360 Orbit Shortlink Service

Links in print, newsletters, QR codes and social media cannot be corrected once they are out. Shortlink Service gives every link a short address such as /shortlinks/k3x9tq. The address is assigned automatically and is locked: it can never be changed. The page it leads to can be replaced whenever you need to, and everything that was printed or shared keeps working.

• Create a link in seconds: a name and a target address, nothing else. The short address is assigned for you.
• Locked address: six characters without easily confused letters (no 0/o, no 1/l/i). Once assigned, it never changes and is never given out again, not even after the link is deleted.
• Replace the target at any time: the short address stays the same.
• Overview list: title, short address, target and a copy button, sortable and searchable, also by target address.
• Temporary redirect (HTTP 302): browsers and search engines remember permanent redirects (301) for a long time, which would defeat a later change of the target. A temporary redirect always reaches returning visitors too.
• Error page for unknown links: an invalid, deleted or unpublished link shows a clear message instead of redirecting.
• Safe by default: only http:// and https:// targets are accepted, on saving and again at every redirect. Every change needs the right permission and a security token.

Requires pretty permalinks (any structure except “Plain”). If you use a page cache or a CDN, exclude the path /shortlinks/ from caching, so a changed target reaches visitors without delay.

Free vs. Pro

The free version covers everything above.

Shortlink Service Pro adds:

• URL history: every replaced target address is kept with date and user and can be restored in one click.
• Archive for old links: archive instead of deleting. The address, history and clicks are kept, the link shows the error page and can be reactivated in one click, one by one or in bulk.
• Redirect type per link: 302 (default), 307 or, on request, 301.
• Click counter without personal data: total clicks and last visit per link. No IP address, no cookies, no user agent stored; bots, HEAD requests and prefetching are not counted. Nothing to add to your cookie banner.
• Statistics over time: clicks per day, week and month, per link or in total, for any period.
• CSV import and export: import existing links with a preview and a report of rejected rows, export everything as CSV.
• QR code for every shortlink as SVG and PNG, created in your browser. The code contains the short address, so a printed code keeps working when you change the target.
• Optional own short domain, for example wirt.at/k3x9tq, with a built-in check and a step-by-step guide.
• Automatic update notifications directly in the WordPress admin area.