What's the best way to shorten links for a social media bio?
A link-in-bio page or a single branded short link both work for a social bio — the right choice depends on how many things you're pointing to.
Shortlen Editorial · · 2 min read
The short answer
For a social bio, use a single branded short link when you're pointing to one thing (a product, a page), and a link-in-bio page — one link that opens a small menu of several links — when you have more than two or three destinations to share. Both can carry click tracking either way.
Key points
- Most social platforms allow only one clickable link in a bio, which is why both short links and link-in-bio pages exist to work around that limit.
- A single branded short link is simplest and keeps click data about one destination in one place.
- A link-in-bio page trades that simplicity for flexibility: one bio link that opens a small menu of several destinations.
- Either approach can use a custom domain, so the link still reads as your brand instead of a shared one.
- Switch from a single link to a link-in-bio page once you're regularly changing what the bio points to, not before.
On this page
Most social platforms give you exactly one clickable link in your bio, so the choice is really between pointing that one link at a single destination with a plain short link, or at a small menu of destinations with a link-in-bio page — pick based on how many things you’re sending people to, not on which option sounds more advanced.
What’s the difference between a short link and a link-in-bio page?
A short link redirects straight to one destination the moment someone clicks it — a product page, a new post, a sign-up form. A link-in-bio page is itself a small page with its own address; visitors land there first and then pick from a short list of links it shows them. Both can sit behind a branded link on your own domain instead of a generic shortener address.
When does a single short link make more sense?
A single short link makes more sense when you only have one thing to promote at a time — a launch, a single product, one event. It’s one fewer tap for the visitor (no menu to read first), and if you’re tracking clicks, all the data about that one destination lives in one place instead of being split across a page’s worth of links.
When does a link-in-bio page make more sense?
A link-in-bio page earns its extra step once you’re regularly pointing people at more than two or three things from the same bio — a shop, a newsletter signup, a latest video, and a contact page, say. Rather than swapping the bio link every time one of those changes, the page itself holds the current list, and only the page’s contents need updating.
A quick way to decide
| Situation | Better fit |
|---|---|
| One current promotion, one destination | A single branded short link |
| Three or more regularly-changing destinations | A link-in-bio page |
| You want the simplest possible click report | A single branded short link |
| You’re juggling a shop, a newsletter and a latest video from one bio | A link-in-bio page |
What to do next
If you’re only sending people to one place right now, start with a single branded short link on your own domain and watch the click data for a while. If that one link starts needing to point at different things depending on the week, that’s the signal to move to a link-in-bio page instead. Either way, see Shortlen’s plans for what’s included, or get in touch if you’re not sure which fits.
Questions people ask
Can I track clicks on a link-in-bio page the same way as a regular short link?
Yes, in principle — a link-in-bio page is itself a page with its own address, so clicks on its sub-links can be tracked by whichever tool built that page. If you only need one destination, a single tracked short link gives you the same data with one less step for visitors.
Does the bio link need to be on my own domain?
It doesn't have to be, but it helps. A link that reads as your own domain is more recognizable than a generic shortener address, for the same reason a branded link is more recognizable anywhere else.