✂️ How to Create Short Links

Long links are out. Clean, branded, memorable short links? That’s the LinkFox way. 🦊🔗

With LinkFox, you can instantly create custom short URLs to share on social media, in emails, or anywhere else you want a cleaner, more professional look.

Want to turn those long, messy URLs into something clean, clickable, and trackable? You're in the right place. 🦊✨ With LinkFox’s Short Link system, you can create branded, performance-optimized URLs that look great and work even harder.

🚀 Step 1: Access Short Links

• Head to your LinkFox dashboard at linkfox.us
• From the left-hand menu, click on Short Links This is your central hub to manage, edit, and track all your links.

🔗 Step 2: Create a New Short Link

1. Click the + New Short Link button (top right)
2. Paste your long URL into the "Destination URL" field (e.g. a Google Drive link, YouTube video, or event invite)
3. Choose your domain from the dropdown LinkFox domains come included If you’ve added your custom domain, you’ll see it here too
4. LinkFox domains come included
5. If you’ve added your custom domain, you’ll see it here too
6. Enter a custom path (like linkfox.us/myfreeguide)
7. Click Shorten URL

Boom — your clean, shareable link is ready! But don’t stop there… now comes the fun part. 🎨

⚙️ Step 3: Customize Your Link Settings (The Real Magic)

Here’s a breakdown of every option you can tweak to supercharge your link:

1. 🔗 Destination URL & Short URL

• Destination URL: Where the short link will redirect
• Short URL: Create a custom slug, or let LinkFox generate one

2. 📱 App Linking

Make links open the right mobile app instantly — way smoother for your users.

• Enable “Auto Open App on Mobile”
• Supported apps include: Reddit, YouTube, WhatsApp, Messenger Spotify, Pinterest, Netflix, Google Maps Airbnb, Amazon, Twitter, IG, TikTok, Telegram, LinkedIn, and more
• Reddit, YouTube, WhatsApp, Messenger
• Spotify, Pinterest, Netflix, Google Maps
• Airbnb, Amazon, Twitter, IG, TikTok, Telegram, LinkedIn, and more

3. 📊 Pixels & Retargeting

Track visits like a marketing wizard 🧙

• Add tracking pixels from: Facebook (Meta), Google Analytics TikTok, Quora, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Pinterest
• Facebook (Meta), Google Analytics
• TikTok, Quora, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Pinterest

This is HUGE for retargeting ad audiences and measuring campaign ROI.

4. ⏳ Temporary URL (Limited-Time Magic)

Make your link available only when you want:

• Set an activation/expiration date
• Limit clicks (e.g., only allow 100 visits)
• Add an alternate URL for after the link expires (perfect for limited offers or event invites)

5. 🧪 UTM Parameters (For Analytics Pros)

Tag your link with UTM values to track traffic across campaigns:

• utm_source → e.g., "newsletter"
• utm_medium → e.g., "email"
• utm_campaign → e.g., "spring_sale_2025"
• See a live preview of how your UTM will appear

Perfect for Google Analytics or marketing dashboards. 📈

6. 🔐 Link Protection

Keep control over who accesses your link:

• Set a password
• Add a sensitive content warning before redirect

7. 🎯 Targeting by Device or Location

Redirect different users based on:

• Device type (desktop vs mobile)
• Operating system
• Geolocation

Perfect for global audiences, app installs, or regional campaigns.

8. 🕵️ URL Cloaking

Hide the final destination URL so the short link stays in the address bar (iframe-style view):

• Enable URL Cloaking
• Customize: Page Title Favicon
• Page Title
• Favicon

Great for keeping things clean and branded.

9. 📡 HTTP Redirect Type

Choose your redirect behavior:

• 301 (Permanent)
• 302 (Temporary)
• 307 or 308 for redirects after form submissions

Useful for SEO and user flow control.

10. ⚙️ Advanced Options

Make things extra organized and polished:

• Assign link to a Project (for organization)
• Add a Splash Page (great for disclaimers or promo messages before redirect)
• Enable Query Forwarding to preserve any query strings in the URL

📈 Step 4: View Link Analytics

Once your short link is live:

• Head back to your Short Links dashboard
• Click the 📊 Page View button next to your link
• See data like: Number of clicks Devices used Countries, browsers, referrers
• Number of clicks
• Devices used
• Countries, browsers, referrers

You’ll know exactly who clicked what, when, and from where. 🔍

TL;DR

LinkFox short links are:

• Clean, branded, and trackable
• Easy to build with 1 click
• Fully customizable with cloaking, UTM, targeting, pixels, and more

Create → Customize → Track → Profit. 💸