The basics
Plain answers to the questions people ask before they ever try a URL shortener.
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How does a URL shortener work?
A URL shortener takes a long web address and generates a short link that points to it. When someone clicks the short link, the shortener's server looks up the original URL and redirects the visitor there, usually within a second. Along the way, most shorteners also log the click so you can see how many people followed the link and roughly where from.
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Are URL shorteners safe?
URL shorteners themselves are safe technology, but a short link can hide any destination, which is why some people are cautious about clicking unfamiliar ones. A branded short link on a known custom domain is generally more trustworthy than a generic one, since the domain itself signals who created it before anyone clicks through.
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What's the difference between a short URL and a URL shortener?
A short URL is the shortened link itself, the small piece of text someone clicks or types. A URL shortener is the tool or service that creates and manages short URLs, redirects clicks to the right destination, and usually reports on how each link performs. In short: the shortener is the tool, the short URL is what it produces.
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Does a shortened link hurt my SEO?
A short link that uses a proper redirect doesn't hurt the SEO of the page it points to, since search engines follow the redirect to the real destination and index that page, not the short link. The exception is if a shortener disappears and its links start returning errors instead of redirecting, which is why a shortener on your own domain is safer long term than a third-party one you don't control.