Tracking domains, DNS & SSL

A tracking domain is the hostname in your links: https://<tracking domain>/r/…, /c/…, /s/…, /i/…, /pb, /px. Every workspace can use the brand's shared domain trackcrown.com immediately. You can add your own hostnames, for example trk.yourbrand.com, under Tracking → Tracking domains (https://app.trackcrown.com/app/domains). Analysts and managers can view domains; admins and owners add and change them.

Add a domain#

1. Click Add domain. In Add a tracking domain, enter the Hostname (letters, digits and hyphens; no scheme, path or port), for example trk.yourbrand.com. The dialog shows how it will be saved.
2. Create the DNS records shown at your DNS provider (next section).
3. Wait for the status to change from pending to active, or use Check DNS now in the row menu.

DNS records#

You need two records for a workspace domain.

Step 1 — prove ownership (TXT)#

Pointing a name at the platform is not proof that you control it (anyone can point a name at a shared IP), so every workspace domain needs a TXT record:

The value is specific to your workspace and this hostname; copy it from the panel. If your DNS provider appends the zone automatically, enter the name without your root domain (_arctrack-verify.trk). Keep the record in place. The _arctrack-verify name and the arctrack-verify= prefix are fixed technical identifiers of the tracking engine, the same for every brand.

Step 2 — point the hostname to the platform#

• A root domain (yourbrand.com) cannot use a CNAME; create the A/AAAA records.
• Remove any other A, AAAA or CNAME records for the same name first.
• On Cloudflare set the record to DNS only (grey cloud). A proxied record resolves to Cloudflare, the check fails, and challenge pages would break tracking.

Verification timing and statuses#

HTTPS certificates#

The certificate is issued automatically on the first HTTPS request to an active domain; renewal is automatic. The HTTPS column shows the certificate state (hover for issuer and expiry; Re-check HTTPS to test again), and an expiry column shows days until the certificate expires, checked hourly from outside. Plain http:// requests get a 308 to the same https:// URL with path and query unchanged.

Make a domain the default#

In the row menu choose Make default (active, own domains only). New links, tracking templates and the link builders use the default domain. Existing links keep working on their hostname.

Domain assignments#

Assignments (https://app.trackcrown.com/app/domains/assignments) sends an offer's or a partner's links through a specific domain. Choose Tracking domain, and optionally Offer and Partner. Precedence: partner + offer, then partner, then offer, then the workspace default. Assignments are used by the partner portal's offer page, the REST API's tracking-link endpoint, and (offer-level assignments only) the offer's Tracking tab. The page also lists recent clicks that arrived on a different domain than the one assigned.

Advertiser CNAMEs for Google Ads#

Google lets an advertiser use a CNAME subdomain of its own final-URL domain that points at a certified tracking domain, without separate certification (Advertiser CNAMEs). Use Add an advertiser CNAME:

1. At the advertiser's DNS provider create CNAME track.<their-domain> → <brand tracking host>.
2. The registrable domain must already be in Allowed destination domains (workspace settings).
3. Enter the Hostname (for example track.advertiser-shop.com) and click Add CNAME, then publish the TXT record shown (TXT name, TXT value).

Google certification#

Google Ads accepts tracking templates only on domains certified as transparent click trackers. The platform operator applies once per tracking domain (1 September – 30 November each year); the Certification column shows the status and only platform administrators can change it. See Google Ads setup.

What visitors see on the domain root#

https://<tracking domain>/ shows a brand information page: that this is a click-tracking domain operated by the brand, what is collected, and links to the privacy policy, terms and contact. /privacy and /terms are served on the tracking domain; /robots.txt disallows crawling. Reviewers from Google open this page.

Disable or delete#

• Disable: links on this hostname stop working immediately and no certificate is issued. Enable restores it.
• Delete: only possible for domains without clicks in the last 30 days; you must type the hostname to confirm. Links and Google Ads templates using it stop working.