Free URL Shortener

What a URL shortener does

A URL shortener takes a long, unwieldy web address — the kind packed with tracking parameters, random IDs, and query strings — and turns it into a short, tidy link that is easy to share, type, send in a text message, or encode in a QR code. The short link is just a stand-in: when someone opens it, our server looks up the original address and sends them straight there. Nothing about the destination page changes; you have simply swapped a clumsy address for a clean one.

How to use ours

1. Paste your long URL into the box.
2. Click Shorten.
3. Copy the short link with one tap, or scan the inline QR code that appears next to it.

That is the whole default path — no account, no email, no waiting on an ad page. The short link works the instant it is created, and there is no interstitial ad before the redirect: whoever opens it goes straight to your destination.

Why short links and QR codes go together

A QR code has to store every single character of the link inside its pattern of squares. The longer the URL, the more data the code must pack in, and the denser and more fragile the code becomes — small print sizes and phone cameras start to struggle. Shorten the link first and the QR code becomes simpler, scans faster, and survives being printed small. That is why we show an inline QR of your short link automatically, and this tool pairs naturally with our upcoming QR code generator, which shares the same engine.

How the redirect works (301 vs 302)

When someone opens a short link, the server answers with an HTTP redirect that points their browser to the real destination. A 301 is a permanent redirect — search engines treat the short link and the destination as the same thing forever. A 302 is a temporary redirect, which says "go here for now." We use a 302 on purpose: a short link is meant to be ephemeral, not folded permanently into your destination's link graph. Either way, the visitor barely notices — their browser follows the redirect in a fraction of a second.

Control the link's lifetime

In the advanced options you can decide how long a link should live and how many times it should work:

• Custom expiry — pick a preset (1 day, 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, 1 year) or set an exact date and time down to the minute. The maximum is one year; the server enforces that cap no matter what.
• Use limit — make a link single-use ("burn after reading") or expire after N opens. Once the limit is hit, the link stops working and shows a safe notice.

These controls are useful for a one-time share, a link that should not outlive an event, or any URL you do not want circulating forever — and they make every link safer by giving it a built-in end.

Track your link without an account

Every short link comes with its own private stats page — a secret link we hand you at creation. Save it. Opening it shows how many times the link was used, how many uses remain, and how long until it expires. There is no sign-up and no dashboard login; possession of that secret link is the only key. Richer charts are on the way.

Our safety stance

Shorteners get abused to hide phishing and malware behind an innocent-looking link. We take the opposite approach. Before a short link is ever created, we scan the destination against Google's threat database for malware, phishing, and unwanted software — if a URL is flagged we refuse to shorten it and tell you so. Combined with the fact that every link expires, this keeps our short links from becoming a tunnel for known-bad pages. We never let a scan failure quietly pass an unsafe link through.

When to use it — and when not to

A short link is perfect for sharing, printing, texting, tweeting, and especially for QR codes. It is not a tool for hiding where a link really goes from people you are asking to trust you — a short link should make sharing easier, not disguise a destination. If you would not send someone the full URL, do not send them the short one either.

Privacy

We are deliberate about what we keep. We never store your raw IP address — only a salted hash, used solely to rate-limit abuse and keep the service healthy. We do not sell, share, or monetize click data, and the redirect goes straight through with no tracking page in the middle.

Why use this one

• No interstitial ad — the short link sends people straight through.
• No sign-up, instant, mobile-first — paste, shorten, copy, done.
• Programmable lifetime — custom expiry and use limits, including single-use links.
• Stats without an account — a private, no-login stats page for every link.
• Scanned and honest — destinations checked up front, salted-hash only, no data selling.

This is one tool in a developer and network cluster. Pair it with the URL Encoder / Decoder for cleaning up query strings, the Base64 Encoder / Decoder for encoding data, or check What Is My IP to see what your connection reveals.

Frequently asked questions