Help Center

Paste your long URL into the box on the homepage and press the shorten button. You do not need an account—links created as a guest are saved in your browser. If your URL is missing the https:// prefix, we add it automatically.

Open the custom alias option before shortening and type your preferred slug—for example urlshorter.cc/summer-menu. Aliases must be 3–16 characters and can contain letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores. If an alias is already taken, you will be prompted to choose another. An alias changes the path on urlshorter.cc; it is not a custom domain. Full rules are in the documentation.

Signed-in users can manage their links from the dashboard, including pausing links and reviewing analytics. An authenticated owner can update a managed link's destination after it passes the current URL and reputation checks. The short code itself cannot be changed; create a new link if you need a different alias.

The interface does not offer user-selected expiration. The creation result is authoritative: if it displays an expiration, the link becomes unavailable after that time. Account links created by the current site workflow normally have no automatic expiration. The 30-day guest-history cookie is a browser ownership window and does not, by itself, define a link's lifetime.

Sign in and open your dashboard. Account links show click totals, date trends, top short links, referrer host labels, and broad desktop, mobile, tablet, or unknown device categories when those request signals are available. Geographic reporting and identity-level visitor profiles are not currently provided. For help interpreting the numbers, read our link analytics guide.

Yes. Add UTM parameters to your destination URL before shortening it—for example example.com/page?utm_source=newsletter. The short link hides the clutter while your analytics tool still receives the tags. See the UTM parameters guide for a naming system that scales.

Shortener analytics count successful redirect requests, which can include bots and link-preview fetches. Google Analytics counts a different event after the destination loads and its script is allowed to run. A gap is expected and does not by itself diagnose its cause.

Use the QR code generator. If you generate the code from a managed short link, successful scans reach that redirect and can contribute to its click totals. A signed-in owner can later update that managed link's destination while retaining the same short code, so the printed QR code can continue to use the redirect. Always test the revised destination before relying on existing printed material.

As a rule of thumb, print at least 2 × 2 cm (0.8 × 0.8 in) for close-range scanning such as menus or packaging, and scale up roughly 1:10 with scanning distance—a poster scanned from one meter away needs a code around 10 cm wide. Always test with both iOS and Android before printing a batch.

The current creator supports link-in-bio, VCard-style profile, and event information pages. You can start from a reusable template, edit supported blocks, preview the page, and publish it at a UrlShorter address. Public pages remain on the urlshorter.cc domain; custom domains are not supported.

A page created without an account and its signed guest_pages ownership cookie are configured to expire after 30 days. Clearing that cookie can remove editing access sooner. Use a registered account for a page you intend to maintain, and do not rely on a browser cookie as a backup. Submitted pages require moderation approval before public access. Editing approved content starts another review.

No. Event pages can present dates, locations, agenda blocks, countdowns, descriptions, and buttons that link to an external registration or calendar service. UrlShorter does not currently provide built-in RSVP collection, guest-list management, ticketing, or calendar synchronization.

Signed-in uploads are checked for allowed size, detected file type, and selected image or SVG safety conditions before storage. Those controls are not a general antivirus or malware-scanning guarantee. Only upload content you trust and have permission to publish.

Open the registration or sign-in flow and use email and password or Google sign-in. Eligible guest short links represented by the signed browser ownership cookie can be adopted after sign-in; clearing that cookie first can prevent adoption.

Destinations must be public HTTP(S) URLs. When the optional reputation provider is configured, link-creation requests are also checked against it; no automated check guarantees safety. If you find a short link abusing the service, use the abuse report form. Reports enter an administrator review queue. More detail is in our security guide.

The policies list the information processed for accounts, redirects, hosted pages, aggregate views, contact requests, abuse review, and configured providers. Read the Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy for specifics, including how advertising and analytics cookies are used and how to opt out.

First, confirm the destination URL still exists by visiting it directly—expired or moved destination pages are the most common cause. Second, check that the link has not been paused in your dashboard. If the destination works and the link is active but the redirect still fails, contact support with the short code.

Platforms occasionally flag shortener domains when other users abuse them, or when the destination itself violates the platform's rules. Check that your destination page loads quickly, matches your post's claim, and is not on a blocklist. Our article on avoiding spam flags covers prevention in detail.

Aliases are first-come, first-served and unique across the service. Try a short variation—adding a year, product name, or channel tag (menu-2026, menu-nyc) usually resolves it while keeping the link readable.