The purpose of shortening URL services

url-shortening

What is the purpose of shortening URL service?

Are shortening URL service related only to the fact that a single Twitter message has a small characters limits? Or does they have other uses?

Best Answer

  • Shorter URLs are easier to work with, you can spell them over the phone, etc.
  • Most URL shortening services allow you to monitor their use.
  • Short URLs don't break in the e-mail. Some e-mail clients break long lines of text and this can cause the URL to be unclickable or it can lead to a wrong address (half of the URL is cut off).
  • If your character count is limited (e.g. Twitter), short URLs come in handy.
  • Also, URL shorteners can prevent linkrot. You can create a shortened URL. Then if the original URL changes, you can update the shortened URL with new URL. People that click on the short URL will always be redirected to a correct URL.
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