Free Link Shortener

What is a link shortener?

Is a short link the same as a deep link?

Not quite — and this is where directinapp differs from a plain shortener. A normal short link just redirects to a web page, which on a phone usually means the logged-out in-app browser. A directinapp short link is also a deep link: on mobile it opens the destination's native app (Instagram, YouTube, Amazon and more) when it's installed, and falls back to the website when it isn't. You get the tidiness of a short URL and the conversion of an app-open from the same link.

Are shortened links safe and permanent?

Yes. Your links keep resolving as long as your account is active — even on the free plan, existing links don't stop working if you downgrade. Every link is served over HTTPS, and you can add a password, an expiry date, or a click cap when a link is sensitive. Custom slugs (a readable word instead of random characters) make a short link look trustworthy rather than spammy, which matters when you're sharing it off-platform. You can also update where an existing short link points without changing the short URL itself — useful when a campaign destination moves or a printed QR code is already in circulation. And because the short link is the layer that carries your analytics, every redirect is logged, so you keep a complete click history even as the destination changes. If you set an expiry date or click cap, the link stops resolving cleanly at that point rather than breaking — visitors see a tidy “link expired” page, not a dead end.

How do I shorten a URL?

Paste any link into the box above and you get a short version instantly. Sign in to pick a custom slug, download the QR code, and watch clicks in real time. There's no card required to start, and every link you create is a smart deep link by default.