With the explosion of social media sites like Twitter � where concision matters the most � URL shortening services have become very important tools. In this article, I would like to share a list that I have compiled over the years. My favorite shorteners are bolded.
*As URL shortening services come and go, feel free to let me know which ones in this article are discontinued.*
- 6URL.com: Customize URLs and hide affiliate links.
- adf.ly:
- Adjix: �Short Links. Tiny Ads. Big Payoff.� Requires you to open an account and comes with a browser bookmarklet.
- Beam.to: You can password-protect your links.
- bit.ly: One-click shortening service with a simple URL tracking feature and customization option. Comes with a browser bookmarklet.
- blinky.me: �blinky.me is integrated with Sellebrity, giving you a world of analytics not available with any other URL shortener. With Sellebrity installed on your site, you�ll get piles of additional data about the people who click your links after they arrive at your site, something no other shortener can give you.�
- BudURL: Paying service (starts at $8/month) that allows you to track where links are clicked in real time.
- Cligs: �Cligs is 100% search engine friendly. We do NOT block any robots/bots/crawlers/spiders (whatever you want to call them). Also, Cligs uses 301 forwarding which is the most search engine friendly forwarding method recommended by Google, Yahoo!, and Microsoft.� The service comes with great tools.
- DecentURL: �Making ugly URLS decent�. You need to open an account. The service also offers a browser bookmarklet.
- DigBig: �DigBig is free, and for work-related purposes only. The service is actively monitored for abuse.�
- Doiop: �Doiop creates for you a short URL with a keyword you choose, making it easy to remember or give away. This link will not break in emails and never expire.�
- easyURL: Another customizable URL shortening service.
- Google URL Shortener: Simple tool which creates 301(permanent) redirect URLs and stats.
- ho.io: Another simple and customizable URL Shortener that comes with two types of browser bookmarklets.
- HotRedirect: Choose from eight different domain names to shorten your long links.
- is.gd: Create customizable shortened links and access stats with a click of your mouse.
- Linkasa: �Shorter Safer Sweeter Links.� Another great service that allows you to see a temporary page before accessing the target website, and hence avoid bad surprises such as ads and inappropriate content.
- Metamark: Password-protect your short URLs.
- Moourl: �Welcome to the web�s cutest URL shortening service. If you have a really loooong URL, just paste it in the text field below, and we�ll milk it, creating a moourl for you. It lasts forever, It can be easily copied to your clipboard, and it�s really cute.� Also comes with a browser bookmarklet.
- mx.vc: Shorten your long links and share on major social networking sites with a click of your mouse.
- MyURL: Several alternative shortened links, affiliate link cloaking and link-protection for files hosted on some free file hosting websites.
- Ne1: �We offer two types redirection modes: direct redirection and cloaked redirection where the target/true URL is hidden. All new accounts start as normal accounts with cloaked redirection with a small warning/ad frame at the top of the page.�
- NotifyURL: Get an email the first time someone visits your new link.
- notlong: Personalize the subdomain on your short link and password-protect your URL. Comes with a browser bookmarklet.
- NutshellURL: No expiry date for your shortened link and you can use a personal name.
- Ow.ly: Hootsuite�s shortener.
- Profile.to: A URL shortener for Facebook profiles, groups and Fan Pages.
- QT.vc: Register for a free account to shorten your links.
- ShadyURL: �Don�t just shorten your URL, make it suspicious and frightening.�
- Shim.net: Choose among seven domain names to personalize your shortened links.
- Shorl: Another interesting URL shortening service.
- ShortURL: Customizable subdomains, URL masking and traffic reports.
- Shorty: �Shorty is a simple tool for creating shorter, human-readable links from long URLs. You install Shorty on your server, so the links you create with it never go away. You can also manage your links and see how often people click on them.�
- Shrvl: The service reduces your long links to 22 characters and can store any URL for later use.
- SimURL: Embed the SimURL box on your website / blog to allow your visitors to shorten long URLs.
- SnipURL: Another interesting service that offers features like URL sharing, profile pages, RSS feeds of latest Snips and password protection.
- Su.pr: This service is provided by StumbleUpon.
- TakeMe.to: Free for simple link shortening. Customization is provided for a small fee.
- TightURL: A simple service with browser bookmarklet.
- TINY.cc: Customize your links and access stats.
- TinyFav: Share your favorite sites with people without sending them several different links.
- TinyURL: Great URL shortening tool allowing customization and affiliate link masking. Comes with a browser bookmarklet.
- TraceURL: Create short links and trace how many people click on them.
- Tweetburner: Keep track of the links you share on Twitter and Friendfeed.
- U2S � URL 2 Short: Link customization, password protection, expiry dates and stats.
- Ulimit: �Ulimit is a domain name service that gives you a lifetime permanent address for your e-mail and Web site. This address is both reliable and easy to remember.�
- URL.co.uk: Another simple URL shortening service.
- URLcut: Password-protect and customize your shortened links.
- url.ie: Another interesting URL shortening service with an appealing design. Features: QR barcodes and a browser bookmarklet.
- Webalias: Choose from a list of 30 domain names to make your shortened link stand out!
- Yep That URL: You can customize your shortened links with tags. The service also features QR barcodes and displays the top clicked links in its database.
- Yourls: �YOURLS is a small set of PHP scripts that will allow you to run your own URL shortening service (� la TinyURL). You can make it private or public, you can pick custom keyword URLs, it comes with its own API.�
Do you use URL shorteners? If so, which are your favorites?
A list of gud url shortners on Web..!!!