# Short.io

> Advanced URL shortening and link management platform for businesses, marketing teams, and developers

## Overview

Short.io is an enterprise-grade URL shortener that enables businesses to create branded short links with custom domains, track detailed analytics, and manage links at scale. Trusted by Fortune 500 companies and startups worldwide, with over 13 billion links created and 100 billion+ clicks tracked.

## Complete Feature List

### Link Creation & Management
- **Branded Links**: Create short links with your brand identity
- **Custom Domains**: Connect unlimited custom domains and subdomains to one account
- **Multiple Domains**: Manage several branded domains from a single dashboard
- **URL Shortcode (Slug) Editing**: Customize the short link path after creation
- **Destination URL Changing**: Edit destination URLs without changing the short link
- **AI Slug Generation**: Automatically generate relevant short link slugs
- **Bulk Link Shortening**: Shorten multiple links at once via API or Google Sheets
- **Tags for Links**: Organize links with custom tags
- **Link Permissions**: Control who can view and edit specific links
- **Import & Export**: Bulk import and export links via CSV

### Analytics & Tracking
- **Tracked Clicks**: Monitor every click on your short links
- **Real-time Clickstream**: Track clicks in realtime with detailed user data
- **Detailed Statistics**: View clicks by date range, location, device, browser, and referrer
- **Geographic Data**: Country and region-level visitor tracking
- **Device Analytics**: Operating system and browser information
- **Referrer Tracking**: See where your traffic originates
- **User Agent Data**: Detailed user agent strings for every click
- **Status Code Tracking**: HTTP status codes for each redirect
- **IP Address Logging**: Track visitor IP addresses
- **Campaign Tracking**: UTM parameter support for marketing campaigns
- **UTM Builder**: Built-in UTM parameter creation tool
- **Google Analytics Integration**: Seamless integration with GA for in-depth insights
- **A/B Testing**: Test multiple destination URLs to optimize conversions

### Advanced Redirect Features
- **Redirects**: Standard URL redirection
- **301 Redirect Code**: SEO-friendly permanent redirects
- **404 Redirect**: Custom redirect for broken or deleted links
- **Main Page Redirect**: Redirect domain root to a specific URL
- **Geo-targeting**: Redirect based on visitor country or region
- **Country Targeting**: Route users to country-specific destinations
- **Region Targeting**: Redirect based on geographic regions
- **Mobile Targeting**: Redirect based on mobile vs desktop
- **Mobile Links**: OS-specific redirects (iOS/Android)
- **Deep Links**: Redirect to mobile apps or browser based on app installation
- **Link Expiration**: Set expiration date and time for temporary links
- **Link Cloaking**: Hide destination URL in browser address bar
- **Referrer Hiding**: Prevent referrer information from being passed
- **Password Protection**: Restrict link access with password authentication
- **Encrypted Links**: Optional encryption for sensitive URLs

### Team Collaboration
- **Multiple Teams**: Create and manage multiple teams in one account
- **Teammates with Roles**: Add unlimited team members with granular permissions
- **User Roles**: Owner, Admin, User, and Read-only access levels
- **Link Visibility Control**: Show only self-created links to specific team members
- **Single Sign-On (SSO)**: Enterprise authentication integration
- **Team Workspaces**: Shared workspaces for collaborative link management

### QR Codes
- **QR Code Generation**: Create QR codes for any link
- **Dynamic QR Codes**: Edit destination URL without regenerating QR code
- **Custom QR Styling**: Customize colors and add logos
- **Multiple Formats**: Download QR codes in various image formats
- **QR Analytics**: Track QR code scans with full analytics

### Marketing & Retargeting
- **Link Retargeting**: Re-engage visitors via advertising platforms
- **Meta Pixel Integration**: Retarget users who clicked your links via Facebook/Instagram
- **AdRoll Integration**: Display ads to previous link visitors
- **Conversion Tracking**: Track conversions from your short links
- **Campaign Performance**: Measure ROI of marketing campaigns
- **Social Media Optimization**: Branded links increase click-through rates

### Developer Tools
- **REST API**: Full-featured API for programmatic link management
- **High Performance API**: Create up to 1,000 links every 5 seconds
- **API Documentation**: Comprehensive docs with code examples
- **Language Support**: PHP, Python, Node.js, Ruby, JavaScript libraries
- **Webhooks**: Real-time notifications for link events
- **Tools & Extensions**: Browser extensions and third-party tools
- **Chrome Extension**: Quick link shortening from browser
- **Firefox Extension**: Shortening tool for Firefox users

### Integrations
- **App Integrations**: Connect with popular business tools
- **Zapier Integration**: Automate workflows with 5,000+ apps
- **Make (Integromat)**: Advanced automation scenarios
- **Google Sheets**: Bulk shortening via spreadsheet
- **CRM Integration**: Connect with sales and marketing platforms
- **Social Media Tools**: Integration with social management platforms

### Security & Reliability
- **SSL Certificates**: Free Let's Encrypt SSL for all custom domains
- **HTTPS Everywhere**: All links served securely
- **99.9% Uptime SLA**: Enterprise-grade reliability guarantee
- **GDPR Privacy**: GDPR-compliant data handling
- **Data Encryption**: Secure storage of link data
- **DDoS Protection**: Protected infrastructure
- **Backup & Redundancy**: Reliable data backup systems

### DNS & Domain Management
- **Instant Domain Setup**: Automatic DNS configuration for purchased domains
- **DNS Management**: Full DNS control for connected domains
- **Subdomain Support**: Use unlimited subdomains
- **Domain Verification**: Secure domain ownership verification
- **SSL Auto-Provisioning**: Automatic SSL certificate generation

### Support & Documentation
- **24/5 Chat Support**: Live chat assistance during business hours
- **Email Support**: Detailed support via email
- **Comprehensive Documentation**: Extensive guides and tutorials
- **Video Tutorials**: Visual learning resources
- **API Reference**: Complete API documentation
- **Knowledge Base**: Self-service help articles
- **Fast Response Times**: Priority support for enterprise customers

## Use Cases

### Marketing Teams
- Track campaign performance across channels
- Optimize conversions with A/B testing
- Measure ROI with UTM tracking
- Create branded links for social media and email campaigns
- Run retargeting campaigns to re-engage visitors
- Generate QR codes for offline marketing materials

### Sales Teams
- Create personalized outreach links
- Track engagement and lead scoring
- Integrate with CRM systems
- Monitor proposal and document views
- Share trackable links in email sequences

### Agencies
- Manage multiple client brands from one account
- Track campaign performance for different clients
- Use retargeting to maximize advertising ROI
- Collaborate with clients using team features
- White-label link management with custom domains

### Developers & Engineers
- Automate link creation and management via API
- Build custom integrations
- Implement deep linking for mobile apps
- Track technical metrics (clickstream, user agents, status codes)
- Create high-volume link shortening systems

### Small & Medium Businesses
- Build brand recognition with custom domain links
- Track marketing effectiveness
- Increase mobile app downloads with deep links
- Manage cross-functional teams
- Professional branded links without technical setup

### Individual Bloggers & Affiliate Marketers
- Improve brand recognition with custom short links
- Increase CTR with customized URLs
- Analyze performance with detailed statistics
- Add UTM parameters for traffic analysis
- Create expiring links for time-sensitive content
- Use link cloaking for affiliate links

## Technical Specifications

- **API Type**: RESTful API with JSON responses
- **Authentication**: API keys, OAuth, SSO support
- **Rate Limits**: Up to 1,000 link creations per 5 seconds
- **Data Export**: CSV, JSON formats
- **Redirect Types**: 301 (permanent), 302 (temporary)
- **Supported Protocols**: HTTP, HTTPS, custom schemes for deep links
- **Maximum URL Length**: Standard URL length limits supported
- **Custom Domain Limits**: Unlimited on paid plans
- **Team Member Limits**: Unlimited on most plans
- **Uptime**: 99.9% SLA guarantee
- **Security**: HTTPS everywhere, SSL certificates included, GDPR compliant

## Pricing Model

- **Free Plan**: 1,000 branded links, basic analytics, QR codes, API access
- **Paid Plans**: Tiered pricing based on link volume and features
- **Enterprise**: Custom solutions with unlimited links and dedicated support
- **Trial**: 7-day free trial for all paid plans
- **No Credit Card Required**: Start free without payment information
- **Flexible Billing**: Monthly or annual billing options
- **Cancel Anytime**: No long-term contracts or cancellation fees

## Key Differentiators

1. **Custom Domain Focus**: Full support for branded domains with instant SSL setup
2. **Enterprise-Grade Analytics**: Clickstream data and real-time tracking beyond basic click counts
3. **Developer-First**: Powerful API with high rate limits (1,000 links per 5 seconds)
4. **Advanced Targeting**: Geo-targeting, mobile targeting, and deep linking capabilities
5. **Team Collaboration**: Sophisticated multi-user management with granular permissions (Owner, Admin, User, Read-only)
6. **Retargeting Integration**: Built-in advertising retargeting via Meta Pixel and AdRoll
7. **Link Flexibility**: Edit destinations, set expiration, add passwords without changing short URLs
8. **Unlimited Custom Domains**: Connect as many branded domains as needed
9. **Dynamic QR Codes**: Edit QR code destinations without reprinting
10. **99.9% Uptime SLA**: Enterprise reliability guarantee

## Target Audience

- Marketing professionals and agencies
- Sales teams and business development
- Developers and technical teams
- Infrastructure and DevOps engineers
- Small to enterprise-level businesses
- Affiliate marketers and bloggers
- Mobile app developers
- Social media managers
- Content creators
- E-commerce businesses
- Event organizers
- Fortune 500 companies

## Platform Benefits

- **Brand Recognition**: Custom domains build trust and increase CTR
- **Data Ownership**: Full control over your link data
- **Scalability**: Handle millions of links and billions of clicks
- **Reliability**: 99.9% uptime guarantee
- **Security**: GDPR compliant, encrypted, SSL secured
- **Flexibility**: Edit, expire, password-protect links anytime
- **Insights**: Detailed analytics beyond basic click tracking
- **Integration**: Connect with existing marketing and sales tools
- **Automation**: API and integrations for workflow automation
- **Global Performance**: Fast redirects worldwide

## Getting Started

1. **Sign Up**: Create free account without credit card
2. **Choose Domain Option**:
   - Buy a domain directly through Short.io (instant setup, SSL included)
   - Connect your existing domain (simple DNS configuration)
   - Use free short.gy subdomain (start immediately)
3. **Create Short Links**: Shorten URLs via dashboard, API, or browser extension
4. **Track Performance**: Monitor clicks with detailed real-time analytics
5. **Scale Up**: Upgrade anytime as your needs grow