Blog
Coming alongside GA. Until then, the technical writing lives in /docs and the strategy notes in our public roadmap.
engineeringWhy we use ClickHouse for click analytics (and not Postgres)
The workload is 100M+ events/month, write-heavy, analytical-query-shaped. Why columnar wins, the schema we ship, and what we hit at 90 days of Postgres
Readclickhouse click analytics · clickhouse for analytics · click event storage
industriesURL shorteners for SaaS: lifecycle, onboarding, in-product comms
SaaS lifecycle email + in-product banners + magic-link adjacency. Per-template UTM discipline, tracked CTAs, and the procurement-ready compliance story
Readsaas link tracking · saas onboarding links · b2b short links
CornerstonecomparisonsURL shorteners for marketers: the 2026 comparison matrix
12 features × 7 tools — Bitly, Rebrandly, Short.io, Branch, TinyURL, Bl.ink, Elido — and a decision tree for picking by team size, residency, and budget
Readurl shortener for marketing · marketing link tracking · branded link tool
industriesURL shorteners for influencers: branded domain, slugs, and audit trails
Creators need three things from a link layer: trust signal, per-post attribution, and a clean payout audit trail. Here's how short links cover all three
Readinfluencer link tool · creator link in bio · influencer url shortener
tutorialsSet up branded short links: pick a domain, ship in an afternoon
Branded short links lift CTR 20-39% over generic ones. Pick the right domain pattern, run the four setup steps, and migrate without breaking existing links
Readbranded short links · custom short link domain · branded url
featuresSCIM and SSO for marketing tools: what enterprise IT actually asks
SAML 2.0 + OIDC + SCIM 2.0 — the procurement-checklist version. IdP compatibility, deprovisioning as audit artefact, and the marketing-tool gap
Readscim sso saas · scim provisioning · saml sso saas
complianceSchrems II and tracking pixels: where the DPF leaves you in 2026
Schrems II invalidated Privacy Shield. The EU-US Data Privacy Framework restored adequacy in 2023. What this actually means for marketing pixels under GDPR Article 44+
Readschrems ii tracking · schrems ii pixels · eu us data transfer
CornerstoneengineeringHitting p95 < 15ms for redirects from FRA, ASH, and SGP
How Elido's edge-redirect path holds a 15ms p95 budget on cache HIT across three regions — architecture, cache strategy, real-region measurements
Readurl shortener performance · edge redirect latency · multi-region url shortener
migrationMigrate from TinyURL: two paths and what each one preserves
TinyURL migration depends on whether you have a Pro API account. Two paths, what survives the move, and the realist's note on tinyurl.com slugs you can't preserve
Readmigrate from tinyurl · tinyurl export · leave tinyurl
migrationMigrate from Rebrandly: branded domain handover without slug loss
Rebrandly's strength is the branded domain — so its migration is a DNS handover with link preservation. Two paths, the export shape, and the validation script
Readmigrate from rebrandly · rebrandly export · leaving rebrandly
CornerstonetutorialsMigrate from Bitly without breaking links: a failure-modes playbook
Seven classes of breakage when migrating from Bitly — slug case, DNS TTL, webhooks, deeplinks — and the audit script that catches them before users do
Readmigrate from bitly · bitly migration · bitly export
tutorialsGA4 server-side tracking via the redirect tier
GA4 client-side loses 25-35% of events to ad-blockers and ITP. Measurement Protocol restores most of it. The endpoint, the payload, and the client_id stitching
Readga4 server side · ga4 measurement protocol · ga4 server tracking
tutorialsForwarding conversions to Meta CAPI through Elido short links
How to recover the 30-40% of conversion events Meta Pixel loses to ITP — CAPI setup, match keys, dedup discipline, and the validation checklist
Readmeta capi conversion · meta conversions api · capi server side
CornerstonecomplianceEU data residency for marketing tools: what your DPO actually asks
What 'EU data residency' means under GDPR Article 3 + Schrems II — where marketing tools leak, the server-side fix, and a procurement checklist
Readeu data residency · eu hosted analytics · gdpr analytics
featuresDeep links for mobile apps without an SDK
Universal Links + Android App Links cover 80% of deep-linking use cases without a paid SDK. The two association files, the trade-offs, and the cookbook
Readmobile deep linking · universal links · app links android
complianceCookieless attribution explained: what still works in 2026
Two attribution paths survive third-party cookie sunset — server-side identifiers and first-party redirects. A pragmatic stack for marketers who need real numbers
Readcookieless attribution · cookieless tracking · server side attribution
complianceClick attribution after Safari ITP: what still works in 2026
Each ITP version closed a workaround. Here's what each one broke, in date order, and the short-link redirect pattern that survives all of them
Readsafari itp tracking · itp 2.3 · attribution after itp
tutorialsBulk-import short links from a Google Sheet (the real campaign workflow)
Copy-paste 200 campaign URLs into a sheet, bulk-import into Elido, get short links with UTM tagging in one pass. The sheet shape and Apps Script automation
Readbulk url shortener · csv import short links · sheets to short links
featuresBio pages for creators: what actually goes above the fold
A bio page is one link to 5-15 destinations with per-link tracking. The four zones, the 3-link rule above the fold, and why a URL shortener hosts it better
Readlink in bio · bio page · linktree alternative
tutorialsA/B test landing pages with short links — no CRO tool required
Smart short links can split traffic server-side without JS flicker. The variant shapes, sample sizes, and the workflow most marketers can run inside an afternoon
Reada/b test landing pages · landing page split test · short link a/b test
CornerstoneagenciesWhite-label URL shorteners for agencies: a complete buyer's guide
Everything a director of ops or agency owner needs to evaluate white-label URL shortener platforms — what each branding layer actually covers, which vendors go beyond custom domains, reseller billing patterns, EU compliance, and a migration checklist
Readwhite label url shortener · reseller url shortener · agency url shortener
integrationsWebhooks vs polling for click tracking — pick the right pattern
A practical breakdown of when to use webhooks and when to poll the analytics API for click data: hidden costs of each approach, concrete code examples in TypeScript and Python, and the hybrid pattern that covers most production use cases.
Readclick tracking · webhooks · url shortener api
complianceURL shortener security — what you should expect from your provider in 2026
A concrete checklist for evaluating the security posture of any URL shortener: URL scanning, webhook signing, API key storage, rate limiting, bot filtering, and what honest providers admit they haven't finished yet.
Readurl shortener security · url shortener api key · webhook security
featuresShort link analytics — what to measure and what to ignore
A practical guide to the metrics that actually drive decisions: unique visitors, click decay, referrer attribution, bot-filtered counts, and A/B variant splits — plus a short weekly ritual for putting them to use.
Readlink analytics · url shortener analytics · utm tracking
CornerstoneengineeringSelf-hosting Elido on k3s — a complete playbook
A step-by-step guide to deploying the full Elido stack on a k3s cluster: Helm bootstrap, 14 services, the data plane as StatefulSets, Caddy on-demand TLS, backups, and upgrade strategy.
Readself hosted url shortener · k3s · kubernetes url shortener
CornerstonefeaturesBuilding a QR code campaign from scratch — a step-by-step guide
A practical end-to-end guide for marketers running QR campaigns: defining goals, planning UTMs, generating dynamic QR codes, designing for print, placing codes in the field, measuring scans, and iterating without reprinting.
Readqr code campaign · dynamic qr code · qr code marketing
complianceGDPR-friendly URL shorteners — what to look for in 2026
A practical checklist for marketers and procurement teams evaluating URL shorteners under GDPR: EU data residency, IP truncation, DPA availability, sub-processor disclosure, right to erasure, and the hidden traps in popular US-based tools.
Readgdpr url shortener · gdpr friendly url shortener · url shortener data residency
comparisonsElido vs YOURLS: managed EU shortener vs self-host PHP veteran
YOURLS is free, mature, and runs on any server with PHP. Elido is a managed EU-first platform with a Go stack, ClickHouse analytics, and a Helm chart for teams that want self-host without the PHP tax. Honest comparison of both.
Readelido vs yourls · yourls alternative · yourls comparison
comparisonsElido vs T.LY: modern alternatives for indie creators and SMBs
T.LY competes on price and browser-extension UX. Elido competes on EU residency, white-label depth, developer tooling, and smart routing. Here's the honest breakdown of when each one fits.
Readelido vs tly · tly alternative · url shortener for creators
comparisonsElido vs TinyURL: modern shortener vs the original
TinyURL is 24 years old and still the fastest way to shorten a link anonymously. Here's the honest comparison: where TinyURL is fine, where it stops, and what you trade by staying on the free tier.
Readelido vs tinyurl · tinyurl alternative · tinyurl comparison
comparisonsElido vs Bl.ink — when each makes sense in 2026
Bl.ink is the compliance-first shortener that enterprise and agency marketers recognize. Elido is EU-native, self-hostable, and developer-ready. Here is the honest side-by-side.
Readelido vs bl.ink · bl.ink alternative · bl.ink comparison
comparisonsElido vs Bitly Enterprise — when each makes sense in 2026
A procurement-level comparison of Bitly Enterprise and Elido for large marketing organizations — data residency, SSO, audit log, self-host, and the scenarios where each platform is the right decision
Readelido vs bitly enterprise · bitly enterprise alternative · bitly enterprise pricing
CornerstonefeaturesConnecting Elido to Claude and Cursor via MCP — a practical guide
How to wire @elido/mcp-server into Claude Desktop and Cursor so your AI agent can shorten URLs, generate QR codes, and query click analytics inline — without leaving your workflow.
Readmcp · model context protocol · claude
featuresHow to set up a custom domain with TLS in 5 minutes (using Elido)
A step-by-step playbook for pointing your own subdomain at Elido, adding the two DNS records, and getting an HTTPS short link with automatic TLS — including the API call, common pitfalls, and how the certificate machinery actually works.
Readcustom domain tls · branded short links setup · short url https
comparisonsFree URL shorteners ranked by what you actually give up
Not a listicle — an honest matrix of five free URL shorteners, the catch behind each free tier, and when self-hosting beats all of them
Readfree url shortener · best free url shortener · url shortener no signup
comparisonsElido vs Short.io: pricing, teams, and EU residency in 2026
A pricing-first comparison of Short.io and Elido — click-tier vs link-tier economics, team workflows, EU data residency, and when each is the right pick
Readelido vs short.io · short.io alternative · short.io comparison
comparisonsElido vs Rebrandly: pricing, EU residency, and branded links in 2026
Rebrandly bills per branded link cap. Elido bills per click volume. Here's the per-tier math, the EU residency gap, and an honest look at where Rebrandly still wins
Readelido vs rebrandly · rebrandly alternative · rebrandly comparison
featuresDynamic vs static QR codes: what actually changes
Static QR encodes the URL directly. Dynamic QR encodes a short link. The difference determines whether you can edit the destination, track scans, or A/B route — and it matters before you print.
Readdynamic qr code · static qr code · editable qr code
featuresCustom domain short links: DNS, TLS, and what runs at the edge
How branded short links actually work: DNS verification, ACME on-demand TLS issuance, edge redirect latency budgets, and the three failure modes operators hit in production
Readcustom domain short link · branded short links · short url custom domain
CornerstoneengineeringManage your short links as Terraform
We shipped the only Terraform provider in the URL-shortener space — terraform-provider-elido. Here is what it does, how the resource lifecycle works, and the engineering trade-offs behind it.
Readterraform · infrastructure as code · url shortener
engineeringShipping the Bitly migration: a worker, a token, a 30-minute budget
How we built one-click Bitly imports for Elido — the worker design, the conflict-resolution rules, and the four caps that keep an in-process goroutine safe.
Readbitly migration · url shortener · go worker
CornerstonetutorialsHow to track UTM campaigns end-to-end without a CDP
A practical playbook for marketers: workspace UTM templates, bulk import from Sheets, server-side conversion forwarding, and the QA dry-run that catches drift before launch
Readutm tracking · utm template · utm builder
CornerstonefeaturesSmart links explained: edge routing without an extra service
What a smart link is, where it runs, and the routing dimensions Elido supports. Engineering deep-dive on edge cache invalidation, first-match semantics, and when not to use one
Readsmart links · edge routing · url shortener
CornerstonecomparisonsBitly alternatives: the actual feature gap nobody talks about
An honest table of what Bitly ships, what it doesn't, and what it charges for — written for teams hitting BSU pricing limits or EU residency requirements
Readbitly alternatives · bitly competitors · bitly replacement- Cornerstonemigration
Migrating from Bitly to Elido: a technical guide
How to move link infrastructure from Bitly without a 404 spike: CSV export, bulk provisioning on Elido, DNS cutover timing, click-history reconciliation, and the five traps that bite in week two.
Readbitly migration · link infrastructure · custom domains