ShortHow It Works
Three steps. Nothing to install, nothing to configure.
Paste your URL
Drop in any link — long product pages, Google Docs, articles, whatever you've got.
Get a short link
We generate a compact URL that redirects to your original page. Takes about a second.
Share it
Copy and paste it into a chat, email, document, social post — wherever you need it.
When Short Links Come in Handy
Some URLs are just too long. Here's where a shorter version helps.
Social posts
Character limits on Twitter/X, LinkedIn, and other platforms mean every character counts. Short links leave more room for your actual message.
Presentations and slides
Nobody in your meeting is going to type out a 200-character URL from a slide. Give them something short enough to remember.
Printed materials
Business cards, flyers, menus, posters. If someone has to type the URL by hand, it needs to be short.
Text messages
SMS has character limits and long URLs wrap awkwardly. A short link keeps things clean and clickable.
Tracking campaigns
UTM parameters make URLs massive. Shorten the whole thing so the tracking stays hidden from the person clicking.
Internal sharing
Sharing a link to a doc, ticket, or dashboard with your team? A short link in Slack is a lot cleaner than a wall of text.
Free Shortener vs. Full Platform
This tool gives you short links with flexible expiration. Here's what the full URL Unicorn platform adds on top.
| Feature | Short Links (here) | URL Unicorn |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free tier + paid plans |
| Account required | No | Yes (Google sign-in) |
| Link lifespan | 1hr to forever | Permanent |
| Edit destination later | No | Yes |
| Click analytics | No | Yes |
| Custom aliases | No | Yes |
| QR codes | No | Included |
| Bulk shortening | No | Yes |
Questions People Ask
Yes — completely free, with no account, no credit card, and no ads. Create as many short links as you need. If you later want click analytics, custom aliases, or editable links, URL Unicorn has a free tier with 5 permanent dynamic links, and paid plans start at $7/month.
Nope. Just paste a URL and hit shorten. There is nothing to sign up for here. You only need an account if you use URL Unicorn for the full set of features.
You pick. Choose anywhere from 1 hour to 1 year, or select Never and the link sticks around indefinitely. If you also need to edit where a link points or track who is clicking it, URL Unicorn has that built in.
Yes. Choose the Never option before you shorten and the link stays active with no expiration date. It is a free way to get a permanent short URL without an account.
Not with these links — the destination is locked in when you create it. Dynamic short links on URL Unicorn let you swap the destination anytime. The URL people have does not change, but where it takes them does. Handy for printed QR codes or links you have already sent out.
This tool generates a random short code for each link. Custom aliases — where you choose the ending yourself — are part of URL Unicorn, along with branded domains and analytics.
Not on these links — there is no tracking here. If you want to know how many clicks a link gets, where the clicks come from, and what devices people use, that is part of the analytics on URL Unicorn.
Yes. Every link uses HTTPS, and we reject insecure http links, raw IP addresses, and localhost before shortening. There are no tracking scripts or ads on this page. As with any shortener, only click short links from sources you trust.
No hard limit. Create as many as you need. Links with an expiration date clean themselves up automatically when they expire.
This is a simpler, no-account tool for quick short links — including ones that never expire. TinyURL and Bitly are full link-management platforms. If you want something in between — permanent links with analytics and custom aliases, but without Bitly pricing — URL Unicorn starts free and paid plans are a fraction of the cost.