URL shortener with analytics
Measure requests to your short links, separate detected bots from human clicks and compare campaign traffic with the right reporting context.
Short-link analytics describe requests handled by the redirect service. They can show when a link was opened and recorded signals such as country, device and referrer. They do not identify the person behind a click or confirm that the destination loaded, a form was submitted or a purchase completed.
Create links in your account to view their statistics. Free includes 1,000 short links and 50,000 tracked clicks per month, with total and human counts, time charts and traffic breakdowns. The quick anonymous form is for a one-off link without dashboard analytics.
Shorten your link
Free, instant, no ads. A QR code comes with it.
A quick anonymous link cannot be edited or measured. Create a free account first if you need to change its destination or see clicks.
- 1,000 links free
- 6 custom domains free
- No credit card
How to do it in three steps
- 1
Create a link for each placement
In your account, make separate links for the newsletter, social post or printed QR placement you want to compare. Add consistent UTM values to each destination before sharing.
- 2
Choose the reporting scope
Open Statistics for the intended link or domain. Set the date range and timezone, then check whether the view includes all clicks, humans or bots. Use the same settings when comparing reports.
- 3
Check the traffic before reporting
Review the time chart and breakdowns, then inspect recent requests in Click Stream. Allow for your own test visits, security scans and link previews. Compare click activity with the destination’s own conversion data.
Total clicks, human clicks and unique visitors
Total clicks includes the recorded requests in the view, including bots. Human clicks excludes requests classified as bots; automated detection is not proof that every remaining request came from a person. Unique visitors, available in paid reporting, groups human requests by stored IP address and user agent. Shared networks can merge visitors, while a changed browser or network can split one person into several combinations. Requests without a stored IP are shown separately and do not enter that unique count.
Make campaign comparisons consistent
Use the same link or domain scope, date range, timezone and click mode for both reports. A link report and a whole-domain report answer different questions. Period comparisons use the preceding window of the same length; an empty previous window cannot produce a meaningful percentage increase. Keep UTM spelling consistent, such as newsletter rather than alternating Newsletter and email-list, so a campaign does not split across labels.
Read referrers, locations and QR scans carefully
A missing referrer does not prove someone typed the URL: email apps, privacy settings and other clients may omit it. Country and city are location signals, not a visitor’s exact address. QR codes generated here include the qr=1 marker for scan reporting; a third-party QR code made from the unmarked short URL appears as an ordinary link click. Neither the QR marker nor a human flag proves a completed sale.
What is free and what needs a paid plan?
Free includes the Statistics dashboard, basic Click Stream, date-range and human/bot controls. Starter, from $4 a month, adds trends and unique-visitor reporting, full click details, Click Stream live mode, campaign roll-ups, conversion tracking and CSV/XLS exports. The Statistics “More filters” dimensions, such as country, browser, referrer and UTM, start on Growth. Check pricing for current feature access and retention allowances.
Why numbers can look too high or too low
For a sudden spike, compare all clicks with human clicks and look for preview crawlers, security scanners, monitoring checks or internal testing. For missing traffic, check the selected domain or link, saved filters, date range, timezone, IP exclusions and retention window. The ms_geo preview parameter is deliberately excluded from statistics. Separate links to the same destination have separate counts, so check which address was actually shared.
Quotas, privacy settings and client reports
Free currently tracks 50,000 clicks per month. Recorded bot traffic also uses the tracking allowance; redirects continue after that allowance is reached, so successful redirects need not all appear in a report. Hiding visitor IPs is a Starter feature and changes the data available for unique-visitor reporting. When sharing statistics, remember that anyone with the report URL can read it; review the scope first and revoke the share when it is no longer needed.
Example: 120 clicks does not mean 120 people
Illustrative report for one link and one date range:
Total recorded clicks: 120
Human clicks: 90
Detected bot clicks: 30
Unique visitors: 60 (where the feature and visitor data are available)The 90 human clicks are requests not classified as bots, including repeat visits. The 60 unique visitors are distinct stored IP-address and user-agent combinations among human clicks in the selected scope and period. They are not 60 identified people. Do not add the unique figure to human clicks, and do not treat either figure as a conversion count.
Guides and documentation
Related guides
URL shortener API
Create short links from an application, scheduled job or publishing workflow. Start with one authenticated request, then add bulk creation and reporting.
URL shortener with UTM parameters
Add UTM tags, keep every query parameter and still share a short, clean link.
Branded URL shortener
Share a recognisable link on your own domain, with a name you choose and clicks you can measure.
The best URL shortener: what to look for
Most shorteners make a short link. The best ones keep that link useful for years. Here is what to check before you choose.
Free URL shortener
Make a short link for a web page, document or campaign. Choose a free account when you need to manage the link after sharing it.
Start Free — no credit card
The free plan includes 1,000 links, 6 custom domains and 50,000 tracked clicks a month, free forever. Choose a free subdomain from six shared domains. Paid plans start at $4 a month when you outgrow it, and you keep everything you have built.
Frequently asked questions
Can I track short-link clicks for free?
Yes, for links created in your account, within Free’s 50,000 tracked clicks per month. Redirects continue after the tracking allowance is reached.
Can link analytics tell me exactly who clicked?
No. Reports describe requests and technical signals, not verified personal identities. A human classification is not a guarantee that the request came from a person.
Why are human clicks and unique visitors different?
Human clicks includes repeat requests. Unique visitors groups human requests by stored IP address and user agent within the selected scope and period, and excludes requests without an IP. It is not an exact count of people.
Why do short-link clicks differ from website analytics?
They measure different events. A redirect request can be a preview, a security scan or a repeat visit, and the destination may not load or run its analytics. Match campaign tags and date settings, then use destination events to evaluate conversions.
Can I export or share a report?
CSV and XLS exports start on Starter. Shared statistics pages provide a read-only report link and can be revoked; anyone with that link can view the report.
Can I filter analytics by country or UTM campaign?
The date range and human/bot controls are available on Free. The Statistics “More filters” dimensions, including country and UTM, require Growth or above.