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
EngineeringCanonical vs 301 Redirect: How to Pick the Right Signal
A canonical tag is a hint search engines can ignore; a 301 redirect is an instruction they must obey. Which one fits four everyday duplicate-URL cases.
8 min readcanonical vs 301 redirect · rel=canonical · canonical tag
IndustriesQR Codes for Hotels: One Dynamic Code Per Guest Moment
QR codes for hotels done right: one dynamic code at each guest journey step, from pre-arrival to checkout, plus what should never live behind a scan.
8 min readqr codes for hotels · hotel qr code · qr code for hotel rooms
ComplianceHomograph Attack: How a Lookalike Domain Fools You
A homograph attack hides a spoofed domain behind punycode's xn-- encoding and lookalike characters. How the trick works and how to verify a link first.
9 min readhomograph attack · punycode · idn homograph attack
EngineeringMaximum URL Length: The Real-World Character Limit
There is no maximum URL length in the spec. The real ceiling is the lowest limit in the chain your link crosses: browser, server, inbox, or QR code.
8 min readmaximum url length · max url length · url character limit
IntegrationsLooker Studio Link Analytics: A Dashboard That Holds Up
Get short link click data into Looker Studio via a Sheets export, a warehouse table, or a connector, then blend it with GA4 sessions without the numbers lying.
8 min readlooker studio link analytics · looker studio dashboard · click data in looker studio
AIllms.txt Explained: What the AI Crawler File Really Does
llms.txt is a Markdown file listing pages for AI models to read. What it actually does, who honors it today, and whether publishing one is worth your time.
8 min readllms.txt · llms.txt file · llms-full.txt
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.
7 min readgoogle ads tracking template · final url suffix · valuetrack parameters
MigrationExport Short Link Data: The Four Things You Can Take
A shortener holds four data classes, but only two travel reliably: what you can export short link data for, and how to verify a full pull before you trust it.
8 min readexport short link data · export links · click history export
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 readclick id · gclid · fbclid
FeaturesApp Clip Codes Explained: Scan, Open, No Install Needed
App Clip codes let an iPhone open a slice of your app without installing it. How the invocation URL, registration, and Android's answer compare.
8 min readapp clip code · app clip · app clip codes
IntegrationsSalesforce Link Tracking: Clicks on the Contact Record
Salesforce tracks clicks in the emails it sent and nothing else. Three routes to get short-link clicks onto a record, and the one that works outside email.
6 min readsalesforce link tracking · click tracking crm · platform events
TutorialsRCS Business Messaging: Links, Tracking, and Fallback
RCS puts a verified brand in the default inbox. What that changes for the links inside a message, how to attribute the clicks, and why SMS fallback still rules.
6 min readrcs business messaging · rcs links · sms fallback
ComplianceQR Code Accessibility: WCAG, Contrast and Alternatives
A QR code is an image with no text alternative and a target nobody can tab to. What accessibility rules expect, and the printed fallback that fixes most of it.
6 min readqr code accessibility · wcag · european accessibility act
TutorialsPosting Links on Reddit Without Getting Auto-Removed
Most subreddits auto-remove shortened links, and the filter is silent about it. What to post instead, how to measure the traffic, and the rules that decide.
5 min readposting links on reddit · reddit link shortener · automoderator
TutorialsPinterest Link Tracking: UTMs, Claims and Outbound Clicks
Pinterest reports an outbound click count and little else. How to tag pins, claim your domain, and keep pins from years ago pointing somewhere that still works.
6 min readpinterest link tracking · pinterest utm parameters · outbound clicks
TutorialsOffline Campaign Tracking: Print, Billboards and TV
Offline media sends no referrer. The four mechanisms that make print, outdoor and broadcast measurable, and what each one honestly cannot tell you.
6 min readoffline campaign tracking · print advertising tracking · vanity url
FeaturesEPC QR Code: The SEPA Payment QR Standard Explained
An EPC QR code encodes a SEPA credit transfer, not a URL, so a banking app can prefill the form. What the payload holds, and why you cannot track it.
6 min readepc qr code · girocode · sepa payment qr code
TutorialsShort-Link Clicks vs GA4 Sessions: Why They Never Match
Your shortener counts 1,000 clicks and GA4 shows 620 sessions. The six reasons the two numbers diverge, and the gap size that means something is broken.
8 min readclicks vs sessions · ga4 sessions · click tracking discrepancy
ComplianceClick Data Retention: How Long to Keep Analytics Logs
The GDPR gives no number for click data. How to set defensible retention windows per data class, document them, and delete without losing your reporting.
7 min readclick data retention · storage limitation · gdpr retention period
EngineeringAI Crawlers and Short Links: What the Bots Actually Do
Training crawlers, live fetchers and search bots all hit your redirects. Which ones follow a 301, what they cost your click counts, and which to let through.
6 min readai crawlers · gptbot · robots.txt