Tutorials articles
Step-by-step tutorials for common link tasks: create a trackable QR code, build UTM conventions your team will follow, set up conversion tracking, wire webhooks into your stack. Every tutorial is written to be finished in one sitting, with copy-paste examples and screenshots where they help. No prior Elido knowledge assumed.
TutorialsQuery Parameter Pass-Through: Keep the Gclid Intact
Query parameter pass-through carries gclid, fbclid and UTM tags from a short link to the landing page. How Elido merges clashes, and where it stops.
6 min read
TutorialsQR Code Error Correction Levels: L, M, Q, H Explained
QR code error correction levels L, M, Q and H recover 7, 15, 25 and 30% of a damaged code. See module counts per level and when each one pays off.
7 min read
TutorialsLink Analytics API: Pull Click Stats With an API Key
A link analytics API guide: which click reports an API key can read, the query params, JSON response shapes, cursor paging and a daily Slack report script.
9 min read
TutorialsGA4 Measurement Protocol Debug: Why 2xx Proves Nothing
GA4 Measurement Protocol debug guide: use the validation server, read validationMessages, know what it skips, and confirm server events in GA4.
8 min read
TutorialsTracking ChatGPT Traffic: Why Your Number Is Too Low
Tracking ChatGPT traffic: clicks arrive three ways and analytics sees only two. How to count what is countable, size the gap, and report a defensible number.
6 min read
TutorialsGoogle Ads Tracking Template: Fields, Levels, Syntax
How the Google Ads tracking template works: field hierarchy, ValueTrack parameters, the lpurl encoding trap, and a copy-paste template you can test today.
9 min read
TutorialsClick ID Explained: Gclid, Fbclid, Ttclid and Msclkid
A click ID is the token gclid, fbclid, ttclid and msclkid mint per ad click so the platform can match it to your conversion later. Here is how each behaves.
8 min read
TutorialsRCS Business Messaging: Links, Tracking, and Fallback
RCS business messaging puts a verified brand in the default inbox. What that changes for links, how to attribute the clicks, and why SMS fallback still rules.
6 min read
TutorialsPosting Links on Reddit Without Getting Auto-Removed
Posting links on Reddit? Most subreddits auto-remove shortened links, silently. What to post instead, how to measure the traffic, and the rules that decide.
5 min read
TutorialsPinterest Link Tracking: UTMs, Claims and Outbound Clicks
Pinterest link tracking stops at the outbound click. How to tag pins with UTMs, claim your domain, and keep years-old pins pointing at a live page.
6 min read
TutorialsOffline Campaign Tracking: Print, Billboards and TV
Offline campaign tracking starts with no referrer. The four mechanisms that make print, outdoor and broadcast measurable, and what each one cannot tell you.
6 min read
TutorialsShort-Link Clicks vs GA4 Sessions: Why They Never Match
Your shortener counts 1,000 clicks and GA4 shows far fewer sessions. What each tool counts, why they diverge, and how to build your own baseline.
6 min read
TutorialsInstagram QR Code: How to Create, Share, and Track It
Instagram gives every profile a built-in QR code that any camera can scan. Where to find it, what it encodes, and why a printed campaign needs your own.
6 min read
Tutorials301 Redirect in .htaccess: Rules, Order, Query Strings
A 301 redirect in .htaccess is one line of mod_alias. Here is that line, when RewriteRule is the right tool instead, and why order beats line position.
8 min read
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 read
TutorialsOpen Graph Image Size: One File for Every Platform
The Open Graph image size that covers Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Slack, and WhatsApp is 1200x630. The specs, plus the safe zone that stops text getting cropped.
6 min read
TutorialsHow to Redirect a URL: Six Ways, and When Each Is Right
How to redirect a URL from the registrar, server, CMS, platform, client side or a managed short link, and which layer should answer the request.
7 min read
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 read
TutorialsUTM Parameters Not Showing in GA4: Causes and Fixes
UTM parameters not showing in GA4? The four usual causes, how DebugView separates a tagging problem from an attribution one, and the order to fix them.
5 min read
TutorialsUTM Parameters for TikTok and LinkedIn Ads: A Guide
UTM parameters for TikTok ads fill in through macros, while LinkedIn makes you type every value. That asymmetry should shape your naming convention.
4 min read
TutorialsShort Link Not Working? Diagnose It in One Command
A short link not working, whether it 404s, warns about a certificate or opens in one app only, has one of four causes. Read the headers and fix the right one.
6 min read
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.
7 min read
TutorialsHow to See Where a Short URL Goes Before You Click
Expand a short URL safely: read the Location header with one command, use provider previews, and know what each method tells the other side about you.
4 min read
TutorialsHow to Add a Trackable Link to Your YouTube Shorts
YouTube Shorts links are not clickable anymore, so use a short, typable, trackable link. Where to place it, and how to measure the clicks each Short drives.
4 min read
TutorialsWedding QR Code: How to Make One for RSVPs and Photos
A wedding QR code sends guests to your RSVP, photo album, and registry from one scan. Make it dynamic so you can change the link after printing.
6 min read
TutorialsBluesky Link in Bio: Add a Trackable, Clickable Link
Bluesky auto-links URLs in your 256-character bio, so paste one short trackable link, pin a links post, and measure the clicks. How to set it up.
4 min read
TutorialsAmazon Affiliate Link Shortener: What the Rules Say
Can you put a link shortener on Amazon affiliate links? Amazon's published rules on shorteners, cloaking, tags and offline use, quoted, plus a branded setup.
6 min read
TutorialsInstagram Bio Link Not Clickable? Causes and Fixes
Instagram bio link not clickable? Why it happens - captions are plain text, the link field needs the right format - and how to fix it in a minute.
4 min read
TutorialsHow to Make a Clickable Link in Email, Docs and HTML
How to make a clickable link in Word, Gmail, Docs, Slack and HTML: turn text into a hyperlink, fix links that will not click, and what to do in captions.
6 min read
TutorialsHow Big Should a QR Code Be? Size and Distance Rules
How big should a QR code be? The 10:1 distance rule, a 2 cm print minimum, the quiet zone, and sizes by use case from business card to billboard.
4 min read
TutorialsDo Short Links Hurt Email Deliverability? What to Know
Do short links hurt email deliverability? Shared shortener domains can. What Google, Yahoo and Spamhaus say, what they don't, and how to set up safely.
6 min read
TutorialsWhat Is CTR? Click-Through Rate and How to Lift It
What CTR means, how to calculate click-through rate, what counts as good by channel, and the practical ways to lift it without chasing junk clicks.
5 min read
TutorialsUTM Parameters for Google and Meta Ads
UTM parameters for Google Ads and Meta need opposite setups: auto-tagging on Google, manual UTMs with macros on Meta. Here is how to set up each one.
5 min read
TutorialsLink in Bio Ideas: What to Put and How to Order It
Practical link in bio ideas by goal, plus layout and tracking tips, so your one bio link becomes a focused hub that sends followers where you want them.
5 min read
TutorialsHow to Track Social Media Links: A Per-Placement Workflow
How to track social media links: one short link per placement, taxonomy-based UTMs, and a weekly read of clicks, devices and referrers.
6 min read
TutorialsTikTok Link in Bio: Add and Track Links
How to add a clickable link to your TikTok bio, the account requirements, and how to turn TikTok's one-link limit into a page of destinations you can track.
5 min read
TutorialsHow to Scan a QR Code on iPhone, Android, PC
How to scan a QR code on iPhone, Android, iPad, and computer, with or without an app, plus how to scan from a photo and what to check before you tap.
5 min read
TutorialsFree UTM Builder: Make Clean, Trackable Campaign URLs
A free UTM builder walkthrough: which parameters to set, naming rules that keep GA4 clean, a copy-paste channel table, bulk tagging, and shortening the result.
6 min read
TutorialsWiFi QR Code: How to Make One Your Guests Can Scan
A WiFi QR code lets guests connect by scanning instead of typing. Get the WIFI: string format, password escaping rules, WPA3 notes, and guest-network safety.
8 min read
TutorialsHow to Add More Than One Link to Your Instagram Bio
Instagram allows up to five native bio links. Add them in a minute, see why they cap out, and get unlimited links plus click tracking with a bio page.
8 min read
TutorialsHow to Track Link Clicks: What You Can and Can't See
Track link clicks by sharing a tracking link that logs each visit. What data you get - counts, geo, device - what you can't see, and how to set it up.
5 min read
TutorialsHow to Shorten a URL: Phone, Excel, YouTube and More
How to shorten a URL in three steps, from an iPhone or Android share sheet, an Excel sheet, and for YouTube, X, LinkedIn, Drive and Maps links.
26 min read
TutorialsHow to Create a QR Code: Static, Dynamic, Trackable
How to create a QR code for a link, PDF, Google Form, phone number, WhatsApp or app download, and pick static or dynamic so you can edit and track it.
27 min read
TutorialsLink Preview Not Showing? Causes and How to Fix It
Link preview not showing? Previews come from Open Graph tags on the destination. Why they break on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Slack, and how to fix each.
6 min read
TutorialsUTM Parameters Explained: Every Tag Google GA4 Reads
A reference for UTM parameters: what each of Google's nine tags means, which ones GA4 reports, and when to leave the optional ones off your links.
6 min read
TutorialsURL Shortener for SMS Marketing That Carriers Trust
A URL shortener for SMS marketing must clear carrier filters and fit the 160-character limit. Branded short links keep texts deliverable, tracked, and compliant.
8 min read
TutorialsvCard QR Code for Business Cards: Static or a Link?
A vCard QR stores your contact in the code itself. See the exact payload, when a link to a contact file is better, and what Elido can and cannot build.
6 min read
TutorialsUTM Naming Convention: A System for Clean Campaign Data
Build a UTM naming convention your team will follow: controlled vocabularies, a channel taxonomy, a versioned rules doc, and a cleanup plan for old tags.
7 min read
TutorialsTrack Email Link Clicks: A Marketer's How-To Guide
How email link click tracking works, why your ESP and analytics disagree, UTM conventions for email, and a setup that survives Apple Mail Privacy Protection
11 min read
TutorialsHow to build a link-in-bio page in Elido, step by step
Create a bio page in the Elido dashboard: pick a handle, add links, style the theme, publish, and read click counts. Every step checked against the real editor.
8 min read
TutorialsSet Up Branded Short Links: Pick a Domain, Ship Fast
Pick a branded short link domain, add two DNS records, and know what happens to old links. Elido plan limits and the steps checked against the product.
6 min read
TutorialsGA4 server-side tracking via the redirect tier
GA4 client-side loses 25-35% of events to ad-blockers and ITP. Server-side Measurement Protocol restores most of it: endpoint, payload, client_id stitching.
11 min read
TutorialsMeta Conversions API for Short Links: What Works Today
Elido sends each short link click to Meta CAPI as a PageView, not a conversion. What it sends, and how to send purchase conversions yourself with event_id.
7 min read
TutorialsBulk URL Shortener: Import Links from Google Sheets
Bulk URL shortener for a Google Sheet: 100 links per batch by paste or CSV in the dashboard, or the bulk API from Apps Script. Real limits, and what it skips.
7 min read
TutorialsA/B test landing pages with short links - no CRO tool
Smart short links A/B test landing pages server-side with no JS flicker. Variant shapes, sample sizes, and a workflow most marketers can run in an afternoon
13 min read
TutorialsHow to Track UTM Campaigns End to End Without a CDP
A practical UTM tracking playbook: tag links consistently, record the click at the redirect, attribute Stripe and Shopify revenue, and QA before launch.
7 min read