What Is a Link Shortener? And Why You Might Need One
Published on by blrb.ai Team
Have you ever tried to share a long website link — only to watch it get cut off, turn into a jumble of characters, or scare off whoever you sent it to?
That’s where link shorteners come in.
A link shortener is a tool that takes a long URL and turns it into something cleaner, shorter, and easier to manage. You’ve probably seen one before, even if you didn’t realize it:
bit.ly/abc123tinyurl.com/xyzyourbrand.co/sale
But link shortening isn’t just about saving space. It’s about making links more useful, more trackable, and more professional.
Why Use a Short Link?
Let’s look at some of the most common reasons people use link shorteners in their day-to-day work (or side hustles).
1. Keep Your Posts Clean on Social Media
Some websites have URLs that are dozens — even hundreds — of characters long. If you paste that into a tweet, an Instagram bio, or a LinkedIn post, it eats up your message and looks messy.
Short links keep your post clean and clickable:
“Check out our latest blog post: your.link/blog”
instead of
“Check out our latest blog post: https://yourwebsite.com/blog/2025/07/15/article-title-with-lots-of-keywords”
Plus, they’re easier for followers to remember or type later.
2. Make Your Links Clickable in Text Messages
SMS has a hard character limit (160 characters), and long links often get cut off or wrapped across lines — especially on older phones.
A short link fits easily, looks better, and helps your message come through clearly:
“Your appointment is confirmed! Directions: go.brand.com/maps”
3. Track How Many People Clicked
Most short link tools come with basic analytics built in. That means when you send out a link, you can see:
- How many people clicked it
- When they clicked
- What device they used
You don’t need a website or an ad account — just share the link and track the clicks. Perfect for small campaigns, events, resumes, or personal projects.
4. Make Your Links Look More Trustworthy
Have you ever seen a link like this and hesitated to click?
https://example.com/landingpage/index.php?ref=39012&utm_campaign=spring2025&utm_medium=email&utm_source=campaignmonitor
It might be safe… but it doesn’t look safe.
A short link replaces all that with something that’s clean and branded — especially if you use your own domain:
brand.link/spring25
Branded links help build trust. They also reinforce your business name every time someone sees or shares them.
5. Fix Mistakes Without Breaking the Link
Let’s say you send out a link to your newsletter or post a promo link on Instagram — and then realize it points to the wrong page. If it’s a short link, you can update the destination without changing the original link.
That means:
- You don’t need to resend anything
- Old posts and bios still work
- You stay in control of what people see when they click
Who Uses Short Links?
Short links are used by all kinds of people:
- Social media managers who want to track post performance
- Small business owners running text or email promos
- Teachers or organizers sharing resources or Zoom links
- Job seekers putting portfolio links in resumes
- Anyone who wants a simple, trackable way to share URLs
TL;DR: Link Shorteners = Simpler, Smarter Sharing
You don’t have to be a marketer or developer to use short links. If you’re sharing links with anyone — in a post, a message, or a document — a short link makes it easier to track, fix, and polish your content.
Ready to try it out? Get started with blrb.ai free and create your first short link in seconds.