Custom Short Codes
Make your links memorable and on-brand with custom short codes. Turn random characters into meaningful words.
What is a Short Code?
The short code is the unique identifier after your domain. For example, in links.example.com/summer-sale, the short code is summer-sale.
By default, we generate random codes like x7k9m2. Custom codes let you replace these with something meaningful.
Setting a Custom Code
- When creating or editing a link, find the "Short code" field
- Clear the auto-generated code
- Enter your custom code
- We'll check if it's available
If the code is already in use on that domain, you'll see an error. Try a different variation or add numbers.
What Makes a Good Short Code?
Keep it Short
Shorter is better. Aim for 3-15 characters. The whole point of a short link is brevity.
Make it Memorable
Use real words or phrases people can remember: podcast, free-trial, 2024-report.
Match Your Content
The code should hint at the destination: pricing for your pricing page, demo for a product demo.
Be Consistent
If you run regular campaigns, use a consistent format: newsletter-jan, newsletter-feb.
Allowed Characters
Custom codes can contain:
- Letters (a-z, case-insensitive)
- Numbers (0-9)
- Hyphens (-)
- Underscores (_)
- Forward slashes (/) for path-like codes (e.g.,
blog/post-1)
Codes must start and end with a letter or number.
Examples
| Use Case | Example Code |
|---|---|
| Product launch | launch, new-product |
| Sales campaign | sale, 50-off, black-friday |
| Social media bio | bio, linktree |
| Podcast episode | ep-42, podcast |
| Conference talk | slides, talk-2024 |
Changing Short Codes
You can change a link's short code at any time by editing the link. However, keep in mind:
- The old URL immediately stops working
- Anyone with the old link will get a 404 error
- Analytics history stays with the link
If you need both URLs to work, create a new link instead of changing the existing one.