URL Short How to shorten a link for your Instagram bio
Paste the long link into Enter URL in URL Short, tap Shorten URL, copy the result and paste it into the website field of your Instagram profile. The app also makes a QR code for the same short link, which you can put in a story or on a poster.
Why shorten the link in your bio?
A bio has room for one web address. When that address is a product page with tracking parameters, a playlist or a long form link, it looks messy and is hard to read out loud or type from a photo. A short link is easier to read and to remember.
URL Short sends your link to a public shortening service and gives you back the short version. There is no account to create in the app.
How to shorten it in URL Short
- Copy the long link from Safari, a note or the page you want to promote.
- Open URL Short on the Shorten tab and paste it into Enter URL.
- Open the Shortening Service menu and pick a service. is.gd, v.gd, CleanURI and Spoo.me work with no key.
- Tap Shorten URL.
- Under Shortened URL, tap Copy.
- In Instagram, open your profile, tap Edit profile, paste the link into the website field and save.
Before you paste it into your profile, open the short link once in Safari and check that it lands on the right page.
Which services need a key and which do not?
Four of the ten services are ready as soon as you install the app. The other six need your own API key from that service, entered in Settings under API Key Settings. If you pick one of those without a key, it will not appear in the list until you add it.
| Service | Needs your own API key | Custom ending (Premium) | Stats page the app can open |
|---|---|---|---|
| is.gd | No | Yes | Yes |
| v.gd | No | Yes | Yes |
| CleanURI | No | No | No |
| Spoo.me | No | Yes | No |
| Bit.ly | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TinyURL | Yes | Yes | No |
| Rebrandly | Yes | Yes | No |
| Short.io | Yes | Yes | No |
| Cutt.ly | Yes | No | No |
| T.ly | Yes | No | No |
If a service refuses your link, the app tries another one by itself and says which one it used. That fallback is off when you ask for a custom ending.
Can I pick a readable ending?
Yes, on the services marked Yes in the third column, with a Custom Alias. That is a Premium feature, and the alias has to be free on the service you chose. If it is taken, pick another. A name or your shop name reads better in a bio than a random code.
Add a QR code for a story or a poster
The same screen has a QR Code section for the short link. Use Customize Colors if you want it to match your brand, then Save to Photos and add the image to a story like any other picture.
Check the contrast: a pale foreground on a pale background fails to scan. Use Test Scan to read the code with the camera before you post it. For print, the Print Optimizer in the More menu gives a minimum size.
What a short link will not do for you
- The app does not count clicks. For is.gd, v.gd and Bit.ly it can open that service's own public stats page; for the other seven there is nothing to open, and any numbers live in that service's dashboard.
- The short link lives with the service that made it, not with this app. If that service goes offline or removes the link, your bio link stops working. Deleting the app does not break it.
- Shortening needs an internet connection.
- The app does not build a page with several links. It makes one short address for one destination.