The team behind 2.9 million short links
GoTo.now is a free URL shortener and QR code platform. It went live in November 2024 and has created more than 2.9 million short links since then. This page explains who we are, what we run, and why the whole thing is free.
How GoTo.now started
We built GoTo.now because free link tools kept getting worse. Links expired without warning. Click stats moved behind paywalls. QR codes came out watermarked. Every year, another feature that used to be free grew a price tag.
So in late 2024 a small team of developers built the shortener we wanted to use ourselves. The first goto.now link was created on November 1, 2024. The rules we set on day one still hold:
- No scheduled expiry. Valid links are not retired by a timer; a printed QR code should keep working.
- Click stats are private by default. Owners can deliberately share revocable, expiring reports.
- The core stays free. Short links, editable destinations, QR codes, and analytics have no watermark or trial timer.
What we run today
Real numbers from our own platform, not projections:
| Measure | Where it stands |
|---|---|
| Short links created | 2.9 million+ |
| Serving redirects since | November 1, 2024 |
| Typical redirect lookup | About 50 milliseconds |
| Price of core link tools | $0 |
| Automatic expiry | None scheduled |
The redirect engine does exactly one job: read a short code, find the destination, send the visitor on. Because it does nothing else on that path - No ad wall or third-party tracking on ordinary redirects; selected custom-domain marketing is consent-gated - It stays fast even at millions of records.
What we believe
Links should outlive campaigns
A short link is a promise. People print it on menus, boxes and posters. Breaking that promise to sell an "upgrade" is the one thing we will never do. That is why valid links have no scheduled expiration here.
Your click data belongs to you
Every link comes with real-time analytics - Clicks, referrers, devices and countries. Those numbers are private by default and shareable only through reports you deliberately create. There is no automatic public stats page and no data resale behind the scenes; only reports you deliberately create can be shared.
Free should not mean crippled
Custom back-halves, styled QR codes, editable destinations, the API - All of it works today without a card on file. When paid tiers arrive one day, they will cover high-volume API use, not the basics.
Questions people ask us
When did GoTo.now launch?
GoTo.now went live in November 2024. The first short link on the platform was created on November 1, 2024, and it still redirects today.
How many links has GoTo.now created?
More than 2.9 million short links as of mid-2026, with new ones created every minute through the website and the API.
Is GoTo.now really free?
Yes. Shortening, custom back-halves, QR codes, editing and analytics are all free with no watermarks or caps on clicks. The FAQ covers what free includes in detail.
Who is behind GoTo.now?
A small, independent team of developers who run the platform day to day. The fastest way to reach us is the contact page - Product questions and security reports both land with a human.
Where 2.9 million links point next
The plan is simple: keep the redirects fast, keep the features free, and earn the next million links the same way we earned the first - By not breaking anything you printed. If that sounds like a tool you can rely on, create your first link and see for yourself.