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How to Buy a Domain on Porkbun

Porkbun is an ICANN-accredited registrar known for a clean UI and a lot of “should-be-standard” features included with domain purchases—like free WHOIS privacy (where supported) and free DNS management (Porkbun notes their DNS management is powered by Cloudflare).
Reference: https://kb.porkbun.com/article/212-how-to-register-a-domain-at-porkbun

This guide shows how to buy a domain on Porkbun in a way that’s easy to follow and works well for branded short links (like Snipzr).

Before you start (2 minutes)​

Most teams choose one of these:

  • Subdomain (simplest everywhere): go.yourbrand.com
  • Apex / root (shortest links): yourbrand.com

If you want the apex/root (yourbrand.com/abc) for your short links, you usually need “CNAME-like” behavior at the apex. Standard DNS has constraints around CNAMEs (see RFC 1034), but Porkbun supports this using an ALIAS record (“CNAME flattening”).

Use an email address you’ll keep long-term​

Registrar emails matter for renewals, security notices, and account recovery. For teams, consider a shared alias like [email protected].

Step-by-step: Register a domain at Porkbun​

Porkbun’s official walkthrough is here:
https://kb.porkbun.com/article/212-how-to-register-a-domain-at-porkbun

1) Create / sign in to your Porkbun account​

Start here: https://porkbun.com/account/signup
Porkbun notes you’ll provide valid account contact info, and free WHOIS privacy is enabled by default for domains that support it.
Reference: https://kb.porkbun.com/article/212-how-to-register-a-domain-at-porkbun

2) Search for your domain​

Go to the Domains page and search: https://porkbun.com/domains
Porkbun also supports a bulk search (handy if you have a few options).

3) Add the domain to cart and checkout​

Click the + icon to add the available domain, then click Checkout.

At checkout, you may see optional add-ons (hosting/email). You can add those later—most branded short-link setups only need the domain and DNS.

4) Confirm WHOIS privacy​

Porkbun includes free WHOIS privacy for participating domains, and their KB explains it’s enabled by default (when supported).

caution

Some TLDs (example: .us) don’t allow WHOIS privacy. Porkbun notes they show warnings at checkout when a TLD doesn’t support it. https://kb.porkbun.com/article/212-how-to-register-a-domain-at-porkbun

Auto-renew reduces the risk of losing a branded domain. Porkbun lets you toggle it per domain in the Domain Management table.

tip

Auto-renew only works if your billing info stays valid. Keep a payment method current and make sure your account email is monitored.

Porkbun supports app-based 2FA and provides a step-by-step setup guide (including backup codes).
https://kb.porkbun.com/article/19-how-to-enable-two-factor-authentication

3) Keep your domain locked (unless you’re transferring it)​

Domain locking helps prevent unauthorized transfers/deletions.

Porkbun’s “how to edit DNS records” guide shows exactly where to add/edit records:
https://kb.porkbun.com/article/68-how-to-edit-dns-records

Option A (simplest): Use a subdomain like go.yourbrand.com​

This is the most common short-link setup.

In Porkbun:

  1. Account → Domain Management
  2. Find your domain → Details → DNS Records (Edit)
  3. Add a CNAME record:
    • Host: go (or whatever subdomain you want)
    • Answer: the Snipzr target hostname you’re given

If you get an error like “A CNAME or ALIAS record with that host already exists,” Porkbun has a quick fix guide:
https://kb.porkbun.com/article/239-cname-alias-record-with-that-host-already-exists-error

If you want yourbrand.com/abc, and Snipzr provides a hostname target (CNAME-style), Porkbun supports apex setup using an ALIAS - CNAME flattening record.

Porkbun’s step-by-step root-domain guide (ALIAS method):
https://kb.porkbun.com/article/85-how-to-connect-your-root-domain-when-your-web-host-wont-provide-an-ip-address

In plain terms:

  • Add an ALIAS record for the root (@ / blank host field in Porkbun’s UI) pointing to Snipzr’s hostname target.
  • (Often) add a matching www CNAME depending on your overall web setup (Porkbun’s guide shows this pattern).
tip

For branded short links, the subdomain CNAME approach is the easiest to troubleshoot. Use apex + ALIAS when you really want the shortest possible domain.

Do you need to move DNS to Cloudflare for CNAME flattening?​

Not for this reason.

Porkbun supports an ALIAS (“CNAME flattening”) record for the root domain, which is the key DNS feature many teams migrate for.
Reference: https://kb.porkbun.com/article/85-how-to-connect-your-root-domain-when-your-web-host-wont-provide-an-ip-address

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