Have you ever wanted to share a link, but the URL seems wise for how long it is? URL shorteners are tools that are used to create a new short link that goes to the same page linked to that long URL. You can share that link with whoever you want, without worrying about cluttering a post, email, message or tweet. See Step 1 below to find out how.
Steps
Step 1. Copy the URL you want to shorten
You can shorten any URL, regardless of its length and complexity. Select the URL from the address bar and copy it to the clipboard by pressing Ctrl + C (Command + C for Mac).
Step 2. Go to a URL Shortener site
Shorteners provide shortened URLs produced by very long URLs. These URLs usually hide the "natural words" of the landing page because they are shorter. There is a large variety of free URL shorteners available.
- Bitly (bit.ly)
- Google URL Shortner (goo.gl)
- TinyURL (tinyurl)
- X.co
Step 3. Decide if you want paid shortening services
Tools like Bitly allow you to track your shortened URLs to see how many clicks they get. This can be particularly useful for those who work in marketing with social networks and for bloggers. This type of service is usually paid.
Step 4. Paste the URL in the field provided, in order to shorten it
Place your cursor on the text field on the Shortener site and paste the copied URL. You can paste by pressing Ctrl + V (Command + V for Mac).
Some services like TinyURL allow you to see a preview of the URL. These URLs are slightly longer but give you an idea of which site you will be redirected to before clicking. This can reduce the distrust that hidden and shortened URLs often arouse
Step 5. Click on the “Shorten” button
Although each site is built in its own way, each will have a button next to the field to enter the URL to shorten. At this point a page will appear with the new shortened URL, or you will simply see it on the same page under the form where you copied the URL.
Step 6. Share the link
Now that you have a short URL, you can share it with whoever you want. The beauty of a short URL is that it easily enters tweets and messages.
Warnings
- This method hides the URL. Some services allow users to see the URL.
- Some URL shorteners don't accept affiliate links and spam.
