Link management · 5 min read · Updated October 8, 2026

What Is a Short Link? How URL Shorteners Work

A short link is a compact URL, like reslug.link/launch, that sends anyone who opens it to a longer destination such as https://example.com/products/spring-2026?utm_source=newsletter. The short address is the one you share; the long one is where people actually land.

This guide explains what a short link is made of, what happens in the half second between the click and the landing page, why short links are measured where plain URLs are not, and how to create one in ReSlug.

The three parts of a short link

Every short link has the same anatomy. Understanding it makes the rest of the shortener make sense.

• The domain. The host in front of the slash, such as reslug.link or your own branded domain like go.acme.com. It tells the browser which server to ask.
• The slug. The short path after the slash, such as launch. It is the key the server uses to look up the destination. Slugs can be random (x7Kp2) or chosen by you (spring-sale).
• The destination. The long URL the link points to. It never appears in the short link itself, which is why it can be changed later without touching anything you have already shared.

What happens when someone clicks

A short link is not a copy of the page and it does not store the page. It is a redirect. When a browser requests reslug.link/launch, the shortener looks up the slug, records the visit, and answers with an HTTP redirect that carries the destination URL. The browser follows it and loads the real page. The whole exchange takes a few tens of milliseconds.

1. The visitor taps or pastes the short link.
2. The browser asks the shortener's server for that slug.
3. The server finds the destination, logs the click, and replies with a redirect.
4. The browser follows the redirect and the destination page loads as normal.

Why use a short link instead of the long URL

• It fits where long URLs do not. Printed materials, SMS, spoken ads, QR codes and character-limited bios all need an address people can read and type.
• It can be measured. Because every click passes through the shortener, you get a count, a time, a rough location, a device type and a referrer for each visit. A plain URL shared on a flyer tells you nothing. See how link click tracking works.
• It can be changed after sharing. The destination lives on the server, not in the link. Fix a typo, swap a landing page or retire an offer without reprinting anything.
• It can carry your brand. On a custom domain the link reads as yours, which lifts trust and click-through compared with a generic shortener host.
• It hides tracking clutter. UTM parameters and tracking IDs stay on the destination, so the shared link looks clean while the analytics still work.

Short links, QR codes and bio pages

In ReSlug, QR codes and bio pages are built on top of short links rather than beside them. A QR code is a short link encoded as a scannable image, so re-pointing the link re-points every printed code. A bio page is a hosted page of short links, so each button on it gets its own click count. If you understand short links, you understand the other two.

How to create a short link in ReSlug

1. Open Links in your workspace and click the plus button.
2. Paste the destination URL. That is the only required field.
3. Optionally pick a domain, type a custom slug, add a title, and attach tags or a folder so the link is easy to find later.
4. Click Create. The short link is live immediately, and you can copy it, download its QR code, or open its analytics from the links list.

The Free plan includes 500 active links, 1,000 tracked clicks a month, one custom domain and 30 days of analytics. Pro removes the link and click caps and keeps a full year of analytics. See the pricing page for the full comparison.