Glossary
Plain-language definitions of the terms used across this site, each with its own link so you can point straight to it.
- Short link
- A short link is a shortened web address that redirects visitors to a longer destination URL. It's the basic building block of any URL shortener, and can be shared, printed or put in a QR code wherever space is limited.
- See also: Branded link, Redirect (301 vs 302)
- Branded link
- A branded link is a short link that uses your own domain name instead of a generic shortener domain, for example go.shortlen.com instead of a shared one. It makes the link recognizable and trustworthy before anyone clicks it.
- See also: Custom domain, Pricing
- Custom domain
- A custom domain is a domain name you own that you connect to a URL shortener so every short link it creates carries your brand instead of the shortener's default domain.
- See also: Branded link, Pricing
- QR code
- A QR code is a scannable square barcode that a phone camera can read to open a link without typing it. Shorteners often generate a QR code for each short link so it can be used on packaging, posters or business cards.
- See also: Short link, Link-in-bio
- Redirect (301 vs 302)
- A redirect sends a visitor from a short link to its destination URL. A 301 redirect means "moved permanently" and is the standard for most short links; a 302 redirect means "moved temporarily," which is useful if the destination might change again later.
- See also: Short link, Deep link
- Click tracking
- Click tracking records how many times a short link was clicked, along with details like approximate location, device type and referring source. It lets you see which channels are actually driving traffic.
- See also: UTM parameter, Pricing
- UTM parameter
- A UTM parameter is a short tag added to the end of a URL (like ?utm_source=newsletter) that marketing analytics tools use to identify where traffic came from. Short links often hide long UTM-tagged URLs behind a clean short link.
- See also: Click tracking, Short link
- Link-in-bio
- A link-in-bio is a single link, usually placed in a social media profile, that opens a small page of several links. It's a common way to work around platforms that only allow one clickable link per profile.
- See also: Short link, QR code
- Deep link
- A deep link points to a specific screen or piece of content inside an app or website, rather than just its homepage, for example straight to a product page instead of the store's front page. Short links are often used to make deep links easier to share.
- See also: Redirect (301 vs 302), Short link
- Custom back-half / slug
- The back-half (or slug) is the part of a short link after the domain, such as the "sale" in shortlen.com/sale. A custom back-half lets you choose a memorable word instead of a random string of letters and numbers.
- See also: Branded link, Short link