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Summary

SendGrid tracking links, while including a necessary long string for unique identification, can be significantly enhanced in appearance and professionalism through custom link branding. This key process involves replacing the default sendgrid.net domain with your own custom domain or a dedicated, concise subdomain, such as links.yourdomain.com. Although the unique alphanumeric tracking hash itself cannot be shortened or altered, branding the domain portion makes the links visually cleaner, more trustworthy, and seamlessly aligned with your brand. This strategic move not only improves recipient perception and can increase click-through rates but also positively impacts email deliverability by fostering trust. It is critical to avoid generic third-party link shorteners, as they will disrupt SendGrid's native click tracking and can severely jeopardize your sender reputation. SendGrid also offers a 'Short Links' feature that can reduce link length by approximately 40%, but it comes with a 60-day data retention window for click tracking.

Key findings

  • Custom Branding is Primary Method: The most effective and recommended method to 'shorten' and professionalize SendGrid branded tracking links is by implementing custom link branding, which replaces the default sendgrid.net domain with your own domain or a dedicated subdomain.
  • Tracking Hash Cannot Be Shortened: SendGrid's unique alphanumeric tracking string, or hash, which is appended to links for click tracking, cannot be customized, shortened, or altered, as it is crucial for accurate analytics.
  • Subdomains Enhance Appearance: Using a dedicated, concise subdomain for custom link branding, such as click.yourdomain.com, helps maintain your primary domain's sending reputation and visually shortens the overall link for recipients.
  • Improves Trust & Deliverability: Branded tracking links are perceived as more legitimate and trustworthy by recipients, which not only encourages higher click-through rates but also positively impacts email deliverability and sender reputation.
  • Generic Shorteners Are Detrimental: Using generic third-party link shorteners with SendGrid emails breaks their native click tracking and analytics, while also posing a significant risk to deliverability due to their common association with spam.

Key considerations

  • Enable Short Links Feature: Consider contacting SendGrid support to enable their 'Short Links' feature, which can reduce link length by about 40%, but be aware of its 60-day data retention limit for click tracking.
  • Configure CNAME Record: Prepare to configure a CNAME record in your domain's DNS settings, pointing your chosen subdomain to SendGrid, to successfully implement custom link branding.
  • Select a Concise Subdomain: Choose a short, memorable, and relevant subdomain for your custom link branding, such as go.yourdomain.com or links.yourdomain.com, to make the overall link appear cleaner and more professional.
  • Understand Unalterable Hash: Accept that the unique alphanumeric hash appended by SendGrid for tracking purposes cannot be customized, shortened, or altered, as it is essential for accurate click data and analytics.
  • Avoid Third-Party Shorteners: Never use generic third-party link shortening services like Bitly or TinyURL for links within emails sent via SendGrid, as this breaks native tracking and significantly harms deliverability due to spam associations.

What email marketers say

10 marketer opinions

Addressing the visual length of SendGrid's tracking links primarily involves implementing custom link branding. While the unique alphanumeric hash within these links, crucial for accurate click tracking and analytics, cannot be altered or shortened, replacing the default sendgrid.net domain with your own custom domain or a concise subdomain like go.yourdomain.com makes the links appear significantly cleaner and more professional. This strategic approach enhances recipient trust and positively influences email deliverability by presenting a consistent, branded experience. It is vital to avoid generic third-party link shorteners, as they disable SendGrid's native tracking capabilities and can severely jeopardize sender reputation due to their association with spam. SendGrid also offers a 'Short Links' feature which can reduce overall link length by about 40%, though it comes with a 60-day data retention period for click tracking.

Key opinions

  • Branded Domains Key to Appearance: The most effective way to improve the perceived length and professionalism of SendGrid tracking links is by replacing the default sendgrid.net domain with a custom branded domain.
  • Tracking Hash Unchangeable: The unique identifier, or hash, embedded within SendGrid tracking links is essential for analytics and cannot be customized, shortened, or removed.
  • Enhances Trust & Deliverability: Using a custom branded domain for tracking links significantly boosts recipient trust, makes links appear more legitimate, and contributes positively to email deliverability.
  • Third-Party Shorteners Harmful: Generic link shortening services like Bitly should not be used with SendGrid emails as they break native tracking and pose a substantial risk to deliverability due to spam associations.
  • SendGrid's Short Links Feature: SendGrid offers a 'Short Links' feature that can reduce link length by approximately 40%, though it has a 60-day data retention limit for click tracking.

Key considerations

  • DNS Configuration for Branding: Implementing custom link branding requires setting up a CNAME record in your domain's DNS settings, pointing a chosen subdomain to SendGrid's tracking services.
  • Choose Concise Branded Subdomain: Select a short, memorable, and relevant subdomain such as go.yourdomain.com or c.yourdomain.com to visually shorten the link and reinforce brand identity.
  • Accept Tracking Hash Immutability: Understand that the unique alphanumeric tracking hash in SendGrid links cannot be directly shortened, as it is integral to the platform's analytics capabilities.
  • Avoid Generic Shorteners Entirely: Refrain from using any third-party link shorteners for email links, as this will disable SendGrid's native click tracking and can negatively impact your sender reputation.
  • Leverage SendGrid's Short Links: Explore enabling SendGrid's 'Short Links' feature through their support for an approximate 40% reduction in length, keeping in mind the 60-day data retention limit for tracking.

Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks explains that SendGrid offers a 'Short Links' feature to reduce the link length by about 40%. This feature, however, has a data retention window of only 60 days for click tracking. She advises contacting SendGrid support to enable this feature.

6 Oct 2023 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailtrap Blog explains that implementing a custom tracking domain is the primary method to 'shorten' and professionalize SendGrid branded tracking links. Replacing generic domains with your own branded subdomain not only improves deliverability and recipient trust but also presents a cleaner, more concise URL appearance, making the links less intimidating despite their underlying technical length.

12 Jan 2023 - Mailtrap Blog

What the experts say

0 expert opinions

To effectively shorten the visual appearance of long SendGrid branded tracking links, the most impactful strategy involves applying custom link branding. This process entails replacing the standard sendgrid.net domain with your own brand's domain or a specific, shorter subdomain, like clicks.yourcompany.com. While the unique alphanumeric string appended for tracking purposes cannot be altered, this domain customization significantly enhances the link's professionalism and trustworthiness. Such branded links not only align better with your company's identity but also contribute positively to recipient confidence and overall email deliverability. Conversely, using generic third-party link shorteners is strongly advised against, as they disable SendGrid's native tracking and can severely jeopardize your sender reputation due to their association with suspicious activity. SendGrid also offers a 'Short Links' feature that can reduce length by approximately 40%, but it comes with a 60-day data retention limit for click analytics.

Key opinions

  • Custom Branding is Key: Rebranding the domain portion of SendGrid tracking links is the main approach to making them appear shorter and more professional.
  • Tracking Hash Immutable: The unique alphanumeric identifier SendGrid adds for click tracking cannot be changed or truncated.
  • Boosts Trust and Deliverability: Adopting custom branded links enhances recipient trust, which in turn supports better email deliverability outcomes.
  • Third-Party Tools Harmful: Generic link shortening services are detrimental, as they disable SendGrid's tracking and present a significant deliverability risk.
  • SendGrid's Short Link Option: SendGrid provides a 'Short Links' feature, capable of reducing link length by about 40%, but be aware of its 60-day data retention policy.

Key considerations

  • DNS Configuration Required: Implementing custom link branding necessitates setting up a CNAME record in your domain's DNS to point your chosen subdomain to SendGrid.
  • Strategic Subdomain Selection: Choose a short, descriptive subdomain, such as track.yourdomain.com, to maximize the visual shortening effect and reinforce brand consistency.
  • Accept Tracking String Limitations: Understand that the integral alphanumeric tracking string added by SendGrid remains fixed and cannot be manually shortened.
  • Strict Avoidance of External Shorteners: Refrain from using any third-party link shortening services, as they break SendGrid's tracking and severely compromise sender reputation.
  • Evaluate SendGrid's Feature: Consider enabling SendGrid's "Short Links" feature for an approximate 40% reduction, factoring in the 60-day limit for retaining click data.

What the documentation says

3 technical articles

Shortening SendGrid's branded tracking links primarily involves leveraging custom link branding capabilities. This process allows you to replace the default sendgrid.net domain with your own custom domain or a dedicated, concise subdomain, such as links.yourdomain.com. It's important to note that while the specific alphanumeric hash appended for tracking purposes remains unchangeable-as it's critical for accurate analytics-personalizing the domain greatly enhances the link's professional appearance and trustworthiness to recipients. Furthermore, using a dedicated subdomain helps preserve your primary domain's sending reputation, contributing to overall better email deliverability.

Key findings

  • Custom Branding Shortens Links: Implementing custom link branding effectively shortens the visual length of SendGrid tracking links by allowing you to use your own domain instead of sendgrid.net.
  • Tracking Identifier is Fixed: The unique alphanumeric string appended by SendGrid for tracking cannot be customized or shortened, as it is indispensable for capturing accurate click data.
  • Dedicated Subdomains Recommended: Utilizing a dedicated subdomain, such as links.yourdomain.com, for custom branding helps maintain your main domain's reputation and provides a visually concise tracking link.

Key considerations

  • Configure CNAME Record: To implement custom link branding, you must configure a CNAME record in your domain's DNS settings, pointing your chosen subdomain to SendGrid.
  • Select a Concise Subdomain: Opt for a short, relevant subdomain, like click.yourdomain.com, to maximize the visual shortening effect and maintain brand consistency in your tracking links.
  • Recognize Unchangeable Hash: Be aware that the unique alphanumeric tracking string added by SendGrid cannot be shortened or customized, as it is crucial for accurate click data.

Technical article

Documentation from SendGrid explains that you can set up custom link branding to replace the default sendgrid.net domain in your tracking links with your own custom domain or subdomain. This makes the links appear shorter and more professional to recipients, as they bear your brand's name, requiring a CNAME record configuration.

22 Sep 2022 - SendGrid Documentation

Technical article

Documentation from SendGrid clarifies that while custom link branding allows you to modify the domain portion of your tracking links, the unique alphanumeric string, or hash, that SendGrid appends for tracking purposes cannot be shortened, altered, or customized. This hash is essential for capturing unique click data and ensuring accurate analytics.

15 Mar 2023 - SendGrid Documentation

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