Twitter previously used TinyURL to shorten links, but nowadays it automatically shortens a link to 23 characters. If you’re working on a platform with a restricted character limit like Twitter, then it makes sense to shorten the URL and use the available characters for your message. You can also combine UTM parameters with Google Analytics to get a complete picture of behavior. They track who, where and when someone clicked your link so you can measure its effectiveness.īusinesses need to know the R OI of campaigns to adjust and plan for future campaigns. Most link shorteners also let you track engagement with UTM parameters. For example, you may have seen long URLs on Amazon shortened to a branded URL like: Some link shorteners let you create a branded URL containing your brand. So people might be reluctant to click the link:īut a link shortener keeps things looking clean and trustworthy. Long URLs can also look a bit suspicious with letters, numbers, backslashes and question marks. You may find yourself dealing with a long URL if you’re linking to a page buried deep within your website or using UTM parameters to track your visitors. However, there are several other reasons why brands would want to use URL shorteners. We know that a URL shortener helps you get the right messages out to your audience without taking up too much space. You’ll still reach our report on Social Shopping Behavior in 2022, but it’s much easier and quicker to enter the shortened URL or link.Ī URL shortener is also referred to as a link shortener, a link shrinker, a link compressor, a URL condenser or a vanity URL creator. Typically, it shortens the website’s address and adds a random combination of letters and numbers.įor example, a URL shortener would convert a long URL like What is a URL shortener?Ī URL shortener is an app that converts a long URL into a short URL. In this guide, we’ll explain what a URL shortener is, why your business should use them and share the best URL shorteners for tracking and engagement. Finding a way to shorten URLs became a top priority.Įnter URL shorteners, which let you reduce any long and cumbersome URL into a short and manageable link.
This meant that a lengthy URL could take up your entire tweet. When Twitter launched, messages were limited to 140 characters.
Unfortunately, URLs become long and complex as subdomains, subdirectories and tracking codes are added.Īs social media grew in popularity, lengthy URLs began to present a problem.
Since the beginning of the World Wide Web, Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) have been one of the primary methods for jumping from one webpage to another.