What Is a URL Shortener?
A URL shortener turns a long web address into a short one that redirects to the original. Here is what they do, why people use them, and what to watch out for.
Guides on shortening URLs, tracking clicks and making QR codes that actually scan.
A URL shortener turns a long web address into a short one that redirects to the original. Here is what they do, why people use them, and what to watch out for.
What actually happens between clicking a short link and landing on the destination page: short codes, database lookups, HTTP redirects and why the status code matters.
A step-by-step guide to shortening any link, plus how to add a custom ending, an expiry date or a QR code.
A short URL is a compact web address that redirects to a longer one. Here is how one is structured, where they help, and what they cost you.
Replace a random short code with a readable one. How to choose a custom link ending, the naming rules, and what to do when a name is taken.
How click tracking works on a short link, which metrics are trustworthy, and how to read the data without over-interpreting it.
The two terms describe the same tool. Here is where the wording differs, why both persist, and the distinctions that actually matter when choosing one.
How QR codes store data, what the patterns in the corners do, why error correction lets damaged codes still scan, and how to make one that works in print.