How Linkly Works

Linkly is a link management platform that lets you track, optimize, and control any URL. When you create a link on Linkly, you get a new trackable URL (a "Linkly link") that redirects visitors to your chosen destination. You use this Linkly link in place of your original URL wherever you share it — in emails, social media, ads, SMS, QR codes, or anywhere else.

When someone clicks a Linkly link, they are briefly routed through Linkly's servers before being redirected to the destination URL. During that redirect, Linkly records a click and captures data about the visitor — including their country, city, device type, browser, operating system, and ISP. The redirect happens in milliseconds, so the experience is seamless for the end user.

Because tracking is built into the redirect, Linkly works everywhere a URL can be placed — even in channels where you cannot install tracking scripts, such as partner websites, influencer posts, offline print media, or third-party platforms.

Linkly cannot track traffic on links that do not go through Linkly's redirect.

Linkly is much more than a link shortener. Here is an overview of the key features available to you:

• Custom domains — Use your own branded domain (e.g. go.yourbrand.com) instead of the default Linkly domain. This builds trust with your audience and makes links look professional.
• Vanity URLs — Choose a custom slug for any link (e.g. go.yourbrand.com/summer-sale) so your URLs are readable and memorable.

• Click tracking & analytics — See real-time click data broken down by country, city, device, browser, OS, ISP, and referrer. Filter by date range and export reports.
• UTM tag builder — Automatically append Google Analytics UTM parameters to your destination URLs so clicks are attributed correctly in GA4.
• GA4 tracking tags — Fire Google Analytics 4 events directly from your Linkly redirect page.
• Google Tag Manager — Load your GTM container on the Linkly redirect page to run any tags you need.
• Retargeting & tracking pixels — Add Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter, or custom retargeting pixels to your links so you can build audiences from every click.

• Geo redirects — Send visitors to different destination URLs based on their country or region. Ideal for localized landing pages or region-specific offers.
• Device & app redirects — Route users to different URLs depending on whether they are on iOS, Android, or desktop — great for driving app downloads.
• Link rotators — Split traffic across multiple destination URLs, either evenly or by custom weight. Useful for A/B testing or distributing leads.

• Expiring links — Set a link to automatically stop working after a specific date, click count, or both.
• One-time links — Create links that can only be clicked once, then become inactive.
• Password-protected links — Require visitors to enter a password before they can access the destination URL.

• QR codes — Generate a trackable QR code for any Linkly link. Customize colors, add your logo, and download in PNG or SVG format.

• REST API — Create, update, and retrieve links and click data programmatically.
• Google Sheets add-on — Create and manage Linkly links directly from a Google Sheets spreadsheet.
• Zapier, Make, and n8n — Connect Linkly to thousands of other apps using no-code automation platforms.