Tools
Short Links Guide
A tracked campaign link does its job well, but it is long and untidy: the page address plus a tail of utm_ tags. A short link wraps all of that in something you can say out loud, fit on a poster or paste into a text message, and the tags still reach your reports. This guide explains when a short link helps, how FastUTM short links work, and how to use them safely.
What a short link is
A short link is a small address, such as fastutm.com/s/AbC123, that sends people straight on to a longer one. When someone opens it, FastUTM looks up the long address and redirects their browser there in a fraction of a second. The person lands on the full page, with every tag in place, so GA4 records the visit exactly as if they had clicked the long link.
The short link adds nothing to your tracking and takes nothing away. It only changes what people see before they click.
When a short link helps
- Printed material. A short link makes a simpler QR code (fewer squares, easier to scan from further away), and you can print the address underneath for people who would rather type it.
- Text messages and WhatsApp. Long links look like spam and can break across lines. A short one reads cleanly.
- Social profiles and bios. Space is tight, and a tidy link looks more trustworthy than a string of tags.
- Anything you might change later. With an account you can point a short link somewhere new after it has been shared or printed (more on that below).
You do not need one for an email button or a website link, where nobody sees the address anyway. There, use the full tagged link from the UTM Builder.
Making a short link
There are two ways:
- On the Short Links page. Paste any long link, tick the box to agree to the rules, and press Shorten.
- Straight from the UTM Builder. After you generate your links, press Shorten next to any of them. The short link appears underneath, and the QR button switches to use it, so your QR code comes out simpler.
The Site Checker uses the same system for its "Share a site check" box, so the link you send someone is a tidy fastutm.com address rather than a long one full of tags.
With or without an account
| Without an account | Free account | |
|---|---|---|
| How long the link works | 7 days, then it is deleted | Until you delete it |
| Choose the ending | No, it is random | Yes, for example /s/winter-appeal |
| Change where it goes | No | Yes, at any time |
| Clicks per day | No | Yes |
| Saved UTM links from the builder | No | Yes, every set you generate |
Both have a daily limit on new links, to stop the service being used for spam. If you need more, a Pro account has a higher limit.
Use a link without an account for something short-lived, such as a message to a group this week. Use an account for anything printed or anything you will still care about next month: a 7-day link on a poster will stop working long before the poster comes down.
Changing a link after it is printed
This is the main reason to sign in. A normal QR code stores the full address in its pattern, so if the page moves, every printed copy points at the old page. If the QR code holds a FastUTM short link instead, you can open Your links, choose Edit and stats, and give it a new destination. Every printed copy follows straight away.
Typical uses: the event page moved, you want to send spring scans to a spring campaign instead of the winter one, or a partner asked you to point to their booking page. Keep the tags on the new destination so the visits stay in the right campaign.
Worked example
A charity prints 500 leaflets with a QR code for fastutm.com/s/winter-appeal, pointing at their appeal page tagged utm_source=leaflet&utm_medium=qr&utm_campaign=2026-12-winter-appeal. In January the appeal closes. They change the short link to the volunteering page, tagged with a new campaign, and the leaflets still in libraries and cafés keep bringing people somewhere useful.
Checking a short link is safe
Short links hide where they go, which is exactly why scammers like them. FastUTM short links have two safeguards you can use:
- Preview. Add a
+to the end of any FastUTM short link, for examplefastutm.com/s/AbC123+. Instead of going there, you see the full destination first and can decide whether to continue. - Report. If a short link leads to a scam, malware, spam or anything illegal, report it. Every report is reviewed, and harmful links are switched off; people who use them see a notice instead of the website.
Links that point to private networks, number addresses, hidden passwords or websites already known to be harmful are refused when they are made.
What FastUTM keeps
For each short link: where it goes, when it was made, and a count of clicks per day. Nothing is kept about the people who click: no names, no addresses, no profiles. The full details are in the Privacy Policy and the rules for using short links are in the Terms.
Common mistakes
- Printing a 7-day link made without an account.
- Shortening a link before adding the UTM tags. Build the tagged link first, then shorten it, so the tags travel inside the short link.
- Changing a destination and forgetting to tag the new page, so later visits arrive untagged.
- Using one short link everywhere, then wanting to compare the poster with the flyer. Make one per piece, just as you would with full links.
To plan the tags that go inside your short links, see UTM naming conventions. For printed codes, read Tracking QR codes on posters, flyers and print.