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Create and Send Short Links

Learn how to create branded short links, customize your URLs, and track link clicks in Textedly.

Written by Emily

Textedly’s Short Links + Tracking feature makes it easy to shorten long URLs, save message characters, track link clicks, and improve deliverability with premium carrier approval.

You can choose from three domain options depending on how you'd like your shortened links to appear.

Short Link Domain Options

SMS.co Subdomain — Free

An SMS.co subdomain is a free, shared shortened domain. You can customize the beginning of the domain to match your business or brand.

For example:

yourbrand.sms.co

The "yourbrand" portion can be replaced with whatever you'd like to use for your link, subject to availability.

.Link Branded Domain — Free for 12 Months

For a cleaner, more branded appearance, you can create a .link domain.

For example:

yourbrand.link

Your .link domain is free for the first 12 months. After the first 12 months, the domain costs $12 per year.

Custom Domain

Already own a domain you'd like to use? You can connect an existing domain to your Textedly account by adding the required DNS record.

This allows you to use your own domain when generating shortened, trackable links.

Setting Up Your Short Link Domain

Before you can generate a shortened link, you'll first need to activate Short Links + Tracking and create or connect your domain.

  1. Navigate to Apps in your Textedly account.

  2. Select Short Links + Tracking.

  3. Choose the type of domain you'd like to use:

    • SMS.co for a free shared domain.

    • .link for a cleaner branded domain.

    • Custom Domain to connect a domain you already own.

  4. Follow the prompts to create or connect your domain.

Once your domain is set up, you're ready to start creating short links.

How to Create a Short Link

You can generate shortened links directly from the message composer:

  1. Navigate to Messages > New Message +.

  2. Compose your message.

  3. Click the link icon to open the Generate a Short Link menu.

  4. Paste the original URL into the Destination URL field.

  5. Choose your domain from the Select Domain dropdown.

  6. Enter a Custom Slug, or leave the field blank to have one generated automatically.

  7. Click Create Link.

Your new shortened link will be inserted directly into your message.

What Is a Custom Slug?

The slug is the portion that appears at the very end of your shortened link.

For example: yourbrand.link/promo

In this link, promo is the slug.

You can customize your slug to make the link more recognizable or relevant to your message, such as:

  • yourbrand.link/promo

  • yourbrand.link/sale

  • yourbrand.link/rsvp

  • yourbrand.link/book-now

Don't need a specific slug? Simply leave the Custom Slug field blank, and Textedly will automatically generate a random one for you.

Tracking Your Links

Once you've created and sent shortened links, you can track their performance from the Short Links + Tracking section of your account.

Your active links allow you to quickly see how your links are performing, including the number of clicks they've received.

Which Domain Should I Use?

If you want a free option, an SMS.co subdomain gives you a customizable link such as yourbrand.sms.co at no additional cost.

If you'd prefer a shorter, cleaner branded URL, you can choose a .link domain such as yourbrand.link, which is free for the first 12 months and $12/year after that.

If you already own a domain, you can connect it to Textedly as a Custom Domain by adding the required DNS record.

Whichever option you choose, you'll be able to generate shortened, trackable links directly from the message composer.

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