Long URLs are ugly, hard to remember and often break when pasted into emails, SMS messages or social media posts. A short URL fixes all of these problems at once. It's compact enough to fit in a tweet, memorable enough to say aloud, and it never breaks across line wraps in emails or documents.

Custom Short Codes

A generic short code like ?c=aB3kR7q works fine, but a custom code is far more powerful. Use ?c=summer-sale for your campaign, ?c=resume for your CV download, or ?c=menu for a restaurant menu PDF. Custom codes are easier to type from QR codes, easier to remember and easier to communicate verbally.

Bulk URL Shortening

The bulk mode is built for marketers, e-commerce managers and developers who need many short links at once. Paste your list of long URLs or upload a .txt file, and the tool generates a unique short code for each one. The results are displayed in a table and available as a downloadable short-urls.txt file with short URL and original URL on each tab-separated line โ€” ready to import into spreadsheets or campaign tracking tools.

Pairing URL Shortener with QR Codes

Short URLs and QR codes go perfectly together. A shorter URL means a less complex QR code pattern, which scans more reliably at smaller print sizes. Use this URL shortener to create a short link, then use the QR Code Generator to encode that short URL. The result is a clean, easily scannable QR code that's also readable as printed text.

How Links Are Stored

Short links are stored in a simple local JSON file on the server. There is no database dependency. Links persist until the server's storage is cleared โ€” they are not automatically expired, so your links will continue to work as long as the site is running.

Use Cases for Short URLs

URL shorteners are useful in far more situations than just Twitter character limits:

  • Print materials: Business cards, flyers, posters and brochures can only show a short, memorable URL. A short URL printed on a flyer is far more likely to be typed correctly than a 150-character tracking link.
  • QR codes: Short URLs produce simpler, less dense QR code patterns that scan reliably even at small print sizes or when slightly damaged.
  • Email campaigns: Long tracking URLs in email bodies look suspicious and are more likely to trigger spam filters. Short links look cleaner and get higher click rates.
  • SMS messages: SMS is limited to 160 characters. A short link preserves character budget for the actual message.
  • Presentations: Slides often need a URL that audience members can type quickly during a live presentation. Short and custom-coded URLs are far more practical than pasting a raw long URL.
  • Affiliate and campaign tracking: Generate unique short codes for each marketing channel (social, email, print) to track which channel drives traffic โ€” even without analytics integration.
  • Sharing PDF downloads: Create a short URL pointing to a PDF hosted on your server or cloud storage, making the link easy to share verbally or in print.

Short URLs and Security

Short URLs obscure the destination, which is both a feature and something to be aware of. Anyone clicking a short link from ConvertFree.net will be redirected to whatever URL was originally entered. Only create and share short links to destinations you own or have permission to link to. Do not use short links to disguise the true destination in ways that could mislead or deceive recipients.

Privacy: URLs you shorten are stored locally on ConvertFree.net servers only. We don't sell, share or analyse your URL data. No login is required and no personal information is collected.