
Arguably the most popular URL shortener, this URL shortening service offers tracking metrics so you know exactly how many people are clicking on your link. 5 Popular URL Shorteners and How They Work However, automatic shortening only works for 19 characters or longer. You can also choose to shorten a URL that is only 10 characters long, for example, if you’re using your own shortener. This can vary slightly depending on the shortener you are using. 2. So what happens when a URL isn’t automatically shortened?įor most URL shorteners that automatically occur on social networks, only URLs 19 characters and greater will be shortened. will also use URL shorteners or allow you to manually choose and use a shortened URL. However, almost all other social networks - Facebook, Google+, StumbleUpon, etc. So are shorteners just used for Twitter?īecause Twitter has the 140-character limit and puts a focus on sharing links, this is the network where you’re going to see shorteners the most. A Few Popular URL Shortener Questionsīelow are a few general but popular questions about URL shorteners: 1. While this is certainly OK, taking a little time to choose the right shortener is better because of the tracking features offered (more on this in the next few sections). Many small businesses are still using the shorteners automatically happening to their links. If you didn’t realize there was this much to know about URL shorteners, don’t sweat it.

Consider the below screenshot.Īs opposed to what you see above, the shortened version is a simple: /176OVyy A URL shortener is typically a URL shortening service, which is why there are so many different options. Depending on the URL shortener your business decides to use, you might have a dashboard that helps you schedule posts or track the success of different posts. This then brings about a list of inevitable questions: How many different URL shorteners are there, what is the best one, how do I get started and what can I gain? What is a URL Shortener and Why Does it Matter?įor those who are unfamiliar, a URL shortener is something used to make a long URL shorter in length while still sending those who click to the same/correct page. There are many different shortener options, and all come with different features. You actually have a choice about which shortener to use and when (and this choice makes a difference). What many don’t realize, however, is that there is quite a bit of information that goes into URL shorteners.

You might realize your link was automatically shortened when posting on a social networking site, but you go about your day because it looks good.
