Free URL shortener
with real analytics
Turn long URLs into gtlk.link/sale25 — 14 chars total, fits in SMS, prints clean on flyers. Every click logs geo, device, browser, UTM. Free 2,500 clicks/month, 10 links, no card.
Before
https://yourcompany.com/marketing/spring-sale-2026?utm_source=email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=spring&utm_content=bannerAfter
gtlk.link/spring26136 chars → 18 chars · UTMs preserved on the 302 redirect · clicks tracked forever
Real numbers from production
77,778 short-link clicks tracked
1,242
tracked short URLs
96
countries detected
18 ms
median redirect latency
2,500
free clicks / month
Three steps
Sign up to short URL in under 60 seconds.
1. Paste destination
Drop in any URL — long marketing URL, deep app link, file download. Optionally pick a custom slug; otherwise we mint a 6-char random one.
2. Get gtlk.link/<slug>
Or use your own custom domain (e.g. go.yourbrand.com). Both routes go through the same redirect pipeline and SSL.
3. Watch clicks live
Every click logs geo (country/city), device, browser, OS, referrer, UTM params, and a fingerprint for unique-vs-repeat counts. Real-time dashboard plus per-link drill-down.
Track Link vs other URL shorteners
Free-tier comparison. Numbers verified against each tool's public pricing as of 2026.
| Feature | Track Link | Bitly | TinyURL | Rebrandly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 10 links, 2.5K clicks | 10 links/mo | Unlimited (no analytics) | 500 links/mo |
| Geo / device / browser | Yes | Paid | No | Limited |
| UTM forwarding | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Custom domain on free | Yes (1) | $35/mo | $9.99/mo | $29/mo |
| QR code generator | Yes (full custom) | Limited | Basic | Basic |
| API access | Yes (free) | Paid | No | Paid |
| Branded short host | gtlk.link | bit.ly | tinyurl.com | rebrand.ly |
Where short URLs matter
Length-constrained or print-only contexts where the URL has to be typeable.
SMS & messaging
SMS caps at 160 chars; many marketing URLs are over 200. Short URL fits inside the message with room for context. WhatsApp, Telegram, iMessage same problem.
Print materials & flyers
Pair with a QR code, but include the short URL in plain text too — for people who'd rather type it than scan. gtlk.link/menu is typeable; a real URL isn't.
Social bios
Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok bios all have character limits. A short URL with an attribution-rich destination wins over a single long link.
Podcasts & video CTAs
"Visit gtlk.link/episode" works on a podcast script. Saying out a 140-char URL doesn't. Per-episode slug = per-episode attribution.
More than a shortener
Every short URL is also a QR-code source and a tracked link.
QR code per short URL
Built-in generator with custom colors, center logo, dot style, multi-format download. Same redirect pipeline; scans show up in analytics.
Pixel tracking add-on
Need to track *views* not clicks? Drop a 1×1 pixel on any page or counter badge on a README. Pixel tracker →
FAQ
What is a URL shortener?
A service that takes any long URL and gives you back a short alias that redirects to it. Track Link's short URLs live on gtlk.link — 8 characters of host plus 6-12 characters of slug. So a 200-character marketing URL becomes something like gtlk.link/sale25 — 14 characters total, fits inside an SMS, prints cleanly on a flyer, looks tidy in a tweet. The redirect itself is a 302 with the original URL plus any UTM parameters you've layered on, so the destination still sees the campaign attribution it expects.
How is this different from Bitly or TinyURL?
Three differences. First, the free tier — Track Link gives you 10 short URLs and 2,500 clicks per month for free with full analytics; Bitly's free plan caps you at 10 links and zero geo/device data, and TinyURL's free tier has no analytics at all. Second, branded short links — you can map any verified custom domain (go.yourbrand.com) on the free plan; Bitly charges $35/mo for that. Third, full analytics on every click without sampling — geo down to city, device, browser, OS, referrer, UTM, hour-of-day, country breakdown, all stored for 7 days on free, 1 year on PRO ($9.99/mo).
Are short URLs better for SEO than direct links?
Neither inherently. Search engines follow 301/302 redirects and credit the destination, so a short URL doesn't help or hurt the destination's ranking. Where short URLs matter is in places search engines don't see — print materials, SMS, podcasts, conferences — where length is the constraint. For pure web SEO, link directly to the destination. For physical-world or constrained-character contexts, short URLs are the only option.
Will the short URL break if I change the destination?
No, that's the whole point. Track Link's short URLs are dynamic — the slug is decoupled from the destination. Edit the destination URL on the dashboard and every existing short URL pointing at that slug starts redirecting to the new destination immediately, no link rewrite, no broken QR codes, no resharing required. This is why printed QR codes, conference flyers, and email signatures should always link to a tracked short URL rather than a raw destination — you can repoint them whenever the destination changes.
Can I use my own domain instead of gtlk.link?
Yes. Add a custom domain (e.g. go.yourbrand.com) on the dashboard, set a CNAME to cname.gettrack.link, click verify, done. Free plan includes 1 custom domain; PRO includes unlimited. Your short URLs become https://go.yourbrand.com/<slug>. Custom domains are routed through Cloudflare with automatic SSL — same analytics pipeline as gtlk.link.
Does the click tracking add latency to the redirect?
Median 18 ms server-side. Track Link's redirect controller hits a single SQLite index lookup on the slug, fires an async click insert (geo/device/etc fingerprinting happens in a background queue), and returns the 302 immediately. The user-perceived latency is dominated by their own DNS resolution and TLS handshake to gtlk.link, not by us. We've benchmarked at p99 under 60 ms from the redirect endpoint.
What about UTM parameters?
Forwarded by default. If you create a tracked URL pointing at https://yoursite.com?utm_source=tw and someone hits gtlk.link/abc, the 302 destination is exactly that URL with utm_source=tw intact, plus an extra utm_click=<click-id> for cross-system attribution. You can also add UTMs on the share-out side — append ?utm_medium=email to gtlk.link/abc and we'll merge that into the destination URL too.
Can I generate a QR code for my short URL?
Yes, every tracked link in Track Link has a built-in QR generator. Customize colors on both sides, add a center logo, pick a dot style, download as PNG/SVG/JPG/WebP. The QR encodes the short URL, so scans hit the same redirect pipeline and show up in your analytics with a 'Direct' referrer.
What happens if a short URL is reported as spam or phishing?
We disable it within hours of receiving a report. Disabled links return a 410 Gone status with a notice page explaining the reason; the link owner has 30 days to delete the link or appeal. We don't reactivate links that were genuinely flagged for phishing, malware, or copyright. This keeps gtlk.link from getting blocked by browser safe-browsing lists, which protects every other link on the platform.
Shorten your first URL
Free forever, 10 links, 2,500 clicks per month. No credit card. Custom domain included on the free tier.