How to shorten a link, step by step
A short link is a short address that forwards to a long one. You give people
ivi.to/x7Gk2 instead of a hundred characters of tracking codes, and a click on it
lands on the same page. Making one takes a few seconds.
The quick way: no account
- Copy the long link from your browser's address bar, or from the app's share option.
- Go to urlicer.com and paste it into the box.
- Click Create short URL and copy the short link.
That link works straight away, but a link made without an account expires after 30 days. Click Keep this link under it to move it into a free workspace, where it keeps working for good.
The lasting way: a free account
In a workspace, a short link does more than forward:
- It never expires unless you set a date yourself.
- You can change where it points. Fix a typo or move a campaign to a new page, and the link you already shared follows.
- It counts its clicks, with countries, devices and where people came from. How link click tracking works.
- It has a QR code ready to download, for anything you print.
The free plan needs no card. Create an account, then paste the long link into New link.
Choose the words after the slash
A random code is fine in a chat; on a poster or in a talk, ivi.to/spring-sale is
easier to read and to type. Custom names start on Pro, and the same link can sit on your own
domain. Custom short links.
Shorten many links at once
For a spreadsheet of product pages or a campaign with fifty variants, upload the list instead of pasting each one. How to bulk-shorten URLs from a spreadsheet. To make links from your own code or tools, the API is on every plan.
Before you shorten
- Open the long link once to check it is the page you mean. A short link forwards whatever you give it.
- Add tracking tags first. If you use UTM tags for your web analytics, put them on the long link, then shorten it. The UTM builder does it for you, and the short link hides the long tail.
- Think about where it will be seen. A short domain shared by everyone is sometimes treated with suspicion by mail filters; a link on your own domain is not. Why short domains get blocklisted.
What about the share links apps make?
Some apps give you a short link of their own: YouTube's Share button, for
example, gives a youtu.be link. Those are fine for sharing that one thing, but they
only ever open that app's content, they cannot be changed later, and they do not tell you how many
people clicked the copy you posted.
Common questions
Is it free? Yes. Shortening on the homepage is free without an account, and the free plan keeps links for good. What the paid plans add.
Do short links expire? Links in a workspace do not, unless you set a date. Only links made without an account end after 30 days.
Can I change the long link after sharing the short one? Yes, for links in a workspace, on every plan.
Is there an ad before the page opens? No. A click goes straight to your page.