How to use this tool

1. Fill in the inputs.
2. Read the result.
3. Copy or download as needed.

About the URL Shortener

The URL Shortener takes a long web address and produces a shorter, easier-to-share link using a shortening provider that the site administrator has connected under Tostino Tools → Settings. Enter a long URL, click the button, and receive a compact short link in return.

Unlike the fully client-side tools in this suite, URL shortening requires a server-side component, since a short link only works if a service remembers the mapping between the short code and the original destination — that lookup has to live somewhere other than your browser.

When you submit a URL, the request is sent securely to the site's own server, which then forwards it to whichever shortening provider has been configured in the plugin settings, using the API key stored there. This design keeps the shortening provider's API key private on the server rather than exposing it in the browser, where anyone could otherwise view and misuse it.

The provider's response (the newly created short link) is passed back and displayed for you to copy. If no shortening provider has been configured yet, the tool will let you know that the feature is not currently set up, since it depends entirely on the site owner completing that one-time configuration step.

Common use cases

• Sharing a long, unwieldy URL on social media or in a text message where character count matters.
• Creating a cleaner-looking link for print materials, presentations, or verbal sharing.
• Simplifying URLs with long tracking parameters for easier sharing without losing the underlying tracking data.
• Making long documentation or resource links easier to read and remember.
• Standardizing link formatting across marketing campaigns run through a single shortening provider.

Tips and best practices

• This feature must be configured by the site administrator with a shortening provider and API key before it will work — if you see a configuration message, that setup step has not been completed yet.
• Only submit URLs that start with http:// or https://, since the shortening provider needs a complete, valid web address to work with.
• Keep a record of your original long URLs somewhere, since most shortening services do not provide an easy way to recover the original destination from the short link alone.
• Test a newly created short link before sharing it widely to confirm it redirects to the correct destination.

Frequently asked questions