domain-Forward.com.

Combine With Your Email Platform

This works alongside whatever email tool you use (Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Klaviyo, etc.). Use promo.yourbrand.com as the link destination in your email editor. Your email platform’s built-in click tracking wraps the URL — the redirect still works.

See also: Marketing campaigns use case, Using a domain as a URL shortener, Redirect analytics for tracking click-through rates.

Better Deliverability, Permanent Links

Stop using generic shorteners in emails. Your own branded subdomain is trusted by spam filters, recognized by subscribers, and updatable without re-sending.

Create your free account, set up your campaign subdomain, start using it in your next email blast. Email delivery (MX records) stays untouched — you’re only adding a CNAME for the subdomain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use a redirect domain in email campaigns?

Branded redirect URLs (like promo.yourbrand.com) look trustworthy, are recognized by spam filters as legitimate, and let you change the destination without re-sending emails.

Does using a redirect affect email deliverability?

Using your own branded domain improves deliverability compared to generic shorteners (like bit.ly) which spam filters often flag. Your established domain has reputation that benefits link trust.

Can I update where a link goes after sending an email?

Yes. Change the redirect destination in Domain-Forward.com at any time. Already-sent emails with that link will point to the new destination.

Can I track clicks?

Yes. Domain-Forward.com includes redirect analytics. You'll see how many recipients clicked through.

Is it free?

Yes. Domain-Forward.com's free plan supports up to 5 domains.

Should I use a subdomain or a separate domain?

A subdomain of your primary domain (like go.yourbrand.com or promo.yourbrand.com) is best. It inherits your domain's reputation and is recognizable to subscribers.