How do I check a short link before I send a campaign?
Run a pre-send check so a broken or unsafe link doesn't go out to everyone. What a link check looks at, how to read the verdict, and a free way to try it.
Shortlen Editorial · · 3 min read
The short answer
Before you send, run a pre-send check on the link. Shortlen's Launch Check tests the whole path a visitor takes — is the link live, is the destination safe, does it load over HTTPS and on mobile, are the redirects clean, is the preview and QR code right — then gives a plain verdict: ready to send, ready with warnings, or not ready.
Key points
- A pre-send check tests the real path a visitor takes, not just whether the short link itself exists.
- Launch Check runs a set of checks — security, reachability, HTTPS, mobile, redirects, preview and QR quality among them — and returns a clear verdict instead of a vague score.
- It runs on its own when you create a link, and you can run it again by hand for one link or a whole campaign.
- A 'not ready' result can only be signed off with an explicit note, so a known problem isn't waved through by accident.
- You can try a free version on any link, without an account, at b1.lc/tools/link-checker.html.
On this page
Sending a campaign is the worst time to discover a link is broken. A pre-send check looks at the whole journey a visitor will take — not just whether the short link resolves — so you find the problem before your audience does, not after.
Why checking the short link alone isn’t enough
A short link is a redirect, so “the link works” really means “every step after the link works too”: the destination has to be up, safe, served over HTTPS, and usable on a phone; any redirects in between have to be clean; and if people will see a share preview or scan a QR code, those have to be right as well. A quick glance in a browser rarely tests all of that.
What Launch Check looks at
Shortlen’s Launch Check runs a set of checks and sums them up as ready to send, ready with warnings, or not ready — deliberately a plain verdict, not a 0–100 score. Among the things it tests:
- Is the link live? Not disabled, expired or outside its schedule.
- Is the destination safe and reachable? A fresh threat scan, and a real request to see it responds rather than showing a “not found” or parked page.
- HTTPS and certificate — valid, and not about to expire.
- Works on mobile — the page loads as a phone would see it.
- Redirect chain — no loops, no drop from HTTPS to HTTP, not too many hops.
- Share and QR preview — the title, description and image that chat apps and social posts will show, and whether a QR code has enough contrast to scan.
Each check comes back as pass, warning or fail with a short, plain explanation and how to fix it.
How to run it
- It runs on its own. When you create a link, or change where it points, a check runs in the background, so there’s always a recent result to look at.
- Run it again before an important send. Open the link and run Launch Check by hand, or run it across a whole campaign at once.
- Read the verdict and act. Clear the fails, decide which warnings matter, and send. A not ready result can only be signed off with an explicit note, so a real problem isn’t approved by accident.
Try it free, without an account
If you just want to sanity-check a single link, there’s a free public version that runs the main checks a limited number of times per hour, no sign-up required, at b1.lc/tools/link-checker.html.
Pre-send checking is part of what Shortlen does on every plan — see the features page, and start free to check your first link.
Questions people ask
What can a pre-send check actually catch?
The things that quietly ruin a send: a destination that's down or flagged, an expired or disabled link, an HTTPS or certificate problem, a page that fails on mobile, a messy redirect chain, a broken share preview, or a QR code that won't scan because of poor contrast.
Do I have to run it every time?
It runs automatically when a link is created or its destination changes, so there's always a recent result. For an important campaign it's worth running it again by hand just before you send, and you can check a whole campaign at once.
Is there a way to try it without signing up?
Yes. A free public checker runs the main checks on any link, a limited number of times per hour, at b1.lc/tools/link-checker.html — no account needed.
What does 'ready with warnings' mean?
The link will work, but something is worth a look — for example the destination loads slowly, or a share-preview image is missing. Warnings don't block you; they're there so you can decide whether to fix them first.