If you are planning to generate Dynamic QR Codes using Scanova but don’t want end-users to see any Scanova branding in the URLs (Scanova Dynamic QR Codes are usually encoded with short URLs of the format https://scnv.io/ABCD), then you can use a feature called Custom Domain or Custom Short URL.
Using Custom Short URL, your QR Codes will be encoded with say https://qr.mywebsite.com/ABCD instead of https://scnv.io/ABCD. This feature is only available to Pro and Enterprise Plan users. See pricing to know more.
Here is how to set up and use this feature:
A. Why do you need Custom Short URLs and the necessity of a subdomain
1. The URL that you want your target audience to eventually see is called Target URL. It can be any URL—your website, a promotional webpage, a social media page, etc.
2. Using Scanova, there are two ways you can link the Target URL with a QR Code—Static QR Code and Dynamic QR Code.
3. Static QR Codes are basic QR Codes where the Target URL is encoded into the QR Code. This means that the URL is hard-coded and cannot be updated. This makes a Static QR Code permanent in nature. Static QR Codes have very limited functionality
4. In Dynamic QR Codes, a short URL called the Redirecting URL is encoded. This then redirects to the Target URL. When people scan a Dynamic QR Code, the first thing they will see is the Redirecting URL.
5. This will run in a mobile browser and then redirect to the specified Target URL. Redirection allows Dynamic QR Codes to have additional functionality such as content editability and scan tracking.
6. Redirecting URLs are of the following format "https://scnv.io/AbCd", where AbCd is a hash unique to each Dynamic QR Code.
7. Many Scanova users prefer to have their own branding for everything, including Redirecting URLs. Using the 'Custom Domain' feature it’s possible to customize the Redirecting URL.
8. For this, it’s suggested that you first set up a subdomain (like https://qr.mywebsite.com) in your DNS via a CNAME record that points to scnv.app. This allows you to mask Scanova Redirecting URLs with your own subdomain URLs (like https://qr.mywebsite.com/AbCd) even though all traffic will still go via Scanova servers.
9. A subdomain is suggested so that your root domain (https://mywebsite.com) and all its URLs remain unaffected. This is because the subdomain will point to scnv.app, which means that the subdomain will simply be an alias of scnv.app and all incoming traffic via QR Codes will be served via scnv.app servers. You wouldn’t want this to happen with your root domain.
B. Create a subdomain that points to scnv.app
1. Go to your domain hosting service provider like GoDaddy, Digital Ocean, AWS, Plesk, etc.
2. Choose the domain of your choice (the URLs in the QR Codes will be of this domain).
3. Go to DNS Settings on the chosen domain.
4. Create a new CNAME record with the following values:
- Subdomain/Hostname: QR or scan or any short name of your choice. Note: Some DNS settings may require you to enter a complete subdomain like qr.mywebsite.com
- Alias/Canonical: scnv.app (this temporarily gives Scanova control over the subdomain to allow you to use Scanova’s advanced features)
- TTL value can be specified to 43200
5. The above step will create a new subdomain owned by you, pointing towards Scanova’s domain (scnv.app).
C. Add the new subdomain to your Scanova account
1. Login to your Pro or Enterprise account.
2. Go to Dashboard > Settings > Custom Domain.
3. Click on Get Started and enter the new subdomain created in Step B
4. Once you add the domain, Scanova will verify if the subdomain points to scnv.app. It may take up to 24 hours before our system can recognize the changes in your subdomain
5. Add the TXT Record (mentioned in the instructions box) to verify domain ownership. Add @ in host/name/hostname field.
6. Once done, you will receive a success message. Your set up is complete.
D. Generate Dynamic QR Code using Custom Domain feature
1. Go to Create QR Code from sidebar navigation panel.
2. Choose a QR Code category and enter the required content.
3. Select the Customize Short URL option under Advanced Settings.
4. In the domain part of the URL, you will see a dropdown menu from which you can select your custom subdomain.
5. The QR Code generated using this subdomain will have your branding and not Scanova’s (scnv.app).
If you have more than one custom domain in your account, then you can set a default domain for the QR Codes you generate. Go to Settings > Custom Domain > Set Default column and change the setting as per your need. You can change it anytime and set any other available domain as default.
For further queries, contact our customer relations team at support@scanova.io.