Short Links Guide: Destination Editing, Analytics & Best Practices
Short links do much more than just shorten a URL. This guide covers every feature available on the Short Links page — what each one does, which plan unlocks it, and how to get the most out of it.
Creating Your First Short Link
Creating a short link takes seconds. Paste your long URL, optionally set a custom keyword (alias), pick a domain, and hit Create Short Link.
What Is a Custom Keyword?
A keyword is the short path after your domain. For example, in smplu.link/summer-sale, the keyword is summer-sale. Custom keywords:
- Make links memorable and shareable
- Signal relevance to the destination (e.g., campaign name)
- Appear in analytics so you can distinguish campaigns
If you leave the keyword blank, SimpleURL generates a random short one automatically.
Generating a QR Code From a Link
Every short link can have a matching QR code. Toggle "Also create a QR Code" when creating a link, or use the three-dot menu on any existing link and select Generate QR Code. This keeps your short link and QR code pointing to the same destination — so editing one edit applies to both.
Destination Editing — Hobby and Above
Plan availability: HOBBY · PRO · TEAM
Destination editing lets you change where a short link points after it has already been created and shared. This is one of the most valuable features for anyone using links in print, social media, or email campaigns.
Why Does This Matter?
Consider these common scenarios:
- A QR code is printed on 1,000 flyers for a product launch. The product page URL changes. Without destination editing, every flyer points to a broken URL. With it, you update the destination in seconds.
- A link is sent in an email newsletter. The sale ends. You redirect it to a new offer without resending the email.
- A short link in your Instagram bio needs updating. No re-pasting — just change the destination.
How Many Edits Do I Get?
| Plan | Destination Edits per Month |
|---|---|
| FREE | 0 — not available |
| HOBBY | 10 edits/month |
| PRO | Effectively unlimited (100/month default) |
| TEAM | Effectively unlimited (1,000/month default) |
How to Edit a Destination
- Click any short link in your links list to select it.
- The right panel switches to Edit Short Link mode.
- Update the Long URL field with the new destination.
- Click Save Changes.
Changes take effect immediately — all existing clicks on the short link (from emails, print, or social) will start going to the new destination right away.
Click Analytics — HOBBY and Above
Plan availability: Country data: HOBBY+ · City & Device data: PRO+
Analytics tell you exactly who is clicking your links and from where. Every short link accumulates click data silently in the background — the level of detail you can see depends on your plan.
What Data Do I Get?
| Plan | Analytics Access |
|---|---|
| FREE | No analytics |
| HOBBY | Total clicks · Top countries |
| PRO | Total clicks · Countries · Cities · Devices · Browsers |
| TEAM | Same as PRO |
How to View Analytics
Click the bar chart icon next to any link in your list. A modal opens showing all click data available for your plan.
Using Analytics for Campaign Decisions
- Countries: Understand where your audience is. If 70% of clicks come from the US but you're targeting Europe, your campaign distribution may need adjustment.
- Cities (PRO+): Useful for local campaigns or event marketing. See which city drives the most engagement.
- Devices (PRO+): Know whether your audience is on mobile or desktop. If 80% are mobile, optimise your landing page accordingly.
- Browsers (PRO+): Catch rendering issues — if clicks drop on a specific browser, investigate compatibility.
Branded Domains for Short Links — HOBBY and Above
Plan availability: HOBBY: 1 domain · PRO: 3 domains · TEAM: 10 domains
Instead of smplu.link/summer-sale, use your own domain: go.yourstore.com/summer-sale. Branded domains build trust and typically increase click-through rates by 2–3×.
Setting Up a Branded Domain
Visit the Branded Domains page in your dashboard and follow the DNS setup wizard. You'll need to add a CNAME record at your domain registrar. See also: Custom Domain Not Connecting for troubleshooting help.
Once connected, select your branded domain when creating or editing any short link.
UTM Tracking
UTM parameters are extra tags added to your destination URL that tell analytics tools (Google Analytics, Plausible, etc.) where a click came from.
SimpleURL includes a UTM builder in the link creation form. Expand the UTM Parameters section and fill in:
| Parameter | Example | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
utm_source | newsletter | Where the traffic comes from |
utm_medium | email | The marketing channel |
utm_campaign | summer-sale | The specific campaign name |
utm_term | shoes | Paid search keyword |
utm_content | hero-cta | Which version of a link (A/B) |
UTM parameters are appended to your destination URL automatically — the short link itself stays clean.
Best Practices
- Always set a custom keyword for links you'll use in print or share widely. Random keywords are harder to remember and harder to debug if something goes wrong.
- Use one link per campaign so analytics stay clean. Don't reuse links across multiple promotions.
- Pair every print campaign link with a QR code (use the three-dot menu). This lets you track offline-to-online conversions via the analytics modal.
- Update destinations instead of creating new links when a campaign page changes. This preserves your existing click history and keeps printed materials working.
Need Help?
Contact us at contact@simpleurl.tech. We typically respond within 24 hours.