How to Shorten a URL for Free: Web, Phone and API

To shorten a URL, paste it into a URL shortener and copy the short link it gives you. On SendURL that takes one step and no account: paste the link on the free URL shortener home page, choose Shorten, and copy the result.

Below are the steps for the web, for iPhone and Android, for a custom slug, and from the command line.

On the web, without an account

1. 1.
   Copy the long URL from your browser's address bar.
2. 2.
   Go to sendurl.to and paste it into the box.
3. 3.
   Choose Shorten.
4. 4.
   Choose Copy and paste the short link wherever you need it.

You get a random five-character link such as snu.to/x7Kp2, a live click counter and a QR code. Your browser remembers the link, and if you sign up later it moves into your account with its clicks. More on the URL shortener with no sign-up and on keeping a guest link when you sign up.

On iPhone and Android

The steps are the same; the only trick is copying the long URL on a phone.

• iPhone (Safari): open the page, tap the Share button, then Copy. In other apps, look for Share and then Copy link.
• Android (Chrome): open the page, tap the menu (three dots), then Share and Copy, or tap the address bar and copy the URL.

Then open sendurl.to in the browser, paste, choose Shorten and Copy. For a link going into a text message, the SMS character counter shows how many characters the long and the short version cost, and whether the text splits into two parts.

With a custom slug

A custom slug, such as snu.to/oct-webinar, needs a free account.

1. 1.
   Sign in to the console and choose Create link.
2. 2.
   Paste the Destination URL.
3. 3.
   Under Short link slug, choose Custom and type the slug: 1 to 32 letters, digits, hyphens or underscores.
4. 4.
   Choose Create short link.

Slugs are unique across SendURL and can't be changed later, so pick with care. How to name short links has naming patterns that work.

From the command line

With a free account, create an API key on the API keys page of the console, store it as SENDURL_API_KEY, and send the URL to the API:

curl -X POST https://api.sendurl.to/api/v1/links \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SENDURL_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"destinationUrl": "https://example.com/blog/launch"}'

The response is the new link. The part you need is shortUrl:

{
  "slug": "x7Kp2",
  "destinationUrl": "https://example.com/blog/launch",
  "shortUrl": "https://snu.to/x7Kp2",
  "qrUrl": "https://snu.to/x7Kp2?q",
  …
}

Add "slug": "your-slug" to the body for a custom one. Every field is in the API reference.

Shorten a URL that has UTM parameters

Shorten the whole tagged URL, parameters included:

https://example.com/webinar?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=2026-10-webinar

The UTMs are part of the destination, so they arrive with every click. Don't add parameters to the short link itself (snu.to/x7Kp2?utm_source=…): SendURL doesn't pass those on. How to shorten a UTM link has the details.

What happens to the link later

• It keeps working, and every click is counted with its time, country, device, browser and referrer.
• Free accounts hold 100 links, and the plan lists 7 days of analytics history; Pro holds 1,000 links and lists 30 days, for $5 a month (set up by email at support@sendurl.to).
• You can switch a link off, give it an expiry date or add a password at any time. Guest links can't have an expiry or a password until you claim them. The SendURL features overview lists everything else a link can do.

Checklist

• Copy the full long URL, including any UTM parameters
• Decide: random slug (no account) or custom slug (free account)
• Test the short link once before you share it
• Use a separate short link for each place you share it, so each gets its own count