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.
Start 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
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.
7 min readwifi qr code · wifi qr code generator · qr code for wifi
FeaturesURL Shortener Browser Extension: One-Click Short Links
A URL shortener browser extension shortens the active tab in one click, adds campaign tags, and copies the branded short link and QR code to your clipboard.
6 min readurl shortener browser extension · chrome extension url shortener · firefox url shortener extension
ComparisonsShort Link vs QR Code: Which to Use for Each Channel
A short link fits digital channels; a QR code bridges print to phones. How to pick one, when to use both, and how scan and click tracking actually works.
7 min readshort link vs qr code · qr code vs short link · when to use a qr code
AIAnswer Engine Optimization: How to Get Cited by AI
Answer engine optimization (AEO) is how you get cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI Overviews. The signals that work, plus how to measure AI referral traffic.
9 min readanswer engine optimization · AEO · generative engine optimization
EngineeringOpen Redirect Vulnerabilities and How to Prevent Them
An open redirect lets an attacker bend a trusted link to a malicious site. How the bug works, why it powers phishing, and the server-side fix that kills it.
6 min readopen redirect vulnerability · open redirect · unvalidated redirect
FeaturesHow to Track QR Code Scans: The Analytics That Matter
Track QR code scans with a dynamic code that routes through a redirect. What scan data you get - count, location, device, time - and what stays hidden.
7 min readtrack qr code scans · qr code tracking · qr code analytics
ComplianceAre QR Codes Safe? Quishing and How to Stay Protected
QR codes are safe to scan - the risk is where they lead. How quishing works, how to spot a malicious QR code, and what to do if you scanned a fake one.
6 min readare qr codes safe · quishing · qr code phishing
EngineeringHow to Build a URL Shortener: Architecture and Code
How to build a URL shortener that survives production: short-code generation, the redirect path, caching, click tracking, abuse defense, and what to maintain.
8 min readbuild a url shortener · url shortener system design · short code generation
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.
7 min readlink in bio · instagram bio link · add link instagram
FeaturesVanity URLs Explained: Branded Links People Remember
A vanity URL is a short, branded link - like brand.com/careers - that redirects to a longer destination. How vanity URLs work and how to set one up.
7 min readvanity url · branded link · vanity domain
EngineeringTypes of URL Redirects: 301, 302, 307, 308, and More
Every URL redirect type explained - 301, 302, 303, 307, 308, meta refresh, and JavaScript - what each does, how it affects SEO, and which one to use.
6 min readtypes of redirects · url redirect types · 301 redirect
FeaturesLink Cloaking and URL Masking: What's Safe for SEO
Link cloaking and URL masking cover three very different techniques - one safe, two risky. Which one protects your links and which one earns a Google penalty.
6 min readlink cloaking · url masking · affiliate link cloaking
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 readhow to track link clicks · track link clicks · link click tracking
TutorialsHow to Shorten a URL: Free, Branded, and Bulk Links
Shorten a URL in three steps - paste, customize, copy. Plus how to make a branded short link on your own domain and what to check before you share it.
7 min readhow to shorten a url · shorten a link · make a short url
TutorialsHow to Create a QR Code: Static, Dynamic, Trackable
Create a QR code in three steps - pick the content, choose static or dynamic, download. The one decision that decides if you can edit and track it later.
6 min readhow to create a qr code · qr code generator · make a qr code
ComparisonsGoogle URL Shortener Alternative After goo.gl Shut Down
Google retired goo.gl - creation ended in 2019, redirects in 2025. What happens to your old links, how to migrate them, and which alternative to pick.
5 min readgoogle url shortener alternative · goo.gl alternative · goo.gl shut down
TutorialsLink Preview Not Showing? Causes and How to Fix It
A link preview is built from Open Graph tags on the destination. Why previews break on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Slack - and the exact steps to fix each.
6 min readlink preview not showing · fix link preview · open graph tags
ComparisonsBitly vs TinyURL: Features, Pricing, and Which to Pick
Bitly vs TinyURL compared on speed, analytics, branded domains, QR codes, and price - where each wins, and the EU-residency gap neither one closes.
5 min readbitly vs tinyurl · tinyurl vs bitly · url shortener comparison
ComparisonsBitly vs Rebrandly: Branded Links, Pricing, and Fit
Bitly vs Rebrandly compared on branded domains, analytics, QR codes, and price - where each one wins, and the EU data-residency gap neither closes.
5 min readbitly vs rebrandly · rebrandly vs bitly · branded link platform
Engineering301 vs 302 Redirects: Which One Should Short Links Use
A 301 is a permanent redirect that passes ranking signals; a 302 is temporary and usually does not. What that means for short links, SEO, and caching.
7 min read301 vs 302 redirect · 301 redirect · 302 redirect