Question 1

What is ShortGo?

Accepted Answer

ShortGo is a URL shortener and link management platform. With one account you can: create short links on a ShortGo domain or your own custom domain design QR codes and link-in-bio pages route visitors with targeting (country, device, language, time) and A/B rotation see every click in self-hosted analytics , with geo resolved on ShortGo’s own servers Teams can share workspaces, and developers can automate everything with the REST API and webhooks (see /developers). Create a free account to get started.

Question 2

Can I change where a link points after sharing it?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every ShortGo short link is dynamic . Open the link from Links , edit the destination URL and save; the change applies to the next click. The short URL itself stays the same, so anything you’ve already shared keeps working, including links in emails, social posts and printed QR codes backed by that link. This is handy for fixing a typo, swapping a campaign landing page or pointing an old link to a new page. Your click history is kept, so analytics continue in one place.

Question 3

How does geo targeting work?

Accepted Answer

Open Links → New link → Targeting (or edit an existing link) and add a rule with a country , region or city and the destination for those visitors. The visitor’s location is looked up from their IP address using a GeoIP database hosted on ShortGo’s own servers, so no data is sent to a third party. Rules are checked top to bottom and the first match wins . If no rule matches, the A/B rotator is used if you’ve set one up; otherwise the visitor goes to the link’s main destination. Reorder rules to control priority.

Question 4

Do bots and crawlers count as clicks?

Accepted Answer

No, not by default. ShortGo detects bots and crawlers from their user agent and excludes them from click totals , so your numbers reflect real visitors. You can still inspect bot traffic separately in analytics. If you want to stop bots from following a link at all, turn on bot blocking in the link’s settings. Link-preview crawlers such as Slack, Facebook and X are still allowed through, so your shared links keep showing a proper preview card.

Question 5

What is the difference between dynamic and static QR codes?

Accepted Answer

A dynamic QR code encodes a ShortGo short link rather than the final address. That means you can: change the destination at any time, even after the code is printed track every scan in your analytics Website URL, app-store and (optionally) vCard codes can be dynamic. A static QR code — for example WiFi, text, email, SMS or phone — stores its content directly inside the pattern. It works without a short link, but it can’t be edited or tracked once printed. For anything going on packaging, posters or print ads, dynamic is usually the safer choice.

Question 6

Can I use my own domain?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can use your own root domain or a subdomain such as go.yourbrand.com — a subdomain is usually simpler because your main website stays untouched. Go to Domains → Add domain and enter the host. Add the TXT record shown ( _shortgo.<your-host> ) to prove ownership. Point the domain to ShortGo with the A/AAAA or CNAME record shown on the domain page. Once DNS resolves and the domain is verified, HTTPS is set up automatically and you can pick the domain when creating links. Custom domains depend on your plan — see /pricing.

Question 7

Is there a free plan?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can sign up and use ShortGo on the free plan without entering payment details. The exact limits of each plan (links, tracked clicks, features) are shown on the pricing page . When you need more, paid plans are available with monthly or yearly billing; yearly billing is usually discounted, and some plans offer a free trial. You can upgrade at any time from the Billing page, and the upgrade takes effect immediately. You can also shorten a link from the homepage without an account where enabled, but anonymous links expire after a set number of days.

Question 8

How do I create my first short link?

Accepted Answer

Create an account and sign in. Go to Links → New link and paste the long URL you want to shorten. Optionally choose a domain and a custom alias ; otherwise a random slug is generated. Save, then copy the short link or download its QR code. You can come back any time to change the destination, add a password or expiry, set up targeting or attach tracking pixels. Clicks start appearing in the link’s analytics as soon as people use it.

Question 9

Which languages does ShortGo support?

Accepted Answer

The ShortGo interface is available in 20 languages : English, Turkish, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Arabic, Persian, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Simplified), Vietnamese and Thai. Arabic and Persian are shown right-to-left . You can switch the language from the language selector at any time, and both dark and light mode are available. The interface language doesn’t limit your links: you can also route visitors by their browser language with language targeting.

Question 10

Can I choose my own short link alias?

Accepted Answer

Yes. When creating or editing a link in Links → New link , type your own custom alias (for example /summer-sale ) instead of using the random slug. An alias has to be unique on its domain, so if it’s already taken, try a variation. You can use it on: a default ShortGo domain a premium short domain (plan feature) your own custom domain , such as go.yourbrand.com Readable aliases are easier to remember, say out loud and trust. Check the pricing page to see which domain options your plan includes.

Question 11

How do password protection, expiration and click limits work?

Accepted Answer

You’ll find these options in the link’s settings when creating or editing it: Password protection : visitors must enter the password before they are redirected. Expiration date : the link stops redirecting after the date and time you set. Click limit : the link stops after a set number of clicks. Expired redirect : an optional URL where visitors go once the link has expired or reached its limit, instead of seeing an error. You can combine them, for example a password-protected download that expires at the end of the month. Change or remove any of them later by editing the link.

Question 12

What is the difference between direct, frame, splash and overlay redirects?

Accepted Answer

Choose the redirect type in the link’s settings: Direct : an instant HTTP redirect with a 301, 302, 307 or 308 status code. Best for most links. Frame : the destination is shown inside a frame, so your short URL stays in the address bar. Splash page : a branded interstitial page with a call to action is shown before the visitor continues. CTA overlay : a message, contact form, poll, newsletter signup, coupon, image or product card appears on top of the destination page. Note that some websites block being shown in frames, so test frame and overlay links before sharing.

Question 13

How do UTM templates and parameter forwarding work?

Accepted Answer

ShortGo offers two ways to handle URL parameters: Fixed parameters and UTM templates : append parameters such as UTM tags to the destination. Save a reusable set of utm_source , utm_medium , utm_campaign , utm_term and utm_content as a UTM template and apply it when creating links, so your campaign tagging stays consistent. Forward parameters : when enabled, any query string on the short link (for example ?ref=newsletter ) is passed through to the destination. This keeps your short links clean while analytics tools on your site still receive the right campaign data.

Question 14

Can I send visitors to different pages by device, language or time?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In Links → New link → Targeting you can add rules based on: Device : desktop, mobile or tablet Operating system : iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS Browser : Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, Opera, Samsung Internet and more Language : the visitor’s primary browser language (en, tr, de…) Time : days of the week and hour ranges in a timezone you choose A rule can combine several conditions and matches only when all of them match. Rules are checked top to bottom, and the first match wins.

Question 15

How do I A/B test destinations?

Accepted Answer

Open the link’s Targeting settings and add destinations to the A/B rotator , giving each one a weight, for example 50/50 or 70/30. On every click ShortGo picks a variant at random according to those weights. Selection isn’t sticky, so a returning visitor may see a different variant. In the link’s analytics, clicks are broken down by variant , so you can compare them and then point the link to the winner. Note that targeting rules are checked first: the rotator handles visitors who don’t match any rule.

Question 16

What are deep links and how do I use them?

Accepted Answer

A deep link opens content directly in a mobile app instead of the browser, for example a profile in the Instagram app. In the link’s Targeting settings, add the app scheme URL (such as instagram://... ) for iOS and/or Android , plus fallback URLs for the App Store and Google Play. Visitors who have the app go straight to it; others are sent to the fallback. Deep links are useful for social profiles, shopping apps and app install campaigns. Test them on real devices, since app behaviour can vary.

Question 17

What is the difference between clicks and unique clicks?

Accepted Answer

Clicks (total clicks) count every time someone follows your link, including repeat visits. Unique clicks count each visitor once per day , however many times they click that day. A large gap between the two usually means people are returning to the link or clicking it repeatedly. Unique clicks give a better sense of reach, while total clicks show overall engagement. Both numbers exclude detected bots and crawlers by default, and you can view them for any date range in the link’s analytics.

Question 18

What do my analytics show about visitors?

Accepted Answer

For each link, bio page and campaign, and across your workspace, ShortGo shows: total and unique clicks over time for any date range location : country (world map), region and city device type and brand, browser , operating system and language referrer with friendly names for social networks, and traffic source (short link, QR scan) network provider (ASN), A/B variant and matched targeting rule a weekday × hour heatmap and a live view of incoming clicks Detailed stats and the raw click log depend on your plan; see /pricing.

Question 19

Can I export my click data?

Accepted Answer

Yes. On plans that include it, you can export analytics as CSV from a link’s analytics page and open it in any spreadsheet tool. The raw click log lists individual clicks with time, location, device, referrer and more. If you want to automate reporting, the REST API returns link stats, and the link.clicked webhook can push each click to your own system in real time. See /developers for details. Which export features are included in each plan is shown on the pricing page .

Question 20

What can I put on a link-in-bio page?

Accepted Answer

A ShortGo link-in-bio page is a mobile-friendly page built from blocks. You can add: links and buttons , text and social icons (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, WhatsApp, Spotify and many more) video, music and social post embeds a map , a countdown and a vCard so visitors can save your contact an FAQ section and custom HTML embeds forms , whose submissions are collected for you and can trigger the bio.submission webhook Each bio page has its own analytics, so you can see which blocks get clicked.

Question 21

Can I customise the design of my bio page?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Start from a preset theme and adjust: background : solid colour, gradient, image or video colours and fonts button styles such as outline, soft, glass or hard shadow On eligible plans you can also add custom CSS and remove ShortGo branding . Each page has its own SEO settings : title, description, share image, favicon, a noindex option and a sensitive-content warning. Verified accounts can show a verified badge. See /pricing for which design options your plan includes.

Question 22

Can I add my logo and colours to a QR code?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The QR code designer lets you match your brand: Dot and corner styles for the pattern and the three position markers Colours and gradients for the foreground and background Logo in the middle (plan feature) Frames with a call-to-action label , such as “Scan me” (plan feature) When you’re done, download the code as PNG , SVG or JPEG — SVG is best for large prints. Keep enough contrast between the code and its background, and test-scan it with a couple of phones before sending anything to print. See /pricing for which plans include logos and frames.

Question 23

How are QR code scans tracked?

Accepted Answer

Every dynamic QR code is backed by a ShortGo short link. When someone scans it, the visit goes through that link and is recorded like any other click — but with the traffic source “QR code scan” , so you can tell scans apart from clicks on the shared link. In the analytics you’ll see the usual breakdowns for scans: time, country and city, device, operating system, browser and language. Bots are excluded from totals by default. Static QR codes (WiFi, text, phone and similar) encode their data directly, so there is nothing to track. If you need scan statistics, create a dynamic code.

Question 24

How long does it take for HTTPS to work on my domain?

Accepted Answer

Usually only a few minutes. ShortGo issues the HTTPS certificate automatically as soon as two things are true: the TXT verification record has been found, and your A/AAAA or CNAME record points to ShortGo. Most waiting time comes from DNS propagation at your registrar or DNS provider, which can sometimes take longer. You can check the status on the domain’s page under Domains . If your DNS is on Cloudflare , set the CNAME to “DNS only” (grey cloud) until the certificate is active — a proxied record can block issuance. Still stuck? Contact support via /contact.

Question 25

What is Cloudflare edge mode?

Accepted Answer

ShortGo integrates with Cloudflare. For domains routed in edge mode , redirects are resolved by a Cloudflare Worker running at Cloudflare’s edge locations close to each visitor, using a short cache configured by the ShortGo administrator. Every click is sent back securely (HMAC-signed) to ShortGo, so your analytics stay complete — these clicks show the traffic source “edge”. In origin mode , redirects are served from ShortGo’s own servers. Even there, links are cached in memory and Redis, so a cached redirect doesn’t need a database query. Edge mode is mainly useful when your audience is spread across many regions.

Question 26

Which payment methods do you accept?

Accepted Answer

ShortGo supports three ways to pay: Credit or debit card via Stripe — used for recurring subscriptions. The Stripe customer portal lets you download invoices and update your card. Cryptocurrency via Plisio . Bank transfer — where enabled; payments are approved manually, so activation isn’t instant. The methods available to you appear at checkout when you choose a plan on /pricing. For questions about invoices or a specific payment, contact support via /contact.

Question 27

Can I upgrade, downgrade or cancel at any time?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can change your plan whenever you like from the Billing page. Upgrade: takes effect immediately, so new features and limits are available right away. Cancel: your subscription stays active until the end of the period you’ve already paid for. After that, the workspace moves to the free plan. You can resume the subscription before the period ends if you change your mind. Downgrade: choose a smaller plan on the Billing page; check /pricing first so you know which features and limits change. For questions about refunds, please contact support via /contact.

Question 28

What happens if I exceed my monthly click allowance?

Accepted Answer

Nothing breaks. Each plan includes a monthly allowance of tracked clicks , but redirects never stop when you go over it — every visitor still reaches the destination. What can change is the analytics: once the allowance is exceeded, click data may be sampled rather than recorded in full for the rest of the period. If you regularly go over, consider a plan with a larger allowance on /pricing; upgrades take effect immediately. Note that analytics history (how long data is kept) also depends on your plan.

Question 29

Do you offer free trials or discount codes?

Accepted Answer

Yes, in a few ways: Free trials: some plans include a free trial. If one is available, it’s shown on that plan on /pricing. Coupons: if you have a discount code, enter it at checkout before paying. Yearly billing: yearly pricing is usually discounted compared with paying monthly. There’s also a free plan , so you can try ShortGo without paying — just /register. Exact prices, trial lengths and plan limits are always shown on the pricing page.

Question 30

How do I protect my account with two-factor authentication?

Accepted Answer

Go to Account → Security and enable two-factor authentication . Scan the QR code with an authenticator app (any TOTP app works, such as Google Authenticator, 1Password or Authy) and enter the 6-digit code to confirm. From then on, signing in requires your password plus a code from the app. On the same page you can see your active sessions and revoke any you don’t recognise. Other protections are already in place: passwords are hashed with argon2id and login attempts are limited. Use a strong, unique password as well.

Question 31

How do you prevent phishing and spam links?

Accepted Answer

Every new link is scanned before it goes live: Google Safe Browsing and the URLhaus malware list Heuristics that look for common phishing patterns Links that look unsafe are blocked or flagged for moderation. Creation rate limits apply to both anonymous and signed-in users to slow down spam, and administrators can ban links and accounts. Spotted a ShortGo link that leads somewhere harmful? Use the public Report abuse form at /report. Visitors can also add + to the end of any short link to preview its destination before opening it.

Question 32

Do you store visitors' IP addresses?

Accepted Answer

By default, ShortGo stores visitor IP addresses anonymised — the last octet is set to zero (for example 203.0.113.0 ). The site administrator can change this to store the full IP or not store it at all. Location data (country, region, city) is looked up on ShortGo’s own servers using local DB-IP databases, so visitor IPs aren’t sent to third-party geolocation or analytics services. Redirects don’t load any third-party analytics unless you attach tracking pixels to a link yourself — in which case you’re responsible for collecting consent where the law requires it.

Question 33

Is there an API?

Accepted Answer

Yes. ShortGo has a REST API v1 at /api/v1 . Create an API key in the dashboard and send it with each request as Authorization: Bearer <key> . The API covers: Links — list, create, get, update, delete, and stats Domains, campaigns, channels, pixels and QR codes Your account details A simple /api/v1/shorten endpoint for quick shortening Requests are rate-limited per minute depending on your plan. Full reference and examples are in the developer docs at /developers.

Question 34

Which webhook events are available and how are they signed?

Accepted Answer

ShortGo can send these webhook events to your endpoint: link.created , link.deleted link.clicked — high volume, so make sure your endpoint can keep up overlay.response — a visitor answered a CTA overlay (form, poll, signup…) bio.submission — a form on a bio page was submitted Every delivery is signed with HMAC-SHA256 . The signature is in the X-ShortGo-Signature header as sha256=... , computed over . with your webhook secret. Recompute it on your side and reject mismatches. Failed deliveries are retried. Details are at /developers.

Question 35

How do I create short links from Slack?

Accepted Answer

Use the ShortGo Slack slash command : In ShortGo, open Developer → Integrations and generate a one-time connection code. Follow the instructions there to link your Slack account using that code. In Slack, type /shortgo https://example.com to get a short link back. You can add a custom alias after the URL if you want a specific slug. Links created from Slack are saved to your ShortGo account, so they appear in your dashboard with full analytics like any other link.

Question 36

Which retargeting pixels are supported?

Accepted Answer

ShortGo supports 13 pixel providers: Meta (Facebook) Pixel, Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, Google Ads, LinkedIn Insight, X (Twitter), TikTok, Snapchat, Pinterest, Reddit, Quora, Microsoft Ads (UET) and AdRoll . Attach one or more pixels to a link. When someone clicks, the pixels fire on a brief interstitial and the visitor is then forwarded. This lets you build retargeting audiences even from links to sites you don’t own, such as a product page or a YouTube video. You’re responsible for collecting visitor consent where privacy laws such as GDPR require it.

Question 37

Can I invite my team, and what can each role do?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Invite teammates to a workspace by email, then assign a role: Owner — full control of the workspace. Admin — manages the team, domains and billing-related settings. Editor — creates and edits links, bio pages, QR codes and other assets. Viewer — read-only access, including analytics; ideal for clients or stakeholders. Pick the lowest role that lets each person do their job. An audit log records important actions, so you can see who changed what. Team features depend on your plan — see /pricing.

Question 38

Can I manage several brands or clients separately?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every user has a personal workspace, and you can work in several workspaces and switch between them from the dashboard. A common setup for agencies and multi-brand teams is one workspace per brand or client , each with its own team members and roles — so a client invited as a Viewer only sees their own links and analytics. Inside a workspace you can organise further: Campaigns group related links and show combined stats. Channels are colour-coded labels for links, bio pages and QR codes.

Hoe kunnen we helpen?

Aan de slag

Links

Targeting

Statistieken

QR-codes

Domeinen en Cloudflare

Bio-pagina’s

Facturering

Beveiliging en privacy

API en integraties

Teams