7 Best URL Shorteners for WordPress to Track Links

Are you on the lookout for a solution to shorten your WordPress web site hyperlinks so you may observe clicks once they’re shared?

If in case you have lengthy and unreadable URLs in your web site, then a URL shortener can cut back them to a couple characters. This makes it simpler to share them on any platform. You may as well observe what number of instances they’re clicked and extra.

On this article, we are going to present you the perfect URL shorteners for WordPress to trace hyperlinks.

What’s a URL Shortener and Why Use It on Your Web site?

A URL shortener is a instrument that helps convert lengthy WordPress website hyperlinks into quick and shareable hyperlinks. It simplifies advanced URLs which can be onerous to learn by decreasing a number of characters and turning them into small hyperlinks.

When a person clicks the shortened URL, they’re redirected to the right web page. They use 301 redirects, which inform search engines like google and yahoo that the hyperlink is everlasting and never going wherever. Utilizing a 301 doesn’t have an effect on your WordPress SEO.

Quick URLs are actually helpful for sharing content material on social media. Some social media platforms like Twitter provide a restricted variety of characters that you need to use. If in case you have a prolonged hyperlink, then it could possibly take up plenty of area.

Utilizing a shortened URL helps save beneficial character area that you need to use to write down compelling copy, get extra clicks, and enhance engagement. For instance, on WPBeginner we use a customized quick URL to share content material on Twitter.

In addition to that, you need to use URL shorteners to transform affiliate hyperlinks into extra readable hyperlinks.

Affiliate hyperlinks are often prolonged, onerous to recollect, and include your affiliate ID or username. This makes them advanced, and it seems one thing like this:

https://www.myaffiliatesite.com/merchandise/?product_id=12345&affiliate=123345623456

You may convert them into shareable and branded hyperlinks utilizing a URL shortener. Some instruments even allow you to cloak affiliate links and make them look extra skilled, like:

https://wpbeginner.com/refer/productname

The perfect half about utilizing URL shortener instruments is that additionally they observe the variety of clicks. This manner, you may see which hyperlink will get probably the most clicks.

That stated, let’s have a look at a number of the greatest URL shorteners on your WordPress web site.

1. Fairly Hyperlinks

Pretty Links is the perfect WordPress URL shortener plugin and the preferred affiliate link management tool. It helps shrink lengthy and sophisticated hyperlinks into shortened URLs along with your model title.

You should use the plugin for hyperlinks outdoors your web site. For example, you’ll be capable of cloak affiliate hyperlinks and switch them into readable URLs. This makes it an ideal instrument for creating shareable hyperlinks for various platforms, like social media.

When shortening a URL, Fairly Hyperlinks provides a number of choices for redirection. You may choose 302 and 307 short-term redirects, 301 everlasting redirects, and extra.

Utilizing Fairly Hyperlinks, you may handle all of your shortened URLs from the WordPress dashboard. Within the premium model, there are alternatives to group hyperlinks into classes and tags.

The plugin provides different options as nicely, like an auto-linking characteristic. You may add affiliate links for certain keywords and the plugin will routinely insert them within the content material.

Fairly Hyperlinks additionally helps observe the variety of clicks for every shortened URL. It exhibits a report contained in the WordPress dashboard, displaying the browser, working system, timestamp, host, URI, and different knowledge for every hyperlink.

Apart from that, the plugin additionally integrates with MonsterInsights. You may track affiliate link clicks in Google Analytics and higher perceive your customers’ conduct.

Really helpful For: Fairly Hyperlinks is the perfect instrument for anybody on the lookout for an entire hyperlink administration resolution for his or her WordPress web site. You may simply handle affiliate hyperlinks, cloak and model them, shorten any URL in your web site, and observe hyperlink clicks.

Execs:

• Newbie-friendly plugin for creating customized hyperlinks
• Simply handle and arrange your URLs from the WordPress dashboard
• Cloaks advanced associates hyperlinks
• Use the auto-linking characteristic to routinely add hyperlinks to particular key phrases
• Gives social sharing buttons to simply share quick hyperlinks
• Seamless integration with different plugins like MonsterInsights

Cons:

• It doesn’t provide an automated hyperlink uncloaking characteristic for Amazon
• You can’t test if a hyperlink is damaged earlier than publishing it

Pricing: Fairly Hyperlinks premium model costs begin from $99.50 per 12 months. Nonetheless, there may be additionally a free version of Pretty Links you need to use to get began.

2. Bitly

Bitly is without doubt one of the hottest URL shorteners out there. It helps you create short links, QR codes, and link-in-bio pages. The instrument could be very simple to make use of, and also you get began free of charge.

To shorten a URL, merely enter the hyperlink, and Bitly will create a brief hyperlink for you. Within the free model, you’re going to get a URL with a ‘bit.ly’ area title, and it’ll appear to be this: https://bit.ly/3YqTCEH.

In case you improve to the premium model, then you definately add a customized area and take away Bitly branding from the hyperlinks. At WPBeginner, we additionally use Bitly to create custom short URLs for our web site.

Bitly makes it very simple to trace particular person hyperlinks and get analytics inside your account dashboard. For example, the instrument will present the hyperlink clicks, the know-how utilized by your customers to click on on the quick URL, and the placement from the place you get probably the most clicks.

There’s additionally provides Bitly’s WordPress plugin. It’s a free plugin that allows you to shorten a hyperlink for chosen publish varieties. You may as well view the variety of clicks out of your dashboard for every shortened URL.

Really helpful For: Bitly is ideal free of charge customers who need to give link-shortening a strive, in addition to enterprises that desire a sturdy link-shortening and monitoring instrument. You may simply create quick hyperlinks and QR codes for your small business. Plus, it provides detailed analytics and stories for hyperlink clicks, QR code scans, country-level knowledge, and extra.

Execs:

• Create quick and customized hyperlinks in a number of clicks
• View hyperlink click on stories out of your Bitly account dashboard
• Gives a free WordPress plugin
• Allows you to create QR codes for hyperlinks
• Gives 1 link-in bio web page characteristic
• You may join a customized area with Bitly

Cons:

• The free model has restricted options
• It makes use of Bitly branding briefly hyperlinks within the free plan
• You can’t schedule or auto-link URLs to key phrases

Pricing: Bitly provides a free model that allows you to create 10 quick hyperlinks and QR codes per thirty days. Nonetheless, there are paid plans that begin from $8 per thirty days.

3. ThirstyAffiliates

ThirstyAffiliates is the perfect hyperlink administration plugin for WordPress that allows you to cloak your affiliate hyperlinks. You may flip lengthy, unshareable affiliate hyperlinks into lovely quick URLs which can be simple to learn.

We’ve been utilizing ThirstyAffiliates on our web sites, together with WPBeginner for over 5 years.

The plugin permits you to handle all of your hyperlinks out of your WordPress dashboard. You may simply create branded hyperlinks, add them to your content material, and prepare and arrange hyperlinks into classes.

The plugin even tracks your hyperlinks and exhibits stories contained in the WordPress admin panel. You get to see full statistics of how your shortened hyperlinks are performing and see top-performing associates.

ThirstyAffiliates additionally integrates with MonsterInsights, so you may observe them in Google Analytics. It additionally tracks geolocation and exhibits which area you get probably the most clicks from.

ThirstyAffiliates is greater than only a URL shortener. You should use it to auto-insert affiliate hyperlinks within the content material, import hyperlinks, test hyperlinks with 404 errors, schedule affiliate hyperlinks, and extra.

Really helpful For: In case you’re an affiliate marketer or a blogger utilizing WordPress, then ThirstyAffiliates is for you. It’s very simple to make use of, and you may shorten any URL in just some clicks. ThirstyAffiliates can also be an ideal various to Fairly Hyperlinks. You may see our comparability on Pretty Links vs ThirstyAffiliates for extra particulars.

Execs:

• Very simple to make use of and shorten URLs
• It permits you to select a prefix on your hyperlinks
• Simply handle all of your hyperlinks from a single place
• Permits automated key phrase linking
• Gives good uncloaking characteristic for Amazon Associates hyperlinks
• It routinely checks hyperlinks for 404 errors

Cons:

• Dashboard stories aren’t that detailed
• It doesn’t combine with eCommerce plugins like WooCommerce
• The free model is nice however provides restricted options

Pricing: ThristyAffiliates premium plans begin from $79.50 per 12 months. There’s additionally a ThristyAffiliates free model you need to use to get began.

4. URL Shortener by MyThemeShop

URL Shortener by MyThemeShop is a free WordPress plugin that helps create quick hyperlinks on your web site. It’s a beginner-friendly plugin that’s light-weight and gained’t decelerate your web site.

You may simply create a brief model of your URLs and share them on social media. The plugin additionally helps trim lengthy hyperlinks of exterior sources. This makes your hyperlinks extra readable and shareable.

URL Shortener by MyThemeShop provides a number of redirection varieties to select from. It lets you choose between 301, 302, and 307 reductions. You may handle all of your quick hyperlinks out of your WordPress admin panel and likewise arrange them into completely different classes.

The perfect half is that it additionally tracks all of your URLs and exhibits the variety of clicks. That is actually helpful in case you have affiliate hyperlinks and need to see which affiliate is getting probably the most clicks and producing income.

Really helpful For: In case you’re simply beginning a brand new web site and on the lookout for a free WordPress plugin to shorten URLs and observe them, then URL Shortener by MyThemeShop is the only option. It permits you to customise your quick hyperlink, choose a redirection kind, and provides a number of options free of charge.

Execs:

• Person-friendly and light-weight plugin
• Gives auto-linking characteristic within the free plan
• Set up your hyperlinks into classes
• Open quick hyperlinks in a brand new tab or window
• Add nofollow tags to your affiliate hyperlinks

Cons:

• Click on monitoring report exhibits restricted data
• Doesn’t combine with analytics plugins like MonsterInsights
• You don’t get a hyperlink scheduler or damaged hyperlink checker

Pricing: URL Shortener by MyThemeShop is out there free of charge.

5. URL Shortify

URL Shortify is one other free WordPress URL shortener plugin and is a superb various to URL Shortener by MyThemeShop and Bitly’s WordPress plugin.

You may simply create quick hyperlinks out of your WordPress dashboard, choose redirection kind and even group hyperlinks into classes. The plugin additionally permits you to allow the choice to routinely add nofollow and sponsored tags to your hyperlinks.

Throughout our testing, what made URL Shortify stand out was its dashboard stories. It exhibits extra particulars in comparison with different free choices in your checklist.

For example, you’ll see click on historical past, high places, referrers, gadgets, browsers, platforms, and extra. The report additionally exhibits particulars of every click on, so you understand how your quick URLs are performing.

Really helpful For: URL Shortify is an efficient free resolution for affiliate entrepreneurs, bloggers, podcasters, and anybody trying to handle hyperlinks on their WordPress web site. The largest draw is for individuals who need detailed stories contained in the WordPress admin space.

Execs:

• Simply customise your quick hyperlinks utilizing your model
• Robotically create quick URLs on your posts and pages
• Handle and arrange hyperlinks from the WordPress dashboard
• Monitor hyperlink clicks and get particulars analytical stories
• Integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce and Simple Digital Downloads

Cons:

• There is no such thing as a damaged hyperlink checker within the free model
• You can’t create QR codes within the free plan

Pricing: URL Shortify is a free WordPress plugin.

6. WP.me Shortlinks by Jetpack

WP.me Shortlinks is a URL shortener by Jetpack. It permits you to create quick URLs from the WordPress content material editor, so you may simply share them on completely different platforms.

Jetpack is a plugin suite that gives completely different options. Nonetheless, its core focus is on performance, safety, and advertising.

You’ll must manually activate the WP.me Shortlinks instruments from Jetpack settings. As soon as that’s completed, you may entry it from the content material editor by clicking the Jetpack icon and heading to the Shortlink choice. The instrument creates quick hyperlinks utilizing the wp.me area.

Whereas the instrument is simple to make use of, it doesn’t provide plenty of options that you simply’ll discover in different plugins on our checklist.

For example, you don’t get a dashboard to handle your quick hyperlinks, choose redirection kind, add your customized area to quick hyperlinks, take away wp.me branding from hyperlinks, and auto-link URLs to particular search phrases.

You additionally don’t get built-in dashboard stories to see hyperlink click on stats. You’ll must manually set up link click tracking in Google Analytics.

Really helpful For: WP.me is a superb instrument in case you’re already utilizing Jetpack in your WordPress web site. This manner, you may rapidly shorten URLs from the content material editor.

Execs:

• It comes prebuilt within the Jetpack plugin
• With Jetpack, you get a complete suite of plugins together with a URL shortener
• Simple to make use of and may be accessed from the content material editor
• You should use it free of charge

Cons:

• It doesn’t provide a customized branding choice for brief hyperlinks
• No choice to pick the redirection kind
• You can’t arrange auto-link to key phrases
• There is no such thing as a dashboard to handle and arrange quick URLs
• You don’t get built-in stories to trace shortened URLs

Pricing: WP.me Shortlinks is out there within the free model of Jetpack. Nonetheless, there are additionally premium plans that begin from $4.95 per thirty days.

7. TinyURL

TinyURL is a URL shortener software program you need to use to create quick hyperlinks and QR codes. It’s a nice various in case you don’t need to use a WordPress plugin or Bitly and simply need to rapidly condense lengthy URLs.

The perfect half concerning the instrument throughout our testing is you could create limitless quick URLs within the free model. This makes a budget-friendly choice for brand new web sites and rookies. Nonetheless, your hyperlinks with TinyURL branding within the URL.

So as to add your personal model title within the hyperlinks and entry analytics, you’ll must improve to the premium model. This can unlock stories the place you may see URL click on historical past, dashboard report, time chart of clicks over time, map of the place folks click on your hyperlinks, and extra.

Really helpful For: TinyURL is a budget-friendly choice for companies on the lookout for a premium URL shortener. You may customise hyperlinks utilizing your area or subdomain whereas monitoring hyperlink clicks.

Execs:

• Very simple to make use of and create quick URLs
• Quick hyperlinks don’t have an expiration date
• Simply handle your hyperlinks from the TinyURL dashboard
• Reasonably priced pricing plans

Cons:

• The free model has restricted options and performance
• No integration with WordPress plugins or analytical instruments
• You can’t auto-link, auto-cloak, or schedule quick hyperlinks
• Analytical stories present primary data

Pricing: The bottom software program is free to make use of. Nonetheless, you’ll want a paid plan to take away TinyURL branding and think about stories. The premium plans begin from $9.99 per thirty days (billed yearly).

Which is the Greatest URL Shortener for WordPress?

After reviewing a number of plugins and instruments, we suggest Pretty Links as the perfect URL shortener for WordPress.

It’s full of options and helps convert lengthy and sophisticated URLs into readable and shareable hyperlinks. The plugin is tremendous simple to arrange and use.

You additionally get a handful of redirection varieties to select from, use the auto-linking characteristic to routinely add hyperlinks to your content material, and handle all of the quick URLs out of your WordPress dashboard.

In addition to that, Fairly Hyperlinks helps observe hyperlink clicks. You may combine it with MonsterInsights to trace clicks in Google Analytics as nicely.

However, in case you’re on the lookout for an exterior instrument that shortens hyperlinks and likewise provides a WordPress plugin, then you need to use Bitly.

FAQs about Greatest URL Shorteners

Listed here are a number of the most typical questions folks have about URL shortener instruments:

1. Which is the perfect free URL shortener?

From our testing, we suggest Fairly Hyperlinks and Bitly as the perfect free URL shorteners. Pretty Links is nice for WordPress websites trying to handle their affiliate hyperlinks and observe them. Bitly is nice in case you simply need to shorten a number of URLs.

2. Are URL shorteners good for website positioning?

URL shorteners gained’t impression your WordPress SEO and web site visibility in the event that they’re used properly. Quick hyperlinks don’t go the hyperlink juice completely, so that you shouldn’t use them as the principle type of creating hyperlinks on your web site.

3. Do quick URLs expire?

Some quick URLs expire whereas others don’t. It often is dependent upon the URL shortener you’re utilizing. For example, customized hyperlinks created utilizing TinyURL don’t expire.

We hope this text helped you find out about the perfect URL shorteners for WordPress to trace hyperlinks. You may additionally need to see our information on the best SEO plugins and tools for WordPress and the ultimate guide to boosting WordPress speed.

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