FWURL/Docs

Link Configuration

Beyond just shortening a URL, FWURL allows you to configure several basic properties of your link to make it more effective, recognizable, and organized.

Custom Aliases (Short URLs)

The "Short URL" or "Alias" is the part of the link that comes after fwurl.com/.

Random vs. Custom

  • Random Alias: If you leave the Short URL field blank, FWURL generates a random string of characters (e.g., fwurl.com/x7k9m2). This is best for links where the appearance doesn't matter.
  • Custom Alias: You can choose a specific word or phrase (e.g., fwurl.com/newsletter). This is highly recommended for marketing and public-facing links.

Benefits of Custom Aliases

  1. Brand Recognition: Reinforce your brand name or campaign.
  2. Trust: Users are more likely to click links that look meaningful.
  3. Memorability: Easier to remember and type.
  4. Higher CTR: Custom aliases often see higher click-through rates.

Requirements

  • Length: Minimum 3 characters.
  • Characters: Letters (a-z, A-Z), numbers (0-9), hyphens (-), and underscores (_).
  • Uniqueness: Must be unique across the entire FWURL platform. If an alias is taken, you'll need to choose another one.

Tip: If your desired alias is taken, try adding a verb or date (e.g., get-fwurl instead of fwurl, or summer-sale-24).

Destination URL

The Destination URL is the long URL where users will be redirected.

Updating the Destination

One of the key benefits of using FWURL is that you can change the destination URL at any time without changing the short link.

Use Cases:

  • Fixing Errors: Correct a typo in the original long URL.
  • Updating Content: Point to a new landing page after a campaign ends.
  • Rotational Content: Update the link to point to the latest episode or article.

To update:

  1. Go to your Dashboard.
  2. Click Edit on the link.
  3. Change the Destination URL.
  4. Click Update.

The Title is an internal name for your link. It is not visible to users who click the link.

Purpose

  • Organization: Helps you find the link in your dashboard.
  • Context: Reminds you what the link is for (e.g., "Facebook Ad - Variant A").
  • Search: You can search for links by title in the dashboard.

Auto-Generation

When you paste a Destination URL, FWURL automatically attempts to fetch the title of that page and populate the Title field. You can edit this to whatever you prefer.

Feature coming soon

Future updates will allow you to customize how your link looks when shared on social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) by modifying the Open Graph title, description, and image.

Password Protection

Feature coming soon

Secure your links by requiring a password before users can access the destination URL. Useful for sharing sensitive documents or exclusive content.