How To Shorten a URL: 5 Best URL Shorteners (2026)

Long URLs are strings of random characters that clutter content and lower click-through rates. You can use a URL shortener to shorten links without altering the original information.

Google recommends simple URLs that use readable words instead of long IDs. It also suggests trimming unnecessary URL parameters (the short pieces of text that sometimes appear at the end of a website URL).

This guide covers the benefits of short URLs, how to create them, and the five top URL shorteners to use.

What is a URL shortener?

URL shorteners condense long links and redirect users to the original page. These tools store the original URLs in a database alongside an identification code. When a user clicks a short link, the tool searches the database, finds the original URL, and loads the page.

While link shorteners share functionality, some have tracking features or let you customize the link’s subfolder—the portion that follows the root domain.

Here’s what a URL looks like before you shorten it:

http://tshirts4you.com/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=sale&utm_content=buy%20now&utm_term=summer%20sale

Here’s the same link after an automated generator shortens it:

https://bit.ly/4cmwqNj

You can also customize the back half of the link:

https://bit.ly/tshirts4you-summer-sale

Benefits of short URLs

Short URLs support your store by encouraging:

1. Improved trust
2. Attribution and ROI
3. Brand authority
4. Customer acquisition
5. Automated sales operations

1. Improved trust 

Short URLs create a cleaner online shopping experience and are easier for customers to remember. They’re simpler to share in email marketing and social commerce posts on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and X.

Many social media platforms compress links to limit character counts. For example, X counts every URL as 23 characters. Shortening links yourself gives you control over how parts of the URL appear to readers.

A short URL can also improve trust with potential shoppers. A 2025 user study on phishing found that making links easy to inspect reduced the rate of successful phishing clicks from 74% to 35%. When a URL is hard to parse, users may hesitate because they can’t verify the destination.

2. Attribution and ROI

Use custom URL shorteners like ShortLink to track clicks, geographic data, demographics, and referrers. These tools operate separately from Google Analytics 4 (GA4), which reads UTM parameters. 

Track link success across campaigns to see what’s driving traffic, such as influencer campaigns or ads. Sync link shorteners with customer relationship management (CRM) systems, like HubSpot, to measure post-click actions.

3. Brand authority

Generic links can look like spam. Custom short URLs include your store name, product line, or specific offers. 

For example, you can use a branded short domain like go.brandname.com/sale to maintain a premium brand image rather than using a generic, third-party link. You can register or connect a short custom domain, add it to your URL shortener, and use it as the default domain for campaign links. 

4. Customer acquisition 

Clean, descriptive URLs drive more clicks. According to a Backlinko study using data from Semrush, URLs containing keywords similar to the search term had a 45% higher click-through rate (CTR). 

Search data also shows a correlation between shorter URLs and higher rankings, with top-ranking URLs averaging 9.2 fewer characters than those in the 10th position. 

5. Automated sales operations

You can use link shorteners to set or disable launch or expiration dates for links. This manages timed flash sales and closes access to landing pages after an offer ends. You can also edit destination links after they’re live or redirect links by time or location.

Top 5 URL shorteners for Shopify stores

These 5 URL shorteners fit Shopify stores:

1. ShortLink
2. Pasilobus Short Links
3. Link Squeeze
4. SnipIt
5. Shortify: Short Link & Track

1. ShortLink 

ShortLink tracks conversions and traffic for every link. It helps store owners build trackable URLs for email, social media posts, SMS, and YouTube campaigns. 

ShortLink also has add-to-cart tracking, platform analysis, and QR code generation for packaging or digital ads. If you run influencer programs, you can use the app to track specific sales and payouts.

ShortLink details:

• Use case: Running influencer programs, SMS campaigns, or social media marketing.
• Features: Unlimited short URLs, QR code tracking, bulk link generation, and order tracking.
• Pricing: ShortLink has a free plan with unlimited short URLs and quick links. The Groww plan is $9.99 per month for five campaigns and one influencer. The Premium plan is $29.99 per month for unlimited campaigns and influencers. Both paid plans include a seven-day free trial.

2. Pasilobus Short Links

Pasilobus Short Link Generator converts long URLs into branded links that use your store’s domain. 

It has a free plan with unlimited links and click tracking. The premium plan is $5 per month and has UTM parameter pass-through and analytics reports.

Pasilobus details:

• Use case: Branded link management in the Shopify admin.
• Features: Real-time click tracking, custom URL slugs, and expiring link dates.
• Pricing: There’s a free plan or a premium plan for $5 per month. The annual option costs 17% less, at $50. Both plans have a seven-day free trial.

3. Link Squeeze

Link Squeeze is a URL shortener that generates short links, QR codes, and link retargeting. 

It lets you add marketing pixels to links to re-engage customers with personalized campaigns. The app tracks clicks, conversions, and revenue to calculate return on investment (ROI).

Link Squeeze details:

• Use case: Tracking revenue generated by marketing links.
• Features: Link retargeting, a UTM builder, and branded links using up to 50 custom domains.
• Pricing: Link Squeeze has a free plan and a pro plan for $9.99 per month. Both have unlimited short links; the pro plan has a seven-day free trial, unlimited marketing pixels, and in-depth tracking.

4. SnipIt 

SnipIt is a free URL shortener for Shopify stores. It shortens product, blog, and page URLs that include your store name. 

You can use it to manage Bitly and TinyURL accounts in one place and access analytics to see how many clicks each link receives. 

SnipIt details:

• Use case: Creating branded short links.
• Features: Custom URLs, app integrations, and click tracking. 
• Pricing: Free.

5. Shortify: Short Link & Track

Shortify offers unlimited branded short URLs and split testing to determine which products or collections generate the most earnings. It uses your brand’s domain in links to increase clicks and conversions without affecting page load speed.

Shortify details:

• Use case: Split testing and influencer campaigns.
• Features: Unlimited branded short URLs, sales tracking, no impact on page load speed.
• Pricing: $5.93 per month with a seven-day free trial.

Free vs. paid URL shorteners: Which fits your store?

Whether you stick with a free tool or upgrade to a paid subscription depends on whether your links are navigational or critical to your marketing infrastructure.

Check the table for considerations:

Bitly is a well-known URL shortener that serves as a general-purpose benchmark for link management across social, email, QR, and creator campaigns. Its plans have straightforward usage limits and include recognizable short links and landing pages.

• Bitly’s free plan includes five links per month, two QR codes, two landing pages, and three custom back-halves. 
• The Core plan starts at $10 per month annually and adds 100 links per month, plus 30 days of click or scan data. 
• The Growth plan starts at $29 per month on an annual plan and adds 500 links per month, branded links, a custom domain, and four months of click or scan data.

Shopify App Store tools have generous free tiers for store-specific workflows. They enable you to manage links inside the Shopify admin and to use your store’s domain to build trust. Paid Shopify apps connect your marketing links to store revenue and cart data directly in the admin for a lower cost than Bitly’s higher tiers.

How to shorten a URL

Follow these steps to shorten a URL:

1. Choose a URL shortener

Compare platforms to find a tool that matches your business needs. Check for free options or premium plans that include customized URLs and traffic tracking.

2. Copy your original URL

Highlight and copy the URL from the browser address bar. Include UTM tracking parameters to keep tracking functional.

3. Run the shortener

Paste the link into the tool’s input box and click the action button. The tool generates a shortened version of the link.

4. Customize the URL

Modify the slug or the back half of the link to add a brand or campaign name, if the tool allows.

5. Add any expiration dates or active dates

If the tool has this feature, navigate to the settings panel to set dates that automate link availability.

Pair short URLs with QR codes

Link physical and digital campaigns by pairing short URLs with QR codes. These codes bridge physical and digital marketing, allowing shoppers to reach a mobile landing page through packaging, flyers, catalogs, signage, or event booths. 

QR scanning is common. eMarketer forecasted that 102.6 million US consumers would use smartphone QR scanners by 2026. And a collaborative study published by We Are Social and Meltwater found that 50.5% of adult internet users worldwide scanned a QR code in Q2 2024, up from 44.3% in Q2 2022. But for customers who can’t or don’t want to scan, you can place a short text-based URL near the QR code for them to type.

Use short links to connect key store pages to specific marketing channels, for example:

• Product detail pages through packaging or store displays
• Limited-time discount pages through direct mail or inserts
• Guides and comparison pages through tags and lookbooks
• Review requests and loyalty signups through receipts
• Product registration or return instructions on delivery receipts or in post-purchase emails
• Social commerce or app-download pages through pop-up events and outdoor ads

Include a strong call to action in QR codes for TV, video, and streaming ads. Pair them with a clear selling point, such as “Scan for 20% off” or “Scan to shop the look.”

Pick the right shortener for your store

Selecting the right shortener depends on your campaign needs. Consider ShortLink for influencer tracking, Link Squeeze for retargeting, or Pasilobus for branded domains. 

Fee options like SnipIt handle basic social links, and paid apps are essential for connecting clicks to actual revenue. Match your tool to your goals and create professional, trackable assets that drive growth.