Generating Short URLs

This list compares only short URL services that expose some form of documented API,¹ and intentionally omits any URL shorteners employing iFrames. Given the rise of short URLs along with services such as Twitter, these filters keep the list manageable.

101.gs

• Tracks: Nothing
• Custom URLs: Unsupported
• 101.gs API Documentation

bit.ly

• Tracks: Clicks, Location, Conversations, Referrals
• Custom URLs: Unsupported
• bit.ly API Documentation

cli.gs

• Tracks: Clicks, Location, Bots, Referrals, Conversations
• Custom URLs: Unsupported
• cli.gs API Documentation

is.gd

• Tracks: Nothing
• Custom URLs: Unsupported
• is.gd API Documentation
• Note: Optional value (appending ‘-’ to shortened URL) allows previewing where the link points to without being redirected.

nn.nf

• Tracks: Nothing
• Custom URLs: Unsupported
• nn.nf API Documentation

pie.im

• Tracks: Clicks
• Custom URLs: Supported
• pie.im API Documentation

qux.in

• Tracks: Clicks
• Custom URLs: Unsupported
• qux.in API Documentation

snipurl.com

• Tracks: Clicks
• Custom URLs: Supported
• snipurl.com API Documentation
• Note: SnipURL is also available via snurl.com, snipr.com, and sn.im.

su.pr

• Tracks: Clicks, Referrals, Stumbles, Retweets
• Custom URLs: Supported
• su.pr API Documentation
• Note: Allows scheduled posting to Twitter and/or Facebook, and integrates with StumbleUpon.

tr.im

• Tracks: Clicks, Locations, Referrals, Bots, User-Agents
• Custom URLs: Supported
• tr.im API Documentation
• Note: tr.im optionally offers a self-hosted version (requires Ruby support on your server) and can integrate with Twitter, allowing it to associate your tr.im account with URLs posted to Twitter under a linked profile.

urlShort

• Tracks: Nothing
• Custom URLs: Supported
• urlShort API Documentation
• Note: urlShort is self-hosted software, requiring PHP support on your server, and a MySQL database. It provides a preview feature which relies on a cookie on your site.

1. There are a number of URL shorteners out there that offer an API, without providing documentation. These do not qualify for inclusion here. [↩]

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