My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on November 18, 2009

Although I use shortened URLs regularly, I create them manually unless I’m using a program with built in services — like Tweetdeck for Twitter — but recently I’ve gone against my rule of fattening up programs and added the shortener button to Firefox. Most of the URL shortening services (see list below) offer a single button add-on that copies a shortened link to the clipboard; they are convenient for emailing long links to forums, comments sections of blogs and in sending emails. Here’s on for one of my favorites since it’s a character shorter: is.gd.com => http://is.gd/4Wijz

A word of caution when sending and receiving shortened links: “be aware that unknown links can carry a risk of directing you to inappropriate websites or those sites only looking to capitalize on your clicks. Link and click carefully.”

• Acbox.com – Offers free URL redirection service.
• Active.ws – Free URL redirection and email forwarding service.
• BigLNK – Free URL shortening and redirection service. Make long URLs shorter so they don’t break in emails.
• bit.ly – Offers URL redirection service with real-time link tracking.
• Bizz.cc – Free URL Redirection Service.
• checkthislink.com – Offers free URL redirection service. Possible to enter a warning message before user visits site.
• CJB.NET – Offers free URL redirection, web hosting, forums, and blogs.
• ClockURL – Offers time sensitive URL redirection.
• Clockwatchers – Domain forwarding using own domain name. Requires a fee for the service.
• C-O.IN – Free URL redirection with no ads. Supports URL cloaking and path forwarding, meta tags and statistics.
• Com.co.in – Offers professional domain shortening such as "http://www.yourname.com.co.in"
• CO.NR – Free URL Redirection service with no advertisements. Supports URL cloaking and path forwarding.
• Cool168 – Provides short URL like "yourname.cool168.com" that will redirect to a longer URL.
• Dickensurl.com – Free URL redirection service that converts a URL to a long phrase from a work of Charles Dickens. Also has a bookmarklet.
• Doiop – Free URL redirection service. Make long URL shorter.
• Dot TK – Offers free domain names in the form of "yourname.tk". Includes URL redirection and forwarding service.
• dwarfURL – A URL shortening service that turns long links into smaller ones which never expire.
• Easy URL – An easy URL shortener which is spam free.
• fff.to – Offers short redirection URLs with analytics.
• GentleURL – URL redirecting service.
• gu.ma – A free tool to shorten long Internet links. Personalization is possible.
• HOTShortURL.com – Free URL shortening and tracking service.
• Href.to – Simple URL shortener.
• HugeURL – Creates extremely long URLs for an entered URL.
• INTURL.com – Free URL shortening and tracking service. Generates integer URL.
• is.gd – Offers a simple and free URL shortening service.
• Jaze Web Design – Offers several redirect domains on a fee basis or in exchange for advertisements.
• kickme.to – Free url and email redirection. Select from over 150 domain names.
• Krunchd – A redirection service which allows users to share multiple URLs through just one URL.
• LinkFrog – Provides free URL shortening. Link creation in both simple and expert mode.
• LinkZip.com – Offers a free URL redirection service by shortening long URLs.
• Linkzip.net – Offers URL shortening service.
• LiteURL – Change long URLs into short ones for use in forums, blogs, email, and IRC.
• Metamark – Free URL redirection service.
• Minilink.org – Free URL shortening service. Preserves original domain name and file extension in short link.
• NE1.net – Offers free URL redirection with no ads in the form of yourname.ne1.net and yourname.r8.org.
• NormalURL.com – Redirection service that allows the user to dictate the new URL.
• NotLong.com – Make a long URL shorter using this free service with no advertisements required.
• nuURL – Create, track, shorten, and customize a long URL into a short URL using our free service.
• Pics or Links – Redirect URLs and share image hyperlinks with advanced social networking features.
• Qdeo – Make long URL’s short, a free alternative to long URLs.
• Qwer.org – Designed to simplify the process of sharing unwieldy and/or automatically-generated URLs, by providing a temporary alias in the form: http://qwer.org/you.
• Redirecting.biz – Provides paid URL redirecting and hiding services.
• RelUlr – Free short URL redirection service with no advertisements.
• SG5 – Provides free URL redirection.
• Shim.net – Get a free subdomain like "yourname.shim.net" or "yourname.freegaming.org". Other features include dynamic DNS, meta tag settings, frame killing, and URL cloaking.
• Shorl.com – Offers free URL redirection service.
• shortURL.com – Offers free URL redirection with traffic reports and no advertisements.
• SimURL.com – Make a long URL short and then track it.
• smurl.lv – URL shortening service
• Snick.me – Secure URL Redirection, bookmarking and group service.
• SnipURL – Easily turn long URLs into easy-to-remember URL with this free URL redirection service.
• 1sp.in – URL shortener that uses only our address bar. No copy&paste. No plug-ins.
• TightURL – Offers an URL shortening and redirection service, with an exception for affiliate links which are refused. The source code of the underlying software is also made available under the GNU General Public License.
• Tiny2Go.com – Free URL shortening service, featuring a batch mode that allows you to process multiple links in one go and offers various browser integration methods.
• TinyURL – Free URL redirection service. Turns a long URL into a much shorter one.
• 98.to – Provides free URL redirection: http//98.to
• tr.im – Offers a free redirection service, also provides statistics about redirected links, bookmarklets, a Firefox add-on and custom URLs protected with a password. Underlying source code is made available under a free software license.
• Unonic – Provides URL redirection service.
• u.nu – The shortest URL redirection service on the internet.
• ur1 Generator – URL shortening and redirection service based on open source software.
• 6URL – Redirect and make long URL shorter.
• UrlBit.Us – Take any long URL and create a short one in its place.
• 1URL.com – A free URL shortening service. Provides API and Twitter support.
• URLescort.com – Automatically redirects your domain to your existing business, country domain, personal or free website.
• URLIT.NET – Convert a long URL into a shorter one. Particularly useful when using long and cumbersome links in emails, newsgroups or forums. Provides link previewing.
• URLLogs.com – Offers free short transparent URL redirection Service with statistics and SEO included.
• urlShort – Free URL shortening service built on open source code. Users can choose custom aliases and an API, a bookmarklet and a Firefox extension are provided.
• V3 – Free URL forwarding and email service.
• WebAlias Network – Free service offers both subdomain and subdirectory style addresses.
• Wurl It! – Create a short URL that can be effectively used instead of a long URL.
• Xaddr – URL shortener with preview page and target content check.
• XiY! – Offers free URL redirection service with no advertisements.
• xn6.net – Offers free URL redirection.
• Xrl.in – Free URL redirection service, that turns a long URL into a short one. Also offers an API and HTML code for integration into other websites.
• Yep – Provides free URL redirection service.
• ZZZ URLSquisher – Squish long URLs to make short ones.

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