URL shortening - Revision history

Karl Jones at 03:00, 6 September 2016

2016-09-06T03:00:03Z

Karl Jones at 02:57, 6 September 2016

2016-09-06T02:57:55Z

Karl Jones at 01:42, 6 September 2016

2016-09-06T01:42:03Z

Karl Jones: /* See also */

2016-04-26T13:35:19Z

‎See also

Karl Jones: /* External links */

2016-04-26T13:35:10Z

‎External links

Karl Jones: Created page with "'''URL shortening''' (or '''link shortening''') is a technique on the World Wide Web in which a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) may be made substantially shorter in len..."

2016-04-26T13:34:51Z

Created page with "'''URL shortening''' (or '''link shortening''') is a technique on the World Wide Web in which a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) may be made substantially shorter in len..."

New page

'''URL shortening''' (or '''link shortening''') is a technique on the [[World Wide Web]] in which a [[Uniform Resource Locator]] (URL) may be made substantially shorter in length and still direct to the required page.

== Description ==

This is achieved by using a redirect on a domain name that is short, which links to the web page that has a long URL.

For example, the URL <code><nowiki>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/URL_shortening</nowiki></code> can be shortened to <code><nowiki>http://tinyurl.com/urlwiki</nowiki></code>.

This is especially convenient for messaging technologies that limit the number of characters that may be used in a message, such as [[SMS]], and for reducing the amount of typing required if the reader is copying a URL from a print source.

In November 2009, the shortened links of the URL shortening service [[Bitly]] were accessed 2.1 billion times.

Other uses of URL shortening are to "beautify" a link, track clicks, or disguise the underlying address.

Although disguising of the underlying address may be desired for legitimate business or personal reasons, it is open to abuse and for this reason, some URL shortening service providers have found themselves on spam blacklists, because of the use of their redirect services by sites trying to bypass those very same blacklists.

Some websites, such as is.gd, prevent short, redirected URLs from being posted.

== See also ==

* [[Country code top-level domain]]
* [[Domain name system]]
* [[Generic top-level domain]]
* [[Link rot]]
* [[List of Internet top-level domains]]
* [[Semantic URL]] – <code><nowiki>http://example.com/index.asp?mod=profiles&id=193</nowiki></code> becomes <code><nowiki>http://example.com/user/john-doe</nowiki></code>
* [[Vanity domain]]
* [[Vanity URL]]

== External links ==

* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/URL_shortening URL shortening] @ Wikipedia
* [http://www.getlinkinfo.com/ Get Link Info] - a tool to get information about a link before visiting it
* [http://boingboing.net/2016/04/26/site-fetches-the-real-url-for.html Site fetches the real URL for any shortened URL] @ Boing Boing

[[Category:Intellectual property]]
[[Category:Internet]]

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← Older revision		Revision as of 13:35, 26 April 2016
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		+	[[Category:Domain Name System]]
	[[Category:Intellectual property]]		[[Category:Intellectual property]]
	[[Category:Internet]]		[[Category:Internet]]

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 * [[Country code top-level domain]]
-* [[Domain name system]]
+* [[Domain Name System]]
 * [[Generic top-level domain]]
 * [[Link rot]]

@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 * [[List of Internet top-level domains]]
 * [[Semantic URL]] – <code><nowiki>http://example.com/index.asp?mod=profiles&id=193</nowiki></code> becomes <code><nowiki>http://example.com/user/john-doe</nowiki></code>
 * [[Vanity domain]]
 * [[Vanity URL]]