URL shorteners can turn any long and unwieldy website address into a short and sweet URL at the click of a button. Not only are short links easier to digest, but they can help you meet certain character limits and make your link performance seamless to track.
It sounds like magic, but anyone with an internet browser can use link shorteners: social media managers, regular everyday Facebook moms, small business owners, and TikTok stars of all heights.
In this blog, we’re sharing everything you need to know about using URL shorteners and why they should be a part of your social media tool kit. We also spoke to seven social media experts for tips on making the most of them, plus a list of 10 URL shorteners to choose from.
Key Takeaways
- URL shorteners transform long, messy links into neat, manageable URLs. They also let you easily track clicks, making them perfect for monitoring your social media impact.
- Customize your short links with branded names or unique phrases. This not only looks more professional but helps your links stand out and stay memorable with your audience.
- Many URL shorteners offer QR code creation. These are super handy for bridging offline and online interactions, making it easy for people to access your content through a quick scan.
What is a URL shortener?
A URL shortener is a tool that creates a short, unique URL that will redirect to the specific website of your choosing.
Basically: they make a link shorter, simpler, and easier to look at. Your new, shorter URL will typically include the shortener site’s address plus a combination of random letters.
For example, if I punch in a URL like animalplanet.com/tv-shows/puppy-bowl/full-episodes/puppy-bowl-xvi into the link shortener in Hootsuite’s Composer, I can click Shorten with Ow.ly to create a short, handy URL that uses fewer characters.
Check out what the URL turns into on the right side below:
In some cases, you can even customize this mini URL with a custom phrase—we’ll dig into that more later.
So, why would you want to use this? A few instances include:
- Track link performance: URL shorteners let you see how many times people have clicked your link, making tracking a breeze.
- Brand your links: Premium accounts on many URL shorteners let you create your own branded short links.
- Share easy-to-type links: Make it easier for people to type the link in on their own if you share it on a site like Instagram where URLs aren’t clickable.
- Make links memorable: By branding and personalizing your short links, you help them stick in peoples’ minds better.
If you’re sharing links across your social media channels, URL shorteners can be super handy. Let’s go over a few benefits of a short URL.
- Increase conversions: Not only do URL shorteners make it easier to track your conversions, it can also increase conversions in general by making your links easier to click, copy, and share.
- Maximize character count: Some platforms, like X (Twitter), limit the number of characters you can use in your posts, making every character count. URL shorteners can help you fit more within that limit.
- Improve aesthetics: Short URLs simply look better. Plus, long links can look suspicious and spammy. Make your content more aesthetically pleasing and on-brand across all of your platforms.
Because shortened links have so many benefits, tons of social media platforms automatically have their own methods of shortening. Just take a look at this example from LinkedIn:
Source: Asana
However, by using your own URL shortener and making your short links branded or customized, you can make your links even easier to share and remember.
Bonus: Get a free social media strategy template to quickly and easily plan your strategy, track results, and share with your boss, teammates, and clients.
With so many URL shortener options out there, how do you know which to choose? Our advice: look for link shortener tools that allow you to customize your link, have built-in detailed analytics, and can easily integrate into your social media workflow.
In addition, a URL shortener that’s been around a while might be more reliable and reputable— likely to avoid service closure or disruption.
Here are our top 10 picks for the best URL shorteners.
1. Ow.ly
If you’re looking for a user-friendly, all-in-one URL shortener, Ow.ly is for you.
Hootsuite’s link shortener is integrated right into the Hootsuite platform and is included with every plan type.
Not only does Ow.ly shorten long links, but it can automatically apply tracking parameters at the same time. You can easily add UTM parameters for the traffic source, medium, or campaign all in one place. This takes the heavy lifting out of creating custom links yourself. Major win!
And because Ow.ly is integrated into your Hootsuite account, you can easily track and measure your link’s performance directly in your analytics dashboard, too.
Owly’s link settings seamlessly integrate with everything else you do within Hootsuite, so it’s an easy and secure option if you already use Hootsuite as your social media platform.
Key features:
- URL shortening
- URL tracking
- Analytics and reporting
Best for: Marketers and small business owners looking for an all-in-one link shortener and tracker that integrates with your analytics platform.
Pricing: Hootsuite offers a range of plans suited for individuals and enterprises alike. Plans start at $99 per month.
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2. Bitly
Source: Bitly
Looking to hone in on custom URLs and QR codes? Bitly is an app that creates digital connections such as links, QR codes, and link-in-bio pages.
Bitly’s link-shortening tool can create a unique back-half for your URL. This means you can add a branded topic, campaign name, or keyword if you want your link to include certain words instead of randomly generated characters.
A free account offers analytics and customization for one individual, but Basic and Enterprise subscriptions are available, too, which offer branded links, QR codes, richer data and multiple users.
While Bitly makes it easy to create a custom URL, if you plan to create over 10 unique links per month, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan.
Key features:
- URL shortening
- URL tracking
- QR code creation
- Link-in-bio tool
- Branded links
- Analytics
Best for: Solo business owners who are looking for a free link shortener to get started with.
Pricing: Bitly has a free plan that includes 10 links per month, five of which can have a custom back half. Paid plans start at $8 per month.
3. Rebrandly
Source: Rebrandly
With Rebrandly, you can create a branded short link of your own with a custom domain—even with a free account.
SujindersCookiePalace.com might be a great main URL to have, but when it comes to sharing on social, that character count adds up. A short, branded URL just for link sharing, like su.jinders, still gets your business name in there, without taking up precious space.
After you’ve signed up for a free account, you can connect your domain name and create up to 25 branded links per month.
However, a downside to Rebrandly? Its free plan only tracks up to 1,000 clicks. If you happen to share something that goes viral or tend to see more traffic to your website than this, you may want to consider upgrading to a paid plan.
Key features:
- URL shortening
- QR code creation
- Branded links
- API
- Analytics
Best for: If you run a small business and want to share unique links across your various channels, Rebrandly’s free plan is a good option.
Pricing: Rebrandly has a free plan. Paid plans start at $13 per month.
4. Sniply
Source: Sniply by UpContent
Sniply by UpContent is unique in that it lets you shorten your URLs, but you can also create a custom call-to-action button that grabs attention and helps you increase clicks and conversions.
This can make your blog content and web pages even more engaging, plus Sniply also offers free QR code generation for each link you shorten. Easily manage your links and get analytics inside your Sniply dashboard.
Key features:
- URL shortener
- QR code creator
- Link management
- CTA creation
- Analytics
Best for: Brands using short links within their landing page copy and blog post content.
Pricing: Paid plans start at $9/month after a 14-day free trial.
5. Dub
Source: Dub.co
Dub.co is an open-source link management tool that offers a number of integrations. This makes it a useful tool for marketing teams looking to combine URL shortening with some of their other marketing management software.
Get branded, personalized short links and QR codes from a tool that integrates with a number of other software like Slack, Zapier, Raycast, and more.
Key features:
- URL shortening
- QR code creation
- Branded links
- API
- Analytics
Best for: Modern marketing teams looking to build a tech stack.
Pricing: Dub has a completely free plan that includes 25 links/month and up to 1,000 tracked clicks. Premium plans start at $19/month.
6. TinyURL
Source: TinyURL
Another standalone app, TinyURL is a straightforward option that gets the job done. Founded in 2002, TinyURL is the oldest link shortener out there, and it does everything you need it to do: turn a long link into a tiny new URL.
Customization is possible without logging in, making it an efficient option when you’re rushing to share the latest episode of your MasterChef Junior podcast.
TinyURL’s basic plan offers free URL shortening as long as you’re okay with seeing ads across the website (its free plan is ad-supported). Otherwise, you can upgrade to a paid plan with additional features like URL editing, link tracking, and customization.
Key features:
- URL shortening
- Branded links
- Bulk URL creation
- Analytics
Best for: If you need to put together a short URL in a pinch, TinyURL is a good option.
Pricing: TinyURL has a free plan. Paid plans start at $9.99 per month.
7. Short.io
Source: Short.io
With Short.io, you can create personalized short links using your own domain name. This is a great way to improve brand recognition and trust across all of your links, no matter where you share them.
Easily add UTM parameters to track clicks and add link expiration dates as well to keep content fresh and up-to-date.
Key features:
- URL shortening
- URL tracking
- QR code creation
- Bulk URL creation
- Link expiration
- Branded links
- API
- Analytics
Best for: Marketers looking for an easy-to-use link shortener with a lot of features.
Pricing: Short.io offers a free plan for up to 1,000 branded links. Paid plans start at $18/month.
8. Hyperlink
Source: Hyperlink
Can’t wait to see how much traffic your URLs are getting? Get real-time notifications when links are clicked with the help of Hyperlink. But if the idea of frequent click notifications sounds a bit too distracting, you can also change the settings to hourly, daily, or weekly summaries.
Hyperlink also provides insightful per-click details and a live tracking dashboard: find out the device, location, and referral info for every visitor.
The app (for iOS and Android) is a nice complement to the Chrome extension for those who need to share links on the go. (You’re busy! We get it!)
Hyperlink also offers custom links and branded domains, but those features are only available with a paid plan.
Key features:
- URL shortening
- Real-time notifications
- Branded links
- Chrome extension
- Analytics
Best for: Marketers who want to gain real-time insights on the go.
Pricing: Hyperlink has a free plan that includes up to 100 links per month. Paid plans start at $39 per month.
9. T2M
Source: T2M
T2M is a URL shortening tool that lets you create custom-branded short links and QR codes. Manage your links from one all-in-one dashboard and get access to a number of great features.
With T2M, you can personalize your branded links to make them trustworthy and clickable, as well as A/B test different link variations to find the best fit.
Key features:
- URL shortening
- URL tracking
- QR code creation
- Branded links
- Link expiration
- A/B testing
- API
- Analytics
Best for: Brands looking to A/B test with short links.
Pricing: Get started with a $5/lifetime basic plan. Paid subscriptions start at $9.99/month.
10. Cuttly
Source: Cuttly
Cuttly is an all-in-one link management platform. Whether you want to shorten a URL, generate QR codes, or set up a link-in-bio microsite, Cuttly offers many features.
You don’t need an account to use Cuttly or even to customize the URL, but an account will get you access to real-time analytics, including click-throughs and social media referrals.
Cuttly has a free custom URL shortener button you can add to your browser toolbar, so shortening your link takes one click.
If you opt for a paid plan, you get access to branded QR code generation to create a cohesive brand across your links, QR codes, and anything else in your link-in-bio page.
Key features:
- URL shortening
- QR code creation
- Branded links
- Link-in-bio
- API
- Analytics
Best for: Marketers or small business owners looking for an accessible link management tool.
Pricing: Cuttly has a free plan that includes up to 30 links per month and link analytics for the last 30 days. Paid plans start at $12 per month.
5 tips for using URL shortener tools from the experts
Looking for tips on how to best utilize your URL shortener tool of choice? We asked a handful of marketing experts for their top tips.
1. Track and analyze performance
URL shorteners can make it so much easier to track your links. Simply create a short link and keep an eye on your shortener tool’s dashboard. Way easier than setting up UTM tracking parameters, am I right?
And Elyn-Aisin Lim, Brand Director of ELEHEAR, agrees.
Lim says, “URL shorteners aren’t just tools for making links more manageable; they can be a rich source of insightful data. You can track how many clicks you get, the geographical location of your users, and even what times they’re most active.
“This information helps to optimize our social media strategies by highlighting what content resonates with our audience, when to post, and where most of our engaged users are based.”
2. Use branded links
Find a tool that lets you brand your links, but more than that, make sure you’re also using on-brand keywords to help your links stay relevant, memorable, and safe to click.
Brooke Webber, Head of Marketing at Ninja Patches, shares, “I recommend creating short URLs that reflect your brand’s unique identity. This not only keeps your brand front and center but also makes your links look cleaner and more professional.”
“Plus, it’s fun seeing a cool, custom URL—gives your brand that little extra something.”
Elisa Montanari, Head of Organic Growth at Wrike, agrees, explaining, “URL shorteners are great tools, but they work best when using your custom shortened domain rather than generic ones used by every business. With that customization, you can offer users a branded link that still looks trustworthy while eliminating all the tracking parameters that tend to clog up your URLs from the user’s view.”
Montanari continues, “With a custom URL, you can give more contextual clues to users, too. If your link reads yourdomain.tips/seo-guide, for example, users instantly recognize where the link will take them. It looks a whole lot better than a generic URL with a random string of letters and numbers, and it’s better practice from a UX perspective, as well.”
3. Create QR codes
Many URL shorteners also offer QR code creation capabilities. Take advantage of those in your marketing campaigns.
Leigh McKenzie, Community Advocate at Traffic Think Tank, explains, “One top tip for using URL shorteners in social media posts is to generate QR codes from them. This approach makes your content more accessible, especially in offline environments. When users scan the QR code, they are seamlessly directed to your intended URL, which increases engagement and helps track the effectiveness of your campaigns.”
Michael Nemeroff, Co-founder & CEO of Rush Order Tees, also recommends the use of QR codes. He shares, “This approach maximizes both engagement and tracking efficiency. Shortened URLs are already great for keeping links concise and trackable, but converting them into QR codes adds another layer of accessibility.”
“Users can easily scan these codes with their smartphones, making the interaction process smoother, especially in physical spaces or print materials. This method bridges the gap between offline and online engagement, enhancing the overall user experience.”
4. Use influencer campaigns
Another great way to use your short links is with influencer campaigns. Derek Pankaew, Founder of Listening.com, shares why this can be such a useful tactic.
According to Pankaew, “By providing influencers with custom shortened URLs, you can track exactly how much traffic or conversions each influencer is driving. This data not only measures ROI but also shows which influencers resonate most with your audience.”
5. Rotate short links
Our final tip is to rotate different variations of your short links. This can be a great way to A/B test your content.
Brandy Hastings, SEO Strategist at SmartSites, explains, “Rotating shortened links is a smart way to test and improve engagement. By using multiple variations of shortened URLs, you can track which version resonates most with your audience. This method helps you identify the best-performing content and refines your targeting strategy.”
Hastings continues, “This approach also reveals how different audiences react to the same content. By testing across various platforms or at different times, you’ll discover the ideal conditions for maximizing clicks. These insights are valuable for optimizing future campaigns.”
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