URL Shortener
Shorten long URLs into clean, shareable links with a built-in QR code and an expiry from 1 hour to 30 days. Every link shows its destination before visitors continue. Good for social posts, newsletters, print and slides.
Built and maintained by Muhammad Tayyab — Founder, DevPik.
Why Use URL Shortener?
Long URLs with tracking parameters, UTM tags, and session IDs break in SMS, get truncated in tweets, and look untrustworthy in print. A short URL hides that noise behind a compact link you can speak aloud, print on a flyer, or paste into a character-limited post. The built-in QR code lets people jump from a slide deck or business card to a specific web page without typing the address.
How to Use URL Shortener
- Paste your long URL into the input field.
- Choose how long the link should work: 1 hour, 24 hours, 7 days or 30 days (the default).
- Click 'Shorten URL' to generate your short link.
- Copy the short URL or scan the QR code to share it.
Worked Examples
Social media post
https://example.com/2026/04/the-very-long-blog-post-slug-about-developer-productivity?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=launch
https://www.devpik.com/u/Ab12Cd3 fits easily in a post and leaves room for hashtags. The UTM tags stay in the destination, so your own analytics still see the visit.
Use this when every character matters.
QR code on printed materials
https://www.yourstore.com/landing-page/spring-2026-promo?ref=in-store-card
A short URL plus a QR code (right-click it to save the image) you can drop onto flyers, posters or business cards. Customers scan it, see the preview page and continue to the promo.
Time-boxed campaign link
Promo page URL with expiry: 7 days
Short link works for the week, then returns a friendly 'expired' page. Useful for limited-time offers where you don't want the link leaking in perpetuity.
About URL Shortener
The URL Shortener transforms long, unwieldy URLs into clean, short links that are easy to share. Each shortened URL comes with an auto-generated QR code for easy mobile sharing. Every link expires after the duration you choose, 30 days at most. Perfect for sharing links on social media, in emails, presentations, or anywhere character count matters. The QR code is drawn in your browser from the short URL. Anyone who opens the link first sees a short preview page with the full destination address and a Continue button, so recipients can check where a link goes before they visit it. Short URLs also avoid breaking when copy-pasted across platforms that auto-truncate or wrap long links, like SMS, slide decks, and print materials.
Troubleshooting & Common Issues
Short URL redirects to a 404 on the destination site
The short URL only stores the target address you pasted — if that underlying page has moved or been deleted, visitors will see the destination's 404, not ours. Re-create the short URL pointing at the new canonical address.
QR code won't scan
Low-resolution displays or poor lighting can defeat QR decoders. Save the QR image (right-click it in the result panel) and print it at least 2 cm x 2 cm with strong contrast against the background. Avoid placing it over a busy photo.
Visitors see a preview page instead of going straight to my page
That is intentional. Every DevPik short link shows its full destination first, and the visitor clicks Continue. It stops the shortener being used to disguise phishing links, which protects your visitors and the devpik.com domain your links live on.
I need to edit the destination after creating the short URL
Short URLs are immutable to protect anyone who has already shared or bookmarked them. Create a new short URL pointing at the updated destination and migrate your references.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do shortened URLs last?
Every short link expires: after 30 days by default, or after 1 hour, 24 hours or 7 days if you choose. After that it shows an expired page instead of the destination.
Can I track clicks on my shortened URLs?
Not in DevPik: the shortener does not show click counts. To measure visits, add UTM parameters to the destination URL before shortening it. They are kept on the way through, so your own analytics see each visit.
Is there a limit to how many URLs I can shorten?
It is free for personal and commercial links. To keep it free of spam, each visitor can create up to 10 short links an hour, and links can only point to http and https pages on other sites, not to devpik.com or to other shorteners.
Can I customize the short URL slug?
Short codes are auto-generated for uniqueness and to keep the service spam-resistant. Custom vanity slugs (like /u/my-campaign) aren't currently supported — if that's a blocker for your use case, let us know via the contact page.
Does the shortener preserve UTM parameters and query strings?
Yes. The full destination URL, including UTM tags, query parameters, and fragments, is preserved when the visitor continues from the preview page. Your existing campaign tracking will continue to fire as normal.
Are shortened URLs safe to use on LinkedIn, Twitter/X, and email?
Short URLs from reputable domains generally pass most anti-spam filters. However, some corporate email gateways rewrite all short URLs and a few platforms down-rank them — if delivery or reach is critical, A/B test with both the short and the full URL.
How does the QR code get generated?
QR codes are drawn in your browser from the short URL with a client-side encoder. Right-click the code to save it as an image. Scanning it opens the short link, which shows the preview page and then your destination.
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