URL shortener & link management guides
Guides, comparisons, and how-tos on link management, click analytics, QR codes, and EU-first privacy - from the people who build Elido.
Browse all articlesStart here: cornerstone guides
- URL shorteners for ecommerce: the funnel data plane
- GDPR for URL shorteners: what your DPO actually wants to see
- Sentry/GlitchTip across 12 Go services on the hot path
- URL shorteners for marketers: the 2026 comparison matrix
- Hitting p95 < 15ms for redirects from FRA, ASH, and SGP
- Migrate from Bitly without breaking links: a failure-modes playbook
TutorialsShorten a Link for X (Twitter): What t.co Does to It
Every URL on X counts as 23 characters, so shortening saves you nothing. Here is what a branded short link actually buys, and how the double wrap behaves.
6 min readshorten a link for x · twitter url shortener · t.co
TutorialsSafe Links: Why Outlook Rewrites Your Campaign URLs
Microsoft Defender rewrites every link in inbound mail to safelinks.protection.outlook.com. What that does to your click numbers, your previews, and your links.
6 min readoutlook safe links · safelinks.protection.outlook.com · email link rewriting
TutorialsOpen Graph Image Size: One File for Every Platform
1200x630 covers Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Slack, and WhatsApp. The specs, the safe zone that stops text getting cropped, and why an updated image refuses to show.
6 min readopen graph image size · og image size · og:image
TutorialsHow to Redirect a URL: Six Ways, and When Each Is Right
A redirect is an HTTP response, so the real question is which layer answers the request. Registrar, server, CMS, platform, client side, or a managed short link.
8 min readhow to redirect a url · domain forwarding · url forwarding
FeaturesBarcode vs QR Code: Which One Belongs on Your Product
A barcode identifies an item to a system that already knows it. A QR code connects a person to content. Capacity, scanners, and the 2027 retail deadline.
7 min readbarcode vs qr code · 1d barcode · 2d barcode
TutorialsAdd to Calendar Link: Build One That Works Everywhere
An add to calendar link is either a provider URL with the event in its query string or a hosted .ics file. Both, done properly, plus the timezone trap.
6 min readadd to calendar link · google calendar link · ics file
TutorialsQR Code for a Google Form: Create, Track, and Repoint It
Google Forms has no QR generator built in. Encode the form link via a short link so the code stays editable after printing, and read scans against responses.
8 min readqr code for google form · google form qr code · google forms qr code generator
EngineeringRedirect Loop: How to Find and Fix ERR_TOO_MANY_REDIRECTS
A redirect loop bounces the browser between URLs until it quits. Trace the redirect chain in one command, name the rule that disagrees, and fix it for good.
11 min readredirect loop · err_too_many_redirects · too many redirects
FeaturesWhat Is a QR Code and How Does Scanning Actually Work?
A QR code is a 2D barcode that stores text a camera can read. Here is what the squares mean, what a code can hold, and what happens between scan and page.
5 min readwhat is a qr code · how do qr codes work · qr code meaning
TutorialsUTM Parameters Not Showing in GA4: Causes and Fixes
Why UTM parameters are missing in GA4, how DebugView separates a tagging problem from an attribution one, and the redirect that silently drops the query string.
5 min readutm parameters not showing in ga4 · ga4 source medium not set · ga4 unassigned traffic
TutorialsUTM Parameters for TikTok and LinkedIn Ads: A Guide
TikTok fills UTM values with macros, LinkedIn makes you type them. That asymmetry decides your naming convention. Templates and the syntax each platform uses.
4 min readutm parameters for tiktok ads · linkedin ads utm tracking · tiktok utm macros
EngineeringURL Shortener CLI: Shorten Links From the Terminal
Shorten a URL from the command line with curl and jq, wrap it in a shell function, copy to the clipboard, and shorten a whole file with xargs in parallel.
5 min readurl shortener cli · shorten url command line · curl url shortener
TutorialsHow to Shorten a YouTube Link (and Keep the Timestamp)
Shorten a YouTube link with the Share button, keep the ?t= timestamp intact, and see when a branded short link beats youtu.be for tracking a campaign.
5 min readhow to shorten a youtube link · youtu.be short link · youtube link with timestamp
TutorialsHow to Shorten a LinkedIn Link (Profile and Posts)
Two different jobs share one question: customizing your LinkedIn profile URL, and shortening links you post without LinkedIn rewrapping them as lnkd.in.
4 min readshorten a linkedin link · linkedin url shortener · customize linkedin profile url
TutorialsHow to Shorten a Google Maps Link for a Place or Route
Shorten a Google Maps link with the Share sheet, understand what maps.app.goo.gl can and cannot do, and put a trackable branded link on print instead.
4 min readhow to shorten a google maps link · google maps short link · maps.app.goo.gl
TutorialsHow to Shorten a Google Drive Link Without Breaking It
Shorten a Google Drive sharing link for a doc, sheet, or folder. What the short link changes, what it cannot change, and the permission check people skip.
5 min readshorten a google drive link · google drive short link · share drive file link
TutorialsShort Link Not Working? Diagnose It in One Command
A short link that 404s, warns about a certificate, or opens in one app but not another has four causes. Read the response headers and fix the right one.
6 min readshort link not working · short url 404 · short link certificate error
ComplianceQR Codes and GDPR: What a Scan Collects and What You Owe
The printed code collects nothing. The redirect behind it processes an IP address, which is personal data. What that means for lawful basis and retention.
5 min readqr codes and gdpr · qr code privacy · is a qr scan personal data
TutorialsQR Code Not Scanning? Four Causes and How to Fix Them
A QR code that will not scan almost always fails on size, quiet zone, contrast, or a payload that is too long. Test them in that order and fix the right one.
5 min readqr code not scanning · qr code won't scan · qr code too small
TutorialsHow to Shorten a URL on iPhone With the Shortcuts App
Shorten a URL on iPhone in two taps: build a Shortcuts action that posts to a shortener API, add it to the Share sheet, and copy the short link automatically.
5 min readhow to shorten a url on iphone · iphone url shortener · shortcuts app shorten link