2022-10-22
Free online services help to shorten links. We'll take a look at the best ones as we use them. So, let's move on to an overview!
Content :
"Clicker" from Yandex - QR code + link
The special link shortener from Google corporation stopped its work in early 2019. The vacated niche was occupied by the eternal competitor - Yandex. "Clicker", developed by it, is located at clck.ru. Registration in Yandex services, meanwhile, is not required, the service is absolutely free to use.
clck.ru has an attractive "old-school" design and a clear interface.
Unlike VK.CC, CLCK.RU does not provide detailed statistics about clicks on your link, but will generate its own QR-code. You can put it anywhere so that users will be able to scan it with their phone and follow the link in just a second.
How to shorten a link with Clicker from Yandex:
- Go to clck.ru
- Enter the original link in the blank field
- Click Click .
- Copy this URL generated by pressing Ctrl + C or by clicking on the scissors icon.
- Copy the barcode by saving the picture to the clipboard or using the "Save picture as..." option in the context menu of the browser.
Go to clck.ru
TinyURL is a "humble" shrink
TinyURL is considered as one of the oldest shrink services, therefore a name on the lips of many. Unlike Bit.ly or, say, a Google shortener, TinyURL allows you to shorten links with a large range of characters in the name. In addition, you can customize the letters and numbers at the end of the link to your liking. As opposed to a hard-to-remember, convoluted link name, you can specify something like //tinyurl.com/mybestlink. This is convenient and nice - agree, there is no shame in sharing such a shortened link.
On a separate note we add the bookmarklet to the browser bar. This allows you to shorten links without going to the service. To use it you just drag and drop the indicated link to the bookmark bar and click on it when you want to shorten it.
Go to TinyURL
VK.cc - Shorten links for VKontakte
The link shortener from the social network VK is really credible. It is absolutely reliable and created specifically for the user to shorten the link leading to their profile or group.
Access to the short link service from VK is available at vk.com/cc. In order to use the application you must have an account in the social network and be logged in.
The simple form of the service has a clear interface:
- Paste the link you want to shorten
- Click the "Shorten" button in the empty field.
- VK.cc will generate the short link via https secure protocol.
- You will be able to use this link everywhere and not only in the social network VK.
The important feature is the statistical protocol (similar to the one of the dead shorteners from Google). After filling in the form you will see all the links you have recently shortened, and also keep a record of the number of hits. By default this statistic is public: if you wish to hide it from others, check the "Link Statistics are visible only to you" box before shortening a link.
Go to VK.cc
Is.gd is the easiest URL shortener
Is.gd is one of the simplest generators of shortened links. There is nothing useless or distracting (like captchas), only a field where you add the link; the output is a brief analog of a link which you can customize as you want and include some browsing statistics.
It is very simple to work with Is.gd:
- Go to Is.gd.
- In the text field you insert the link.
- If you wish to enter the clicked statistics, open the options ( Further options/custom URL ) activate the option Log statistics for this link .
- You can define a custom name for the link which will be displayed after "//is.gd/". You can do this in the second text field.
- Click Shorten!
- In this window Ctrl + C copy the shortened URL.
Go to Is.gd
bit.do short link service
bit.do is one of the very few services providing statistics about the jumps with shortened link.
Like Yandex's CLCK.RU, in addition to the link you also receive a qr-code, which can be scanned by any mobile scanning application.
A final advantage of bit.do is that you can rename the link to your liking, making it more readable.
There is, however, one drawback of bit.do - the link compressor uses the unsecured http protocol, so that all the links get the "//" in the URL. And in the year 2020 not everybody dares to use this URL.
Go to bit.do
Bitly -link shortener with experience
The English-language URL shortener Bitly is an automatic URL shortener. The instructions are very simple:
- Paste the link into the blank field in the middle of the screen;
- Click the "Shorten" button;
- Get a nice-looking new link and copy it by pressing the "Copy" button.
Authorized users receive additional functions: for example, to give their own original names to the links provided. Signing up will not take more than a few minutes.
The paid version of the service allows you to create your own "branded" links that will increase audience engagement. This service costs $29 per month or $348 per year.
Go to Bitly
U.to - an easy service for shortening links
Creating attractive names for links can also be done with the U.to service from website builder uCoz. It allows you to instantly improve the link length.
U.to works exactly like other link reduction services: just enter the URL in the site form, and click on the "shorten..." button.
We recommend registering in order to benefit from the significant advantages of authorization: access to the link editing function (you can enter your own original names) and the link click-through traffic statistics. Registering at U.to is totally free and only takes a couple of minutes.
The combination of these benefits makes this service from uCoz builder one of the best sites for link shortening.
Go to U.to
Why shorten links?
When we share a link to a page on the web, we provide its URL. It consists of http or https protocol, site domain, and group or account id. Sometimes the link may be very long and contain many unreadable characters, making it hard to understand.
To avoid the URL looking excessively long, you may use a link shortening service where you can automatically shorten the link to any page.
Another occasion when shortening links is necessary is when they are blocked by a social network. When you want to share a resource you found with a friend and VKK or another service calls the page potentially harmful, a special shortening service may help.
While long links are more difficult to understand, there are other advantages to using shortening services:
- Short links are easier to copy and remember to enter in the browser address bar manually later;
- In shortened links you may insert your own identifier. This will be useful for you if you have referral programs;
- Services like Twitter have a character limit. Long links significantly "steal" the space provided.
