How to buy a domain
for your link page.
By the peekin team. Updated . 4 minute read.
Search for your name, pick a neutral extension, check what it costs to renew and not just the first year, make sure the domain is registered in a way you can take with you, and connect it to your link page. Budget for it every year, like any subscription.
Before you buy
Decide what the domain is for. For a bio link, it only needs to point at one page. You do not need email, hosting or a website builder, even though most registrars will try to sell you all three at checkout.
Write down two or three names you would be happy with. Your first choice may be taken, and it is easier to decide calmly than at the checkout.
Step 1: search for the name
Search the name at a registrar or inside your link page provider. A good search checks real availability, not just whether a website exists. A name can be registered and still show nothing.
If the .com is taken, try the same name on another extension rather than adding words or numbers. A short name on .link is easier to remember than a long one on .com.
Step 2: check the renewal price
This is the step people skip and regret. Many registrars advertise a low first-year price and charge much more from the second year. The renewal price is what you will pay for as long as you use the link.
- Look for the renewal price on the checkout screen, not the banner price.
- Check how many years you are being charged for. Some checkouts default to two or more.
- Watch for add-ons that are ticked by default, such as hosting or email.
On peekin the price is the same every year and shown before you pay: from £7 a year on Creator and above, and from £14 on Starter.
Step 3: think about privacy
Domain registrations used to publish the owner's name and address in a public directory. Most registrars now hide personal details by default, but check. Look for "privacy", "redaction" or "WHOIS protection" and make sure it is on and free.
For an adult creator this matters. A domain registered in your legal name, with privacy off, connects your stage name to your real one in a public record.
Step 4: make sure you can take it with you
Some services register the domain in their own name on your behalf. That is convenient, but ask how you get it back. A good answer is a clear, free transfer into your own name when you ask.
New registrations are usually locked against transfer for 60 days. That is a registry rule, not the seller being difficult. After that you should be able to move it.
On peekin, a domain bought here is held for you by FBM Management LTD and moved into your own name, free, on request, once that lock has passed.
Step 5: connect it to your page
If you buy through your link page provider, this is usually done for you. If you buy elsewhere, you add one or two DNS records at your registrar. Your provider shows exactly which records and checks them.
Then wait for the certificate, the padlock in the address bar. It is usually automatic. Open the address on your phone, inside Instagram's browser too, before you put it in your bio.
Step 6: keep it renewed
A domain that expires stops working, and an expired name can be bought by someone else. Turn on auto-renew, keep the payment card up to date, and note the renewal date somewhere you will see it.
Every plan goes live on a shared address, included. Your own domain is not included in any plan: bring one you own for free, or buy one from £7 a year (£14 on Starter). Starter is £3.99 a month, Creator £9.99, Pro £19.99, and Agency £39 a month for 3 creators, then £12 each.
Names to avoid
- Anything that describes adult content, in any language. The domain is shown on your profile as text.
- Platform brand names. They can break the platform's trademark rules, and they announce the destination.
- Very long names, hyphens and numbers, unless they are part of your name already.
- Names that look like a well-known brand with a letter changed. They read as a scam.
A good test is to say the name out loud to a friend and ask them to type it. If they get it right first time, it will work in a bio.
Asked most often.
How much does a domain for a link in bio cost?
It depends on the extension. On peekin, from £7 a year on Creator and above, and from £14 on Starter, the same price every year.
Do I need hosting for my domain?
Not for a bio link. Your link page provider serves the page. You only need the domain itself.
Who owns a domain bought through a link page service?
It depends on the service. Ask before you buy. On peekin it is held for you and moved into your own name, free, when you ask.
Check your own page first
The scanner reads any link page the way Meta's crawler does and runs nine checks. It is free and needs no account. If you want a page built this way, the plans start at the price on the pricing page.