Why Aren't My Links Working? – Rebrandly

This is mainly due to user error or domain-related issue. Rebrandly has nearly 100% up-time and has actually never gone down since first becoming operational in November 2015.

Click here to check the Rebrandly up-time status.

If you feel this is an emergency, you can always contact support and we will get back to you ASAP: Rebrandly.Support/Contact

Please note: If you just purchased a domain, it takes up to 24 hours for it to begin working. You will receive a confirmation email when the domain is ready.

To begin troubleshooting on your own, let's discuss some of the most common problems:

Note: Make sure your link is active- if you deleted the link then the redirect won't work.

1. Your Destination URL is Broken

To test this, simply select the pencil icon of the branded link you're checking:

When the link detail pops up, click on the destination URL:

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Copy and paste the destination URL into a new browser window and hit enter:

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If the link didn't work, that's your problem. Find the correct destination URL and replace the existing one. But if the link worked, continue troubleshooting.

Also, look at How to monitor and fix broken links (404) for your branded links (custom shorten URLs)?

2. The short link URL was mistyped

If it wasn't the destination URL, maybe you were testing the wrong short link. To verify this, simply click the copy to clipboard button for the link in question:

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Paste (ctrl+v) this link into a new browser and hit enter. If the link directs you to the correct destination, then you've accidentally shared a bad link or made a typo when sharing.

If you got an error page, please continue troubleshooting.

3. You registered your domain through Rebrandly but never verified your email address with OpenSRS.

Note: OpenSRS is the domain registrar Rebrandly uses to register your domains.

If you bought a domain through Rebrandly, you should have received some verification emails. It is required by ICANN international law that you verify your email in order to own and operate a domain.

You must find the email from "OpenSRS" that should have "WHOIS privacy validation" in the subject title.

If you fail to respond to these emails (there should be 5 in total from OpenSRS) within 15 days, your domain will be suspended until verification.

If you believe this has happened to you, first, check your email for a verification email. Don't forget to check your Spam folder. If you do not find one, please contact us and we will help you through the rest of the process to re-activate your domain.

4. You accidentally changed your DNS settings or lost control of your connect domain

If your domain was not registered with Rebrandly but connected through another provider like GoDaddy, Name.com, XYZ, etc., it’s important to be aware that someone may have made changes to your DNS settings, or you may have lost control of your domain with them due to a missed payment or other reasons.

A quick way to check if this is the case is to go to your domains tab and look for a "green" (working) or "red" (broken) light for your domain:

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If none of these is the case, then I would recommend contacting us in order to have us dive into the account and sort out the issue.

This Article is About:

Troubleshooting short URLs broken links
Why is this short branded URL not working?
Why is my domain not working?
Help, my links are down.

See Also:

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