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URL Shortener

Short links with optional custom names · 90-day expiry

Guide

Create short link

3–32 characters: letters, numbers, hyphens, underscores

Guide: URL Shortener

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What is this tool?

This URL shortener creates short links that redirect to any long URL. You paste a long web address and get a compact link like https://spoold.com/s/abc123 or, with a custom alias, something like https://spoold.com/s/mylink. When someone opens the short URL, they are redirected (HTTP 302) to your original destination. No sign-up is required; the tool is free and runs with optional custom short names and a 90-day expiry.

Why use a URL shortener?

Long URLs are hard to share in messages, social posts, emails, or print. A short link is easier to type, fits in character limits, and looks cleaner. Marketers use short URLs for campaigns and tracking; developers use them in APIs or docs; anyone can use them for QR codes, bios, or flyers. This link shortener gives you a fast way to create short links with optional readable slugs—no account needed.

Sharing & social

  • • Short links for Twitter, SMS, or email
  • • Clean URLs for bios and profiles
  • • Custom slugs (e.g. /s/promo) for campaigns

Print & offline

  • • QR codes that point to your short URL
  • • Flyers, posters, business cards
  • • Easy to type from a printed link

Key features

  • Custom short names — Choose a slug (3–32 characters, letters, numbers, hyphens, underscores). If it’s taken, you’ll see a message and can pick another.
  • Random short links — Leave the alias blank to get an auto-generated short ID.
  • 90-day expiry — Links stop redirecting after 90 days to keep the service sustainable.
  • Rate limiting — Per-IP limits prevent abuse and keep the tool available for everyone.
  • Block list — Our own domain cannot be shortened, avoiding redirect loops.
  • Copy, open, QR — After creating a link, copy it, open it in a new tab, or generate a QR code in one click.

How to use

Enter your long URL in the first field (must start with http:// or https://). Optionally type a custom short name (e.g. mylink or blog-post); you’ll see a live preview of the short URL. Click Shorten URL. Your short link appears in the same card—copy it, open it, or use the QR code button to create a QR code in a new tab. Use Shorten another to reset and create another link.

Custom short names

A custom alias (or slug) lets you choose the path after /s/. Allowed characters are letters (A–Z, a–z), numbers (0–9), hyphens, and underscores; length must be between 3 and 32 characters. Spaces and special characters are normalized (e.g. “My Link” becomes “my-link”). If the name is already taken, you’ll see “This short name is already taken” and can try another. Custom names are optional—if you leave the field empty, you get a random short ID.

Use cases

Use this short URL generator for social media posts, email newsletters, SMS, or anywhere character count matters. Create a short link, then use the QR code button to generate a QR code for the same URL—handy for flyers, menus, or event signage. Developers can shorten API docs or changelog URLs; support teams can share knowledge-base links with readable slugs like /s/help.

Expiry & limits

Short links expire after 90 days. After that, the redirect stops and the URL returns a 404. You can create a new link with the same or a different custom name at any time. Rate limits apply per IP to prevent abuse; if you hit the limit, you’ll see a “Too many requests” message and can try again later. The service is free; no account or API key is required.

FAQ

How long do short links work?
Links redirect for 90 days, then expire. Create a new short URL anytime.
Can I choose my own short link?
Yes. Use the optional “Custom alias” field (3–32 characters, letters, numbers, hyphens, underscores). If the name is taken, you’ll be asked to choose another.
Is the URL shortener free?
Yes. No sign-up or API key is required. Rate limits apply per IP to keep the tool available for everyone.
Can I create a QR code from my short URL?
Yes. After shortening, click the “QR code” button to open the QR Code tool in a new tab with your short URL pre-filled.

Conclusion

This free URL shortener creates short links with optional custom names, 90-day expiry, and one-click copy, open, or QR code. Use it for social sharing, emails, print, or anywhere you need a short link or link shortener without signing up. For parsing or editing URLs and query parameters, try the URL Parser & Inspector; for generating QR codes, use the QR Code tool.