Routy

Traffic Source — Cloaked Links

The Cloaked Links tab lets you create branded redirect links for this traffic source — links on your own domain instead of raw destination URLs or generic short links.

A cloaked link is a clean, branded URL (e.g. go.yoursite.com/promo) that redirects visitors to a destination you set. Because it runs on your verified domain, it:

  • looks credible and lifts click-through,
  • gives you cleaner, more reliable tracking and attribution,
  • lets you change the destination — or route by location — without changing the link you've shared.

What you'll see

The tab shows one of three states depending on your setup:

  1. Upgrade / promo — cloaked links aren't on your plan yet. You'll see what they do and an Upgrade Plan option.
  2. Domain setup — your plan includes cloaked links but you haven't set up a custom domain. Follow the setup steps below.
  3. Links table — your domain is verified and active, so you can create and manage cloaked links.

Setting up a custom domain

Cloaked links need a verified branded domain. The setup walks you through:

  1. Enter your domain (a full domain name / FQDN).
  2. Add a DNS record — create the CNAME record Routy gives you with your DNS provider.
  3. Wait for verification — DNS changes propagate gradually; some providers take up to 24 hours.
  4. Final activation check — after verification, provisioning usually finishes in about 20 minutes. A test URL is provided to health-check the domain.
  5. Create your first cloaked link — the New Cloaked Link button unlocks once the domain is verified.

In the table view, click Add to open Create a Cloaked Link:

  • Name — used to generate the cloaked URL (2–100 characters).
  • Description — optional note for your own reference.
  • Default Destination — where visitors go when no location rule matches.
  • Redirect Users by Location — optional. Add country/region rules to send visitors from specific places to different destinations. The default destination is used for everyone else.

The links table shows each link's Name, Default URL, and Redirect (geo) rules. Edit or delete any link from its row.

Common questions

Your custom domain isn't verified and active yet. Finish the domain setup steps — the button unlocks after verification and activation.

"My domain won't verify"

The CNAME record may not have propagated yet. DNS changes can take up to 24 hours; use the DNS checker in the setup steps to see whether the record is visible.

Yes — add location redirects when creating or editing the link. Visitors from a matching country/region go to that destination; everyone else gets the default destination.