How to Shorten URLs
Learn how to shorten URLs quickly and effectively. Discover the benefits of URL shortening, step-by-step instructions, and best pr…
The URL shortener that never lets a link die
Turn long, unwieldy web addresses into clean goto.now links that are easy to share anywhere - Social posts, SMS, email, print and more. Every link comes with built-in click tracking, QR codes and editing.
Shorten a link now Sign up free
From unshareable to unmissable in one paste
Long URLs break in texts, look suspicious in posts and are impossible to say out loud. Paste one into GoTo.now and you get a link that fits anywhere, reads cleanly and starts reporting clicks the moment it goes live. No account needed for your first link - It takes about four seconds.
- Works in SMS, bios, email signatures and print
- No expiry: your link keeps redirecting forever
- Click tracking on from the first second
Make it say something with a custom back-half
goto.now/spring-sale earns more clicks than goto.now/x8Kq2 because people can see where they're going. Registered users pick their own back-half on any link, free. Teams take it further with naming conventions - Brand, channel, offer - So every link in the wild is self-documenting.
- Free custom back-halves for registered users
- Readable links lift click-through by roughly a third
- Conventions keep whole campaigns auditable
The link is permanent. The destination isn't.
Every GoTo.now link is a layer you control between your audience and the web. Campaign moved? Landing page rebuilt? Re-point the link and every copy in circulation - Printed, posted, embedded - Follows instantly. This is what makes short links infrastructure instead of convenience.
- Edit destinations without re-publishing anything
- Printed QR codes stay alive through changes
- One switch migrates all traffic to a new page
Everything URL Shortener gives you
Instant shortening
Paste any long URL and get a short goto.now link in under a second - No account required to get started.
Custom back-halves
Replace random characters with memorable words (goto.now/summer-sale) so people know where a click leads before they tap.
Click analytics on every link
See total clicks, referrers, devices and countries for any link you create - Data updates in real time.
A QR code with every link
Every short link automatically gets a downloadable QR code, so one URL works online and offline.
Reliable redirects at scale
Our redirect engine already serves millions of active links with fast, dependable redirects worldwide.
Works everywhere
Short links behave perfectly in SMS, social bios, email signatures, printed flyers and anywhere characters are limited.
How to shorten a URL with GoTo.now
1
Paste your long link
Drop any URL - A product page, form, video, document or booking page - Into the box on the homepage.
2
Click “Shorten”
We generate a compact goto.now link instantly. Sign in to customize the back-half.
3
Share and track
Copy your link anywhere, download its QR code, and watch clicks roll in on your stats page.
URL Shortener FAQs
Is the GoTo.now URL shortener really free?
Yes. Shortening links, generating QR codes and viewing click stats are free. Create a free account to keep a history of your links and edit them later.
Do GoTo.now links expire?
No. Links you create do not expire and keep redirecting for as long as the service exists. You can delete or update your own links at any time from your dashboard.
Can I customize what comes after goto.now/?
Yes - Signed-in users can set a custom back-half (for example goto.now/my-launch) when creating a link, subject to availability.
How many links can I shorten?
Guests can shorten a handful of links per minute (rate-limited to stop abuse). Registered users get generous limits designed for everyday marketing use.
Can I see how many people clicked my link?
Every link has a public stats view: paste it on the Link Stats page to see clicks, or open your dashboard for a full breakdown by referrer, device and country.
Further reading
Guides from the blog that go deeper on url shortener.
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