A .link domain is one of the new generic TLDs that signals “this is about links”. The right fit is a link-shortener, a redirector service, or a brand that wants a memorable URL that says exactly what the product does.
Table of contents
- What a .link domain is
- Who uses .link
- Pros and cons
- DNS and TLS
- Alternatives
- The brand strategy
- The pricing reality
- FAQ
What a .link domain is
.link is a generic top-level domain (gTLD) managed by Uniregistry. The registry was delegated in 2014 as part of the new-gTLD expansion. The TLD is open to anyone; there is no special eligibility requirement, no trademark holder restriction, no geographic tie.
The TLD has found a niche in the link-shortener and URL-redirector market because the name literally says what the service does.
Who uses .link
The teams that register .link domains:
- Link-shorteners. bit.ly alternatives, internal redirectors, branded short URLs.
- Redirect services. Affiliate-link tools, URL-rotation platforms.
- Marketing campaigns. Campaign-specific URLs that need to stand out from .com.
- Personal portfolios. Designers, writers, indie hackers who want a URL that does what it says.
Pros and cons
The pros:
- Availability. Almost any name is available; the .com gold rush ended years ago.
- Brand signaling. The URL says “links” without spelling it out.
- Memorability. A short, meaningful name is easier to remember than a long .com.
The cons:
- Trust. Some users still see new gTLDs as less trustworthy than .com. This is fading.
- Cost. Most new gTLDs are $10-$30/year; .com is $10-$15/year.
- Tooling gaps. Some older enterprise tools hard-code the TLD list; .link is usually included but not always.
DNS and TLS
A .link domain works exactly like any other TLD. The DNS records are the same (A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT). The TLS certificate issuance is the same (Let’s Encrypt, ZeroSSL, or a paid CA). The team that registers a .link domain configures DNS at the registrar, points it to the hosting, and gets a certificate the usual way.
The one thing the team should verify: the registrar’s API for DNS automation. The team that automates DNS with Terraform or Pulumi needs a registrar with a working provider.
Alternatives
The other new gTLDs that fit similar use cases:
- .click for click-tracking or analytics brands.
- .io for tech startups (now crowded and expensive).
- .dev for developer tools.
- .app for mobile apps.
The team that picks .link is the team that wants the URL to literally say “links”. The team that wants a more general tech-brand feel picks .io or .dev.
The brand strategy
The case for picking .link:
- The product does “links”. A link-shortener, a redirect service, an affiliate-link manager. The URL is the brand.
- The
.comis taken. The team that wantsexample.combut it’s parked by a domain squatter finds the.linkavailable at a reasonable price. - The brand leans on the URL. The team that wants the URL itself to be the marketing (like bit.ly) picks a TLD that says what the product does.
The case against picking .link:
- The product is broader than links. A SaaS that happens to have a redirect feature but is mostly an analytics platform should pick
.com,.io, or.app. - Trust matters more than memorability. Enterprise buyers may be cautious of new gTLDs. The team that sells to enterprise picks
.com. - The brand is offline-first. A local business, a brick-and-mortar store, a consultancy. The URL doesn’t matter much; pick the cheapest TLD.
The pricing reality
Real prices for a .link domain in 2026:
- Cloudflare Registrar. ~$10/year (at-cost, no markup).
- Namecheap. ~$10-15/year.
- Porkbun. ~$10-12/year.
- GoDaddy. ~$15-20/year (highest markup, but bundled with email).
The renewal price is usually the same as the registration price for the first year. The team that registers a .link domain pays $10-20/year, comparable to .com.
Premium domains (short, common words) can cost $100-$10,000+. The team that wants go.link or my.link pays a premium; the team that wants a longer, brand-specific name pays the standard rate.
FAQ
Who can register a .link domain?
Anyone. There is no eligibility requirement. The team that wants a .link domain registers it through any ICANN-accredited registrar (Cloudflare, Namecheap, Porkbun, Gandi).
How much does a .link domain cost?
$10-$30 per year, depending on the registrar. Renewal is usually the same price as the initial registration.
Is .link a good TLD for SEO?
Google has said that new gTLDs are treated equally to .com for ranking purposes. The team that picks .link for SEO reasons is fine; the team that ignores content quality because the URL ends in .link is missing the point.
Can I use a .link domain for email?
Yes. MX records work the same as any other TLD. The team that wants professional email on a .link domain configures the MX records to point at the mail provider (Google Workspace, Fastmail, Proton Mail, etc.).
Should I get a .com or .link domain?
If the .com is available and you can afford it, .com. If the .com is taken or expensive, .link (or another new gTLD) is fine for a product whose brand leans on the URL.
How long does .link domain registration take?
Minutes for most TLDs. Some require additional verification (a few hours to a few days).
Can I move my .link domain to another registrar?
Yes, with a domain transfer. The process takes 5-7 days; the domain continues to work during the transfer. The team that wants to switch registrars uses the standard transfer process.
If you are sizing the infrastructure for the kind of project this post covers, the RunxBuild hosting calculator is the right place to model the line items. The compute, the memory, the storage, the bandwidth, the database - each one is a separate number, and the team’s mental model for the platform is the sum of those numbers. The RunxBuild dashboard is where the team sees the actual usage in one place.
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