Manage Short URLs

This guide covers creating and managing short URLs in the OpenLynk dashboard. Short URLs are general-purpose redirects that shorten any URL into a compact, shareable link — they are not deep links and do not route users into a mobile app.

Prerequisites

• An OpenLynk account with an organization created

Short URLs vs Deep Links

Before creating short URLs, understand the difference:

Feature	Short URLs	Deep Links
Purpose	Redirect to any URL	Route users into a mobile app
Format	oplk.to/{code}	{app-slug}.openlynk.to/{link-slug}
App required	No	Yes
Scope	Organization-level	App-level
Fallback behavior	Always redirects to destination URL	Routes to app, store, or web fallback
Deferred deep linking	No	Yes
In-app navigation	No	Yes

tip

Use short URLs for general marketing links, social media profiles, or any URL you want to shorten. Use deep links when you need users to land on a specific screen inside your mobile app.

Create a Short URL

1. Open the Short URLs page in the dashboard.
2. Click Create Short URL.
3. Fill in the following:

Field	Required	Description
Destination URL	Yes	The full URL to redirect to (e.g., https://www.example.com/landing-page)
Custom Code	No	A custom short code (e.g., spring-sale). If left blank, a code is auto-generated.
Title	No	A descriptive label for your reference (e.g., "Spring Sale Landing Page")

4. Click Create.
5. Copy the generated short URL.

URL Format

Short URLs follow the format:

oplk.to/{code}

For example:

• Auto-generated: oplk.to/x7k9m2
• Custom code: oplk.to/spring-sale

Auto-Generated vs Custom Codes

• Auto-generated codes are short, random alphanumeric strings. They are always unique and available.
• Custom codes let you create memorable, branded short URLs. They must be unique across the platform.

note

Custom codes are case-sensitive. spring-sale and Spring-Sale are treated as different codes.

View Short URLs

1. Go to the Short URLs page.
2. The list displays all your organization's short URLs with:
   • The short URL code
   • The destination URL
   • The title (if set)
   • The total click count
   • Creation date

Delete Short URLs

1. Go to the Short URLs page.
2. Find the short URL you want to delete.
3. Click the delete action.
4. Confirm the deletion.

warning

Deleting a short URL is permanent. Anyone clicking the deleted URL will receive a 404 error. Make sure the URL is no longer in active use before deleting.

Use Cases

Short URLs are well suited for:

• Marketing emails — shorten long campaign URLs for cleaner formatting
• Social media — fit links within character limits and track click-throughs
• Print materials — create memorable URLs for brochures, posters, and business cards
• QR codes — shorter URLs generate simpler, more scannable QR codes
• Internal sharing — create easy-to-remember links for internal resources

Verification

After creating a short URL, confirm the following:

• The short URL appears in the list on the Short URLs page.
• Visiting oplk.to/{code} redirects to the correct destination URL.
• The click count increments after visiting the short URL.

What's Next

• Create and Manage Links — create deep links for routing users into your mobile app.
• View Analytics — track short URL click performance alongside deep link analytics.
• Set Up Custom Domains — serve links from your own branded domain.