Link Shortener v3.0
Create short links with antibot protection that redirect humans while returning HTTP errors to bots.
Overview
The Link Shortener creates short URLs on your purchased domains with built-in antibot protection.
- Human visitors are redirected to your destination URL(s)
- Bots receive an HTTP error code (not a redirect like the Redirect Generator)
- Supports QR code generation with customizable landing pages
- Requires an active paid subscription
Creating a Short Link
Choose Domain
Select from your available owned, enabled domains. The dropdown shows current usage against your plan limit (e.g., 1/3).
Custom Path
An auto-generated 4-character alphanumeric path is provided in a readonly field. Click the refresh button to regenerate. Path must be 1–4 characters, alphanumeric only.
Original Link(s)
Enter one or more destination URLs for human visitors. Click the green "+" button to add multiple URLs for random rotation. Each URL is validated before saving.
Bot Error Code
Select the HTTP error code that bots will receive. Choose from 14 available error codes (see table below).
Enable QR Code (Optional)
Toggle the "Enable QR Code Page" checkbox. When enabled, a QR code page is generated that shows a scannable QR code instead of a direct redirect.
After creation, your short link will look like:
https://yourdomain.com/abcd
Bot Error Codes
Unlike the Redirect Generator which sends bots to a URL, the Link Shortener returns an HTTP error code. 14 error codes are available:
| Code | Status | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
400 | Bad Request | Generic client error |
401 | Unauthorized | Require authentication |
403 | Forbidden | Deny access explicitly |
404 | Not Found | Make the link appear dead |
405 | Method Not Allowed | Reject the request method |
408 | Request Timeout | Simulate a timeout |
410 | Gone | Indicate resource was removed |
429 | Too Many Requests | Simulate rate limiting |
500 | Internal Server Error | Generic server error |
501 | Not Implemented | Feature not supported |
502 | Bad Gateway | Simulate upstream failure |
503 | Service Unavailable | Simulate downtime |
504 | Gateway Timeout | Simulate gateway timeout |
505 | HTTP Version Not Supported | Reject HTTP version |
Plan Limits
The number of short links you can create per domain depends on your subscription plan:
| Plan | Short Links per Domain |
|---|---|
| Trial | 1 |
| Standard | 2 |
| Business | 3 |
| Enterprise | 4 |
QR Code Generation
When QR is enabled via the checkbox, a full customization panel appears. The QR code points to domain.com/path/go/ (note the /go/ suffix). It uses the highest error correction level for maximum reliability.
Text Options
- Custom heading and subheading text with visibility toggles
- Font family selection from 11 fonts in 3 groups: Modern, Bold Impact, and Rounded
- Font weight, text color, and heading size slider (20–60px)
QR Style
- QR code size slider (150–350px)
- Dark color and light color pickers for the QR pattern
Center Logo
- Optional logo displayed in the center of the QR code
- Logo size (20–40px), background color, and padding controls
Page Title
- Custom HTML
<title>tag for the QR code page
Bottom Text
- Optional bottom text with configurable font size and color
All changes are previewed live. The QR code is generated as a standalone page you can share or print.
Managing Short Links
All your short links are displayed in a management table with the following columns:
- Short Link — The generated short URL
- Original Link(s) — Destination URL(s) for human visitors
- Bot Error — The HTTP error code returned to bots
- QR — Whether QR code generation is enabled
- Created — Date the short link was created
Deleting Short Links
Click delete to remove a short link. A confirmation dialog is shown before deletion. Deleting a short link removes it from the database, the remote server, and also deletes all associated statistics.
Copy to Clipboard
Click any cell in the table to copy its value to your clipboard.