Free URL Shortener
Turn long, unwieldy web addresses into short links you can share anywhere. Paste a URL below and get a short link in a second — no account, no cost, no expiry.
What you get
The core function is free and instant. Everything else is optional and stays out of the way until you need it.
Works instantly
Paste and shorten. No sign-up step, no email verification, no configuration before your first link.
Links that last
No automatic expiry and no deletion of inactive links. Your short link keeps working until you remove it.
Readable codes
Generated codes exclude characters people misread, so a link copied from print or read aloud still resolves.
Custom endings
Swap the random code for something meaningful, like zurl.world/spring-sale, with a free account.
QR code for every link
Turn any short link into a downloadable QR code in PNG or SVG, ready for print or screens.
Privacy-conscious analytics
Track clicks, countries and devices without storing IP addresses or raw user-agent strings.
How it works
Step 1: Paste your long URL
Any http or https address, including query strings and campaign parameters.
Step 2: Select Shorten URL
Your short link is generated immediately and appears below the input.
Step 3: Copy and share it
Use the copy button, or open the QR code to share the link offline.
When a short URL is the right choice
Shortening is worth it whenever the address will be seen, typed or counted by a human. That covers social posts where characters are limited, printed material where a long URL is impossible to transcribe, presentations where the link needs to be readable from the back of a room, and any campaign where you want to know how many people clicked.
It is not worth it when the destination is already short and descriptive. A link to example.com/pricing communicates more than any short code, and adding a redirect there gains nothing.
What happens when someone opens your link
Zurl looks up the short code with a single indexed database query, checks that the link is active and not expired, and sends the browser to your destination with an HTTP redirect. The click is recorded after the redirect has already been issued, so the visitor never waits for analytics to be written.
Zurl uses a temporary redirect rather than a permanent one. A permanent redirect is cached by browsers indefinitely, which would mean that disabling a link, changing its destination or letting it expire silently fails for anyone who already visited it. Correct behaviour is worth one extra round trip.
Safety and shortened links
Short links hide where they lead, which is genuinely useful and genuinely exploitable. Zurl limits the damage in several ways: only http and https destinations are accepted, links pointing at private or internal network addresses are rejected, URLs containing embedded credentials are refused, and anyone can report a link for review.
To be explicit about the limits: Zurl does not scan destinations for malware or phishing. If you want to see where an unfamiliar short link goes before opening it, the URL expander resolves it and shows you the destination.
Related terms
"URL shortener", "link shortener" and "short URL generator" all describe this same tool — the wording differs, the function does not. A custom URL shortener is meaningfully different: it lets you choose the ending rather than accepting a generated code.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this URL shortener really free?
- Yes. Shortening links is free with no account and no usage cost. A free account adds custom endings, expiry dates, password protection and click analytics. There is no paid tier required for ordinary use.
- Do I need an account to shorten a URL?
- No. Paste a URL and select Shorten URL — the link is created immediately. An account is only needed if you want to manage links afterwards or see how many clicks they receive.
- How long is a Zurl short link?
- A generated link is 26 characters in total, such as https://zurl.world/a8K3xPq. The code itself is seven characters drawn from an alphabet that excludes easily confused characters like 0, O, 1 and l.
- Do shortened links expire?
- Not by default. A link keeps working until you delete it. You can optionally set an expiry date, after which visitors see an expiry notice instead of being redirected.
- What kinds of URLs can I shorten?
- Any standard http or https web address, up to 2,048 characters, including query strings and campaign parameters. Other schemes such as javascript:, data: and file: are rejected, as are links pointing at private network addresses like localhost or 192.168.x.x.
- Will shortening change my tracking parameters?
- No. Your query string is preserved exactly as you supplied it, including parameter order and any duplicates. UTM tags and other campaign parameters reach the destination unchanged.
- Is there a limit on how many links I can create?
- Anonymous use is limited to 10 links per hour per network address to prevent automated abuse. A free account raises this to 120 per hour, and API keys have their own higher limit.
- Can I see who clicked my link?
- You can see how many clicks a link received and broad patterns — country, referring site, device type, browser and operating system. You cannot see individual people: Zurl does not store IP addresses or raw user-agent strings.