Features and trust
What buyers want to know about editing, expiry, privacy and tracking before they commit to a plan.
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Can I edit or change where a short link goes after sharing it?
On most modern shorteners, yes: you can change a short link's destination after it's created, and anyone who already has the link will be sent to the new destination the next time they click it. This is useful if a page moves, a sale ends, or you reuse the same link across a print run and want to update where it points later.
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Do shortened links expire?
It depends on the shortener and the plan. Some free shorteners deactivate old or unused links after a period of inactivity, while paid plans typically keep links active indefinitely unless you delete them or set an expiry date yourself. Always check a provider's own terms if a link needs to stay live for years.
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Can I password-protect a short link?
Many URL shorteners offer password protection as a paid feature, requiring anyone who clicks the link to enter a password before they're redirected. It's commonly used for sharing drafts, internal documents or early-access pages where you want the convenience of a short link without making the destination public.
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Can I track clicks, location and device on a short link?
Yes, click tracking is a standard feature across most URL shorteners: it reports the number of clicks plus details like approximate location, device type and referring source. QR codes feed into the same tracking, which matters given that over 90% of marketers say they used QR codes in their campaigns in 2025 (Bitly, 2025 marketer survey).