Once you are set, you can now view cool stats and detailed charts of your links (e.g. unique and non-unique clicks). If the shorthand link is found to be associated with a URL, the URL is fetched, otherwise an error message is returned.[7] The patent was filed in September 2000; while the patent was issued in 2005, US patent applications are made public within 18 months of filing. In the background, Analytics sends data by requesting an image beacon. You’d be able to see anytime someone who got your direct mail package in the mail, actually went to your website. In order to address the fear of linkrot happening when a link shortening service shuts down, the Internet Archive started the 301 Works project in an attempt to preserve the link shortening databases should participating services shut down.
The API key is safe for embedding in URLs; it doesn't need any encoding. With TinyURL, you can actually customize the end letters and numbers as an option. Facebook automatically detects the link and parses the page description and an image from the original page.
Google Analytics does not track outbound links by default. Use custom domains to multiply click-throughs and increase the public's awareness of my brands. Failure to predict such problems with URL shorteners and investment in URL shortening companies may reflect a lack of due diligence.[26] Blocking and banning[edit] Some websites prevent short, redirected URLs from being posted.
You’ll want to choose one that uses a 301 redirect for certain. Tracking Search Traffic to the PDF Add a URL parameter to every link pointing to each PDF document on your site. It should give some feel for the content of the email. This URL shortener also allows you to set a custom short URL. On 14 August 2009 WordPress announced the wp.me URL shortener for use when referring to any WordPress.com blog post.[11] In November 2009, shortened links on bit.ly were accessed 2.
Bitly may be the authoritative champ of URL shorteners in the Twitterverse (before t.co / Twitter was propelled a year ago), however Redirecting has analytics covered. When you are using HootSuite, you can shorten any URL to an ow.ly or ht.ly link. In the input box that appears, enter a placeholder value for your publisher so they know where to replace values. The links are permanent, they will work as long as WordPress.com is around.