FAQ
How are the unique codes generated?Your unique code is created from a combination of alphanumeric characters (a-z, and 0-9). Codes are generated in sequence as "aaa", "aab", "aac", etc. When the codes reach "aaz", we being using numeric digits to create "aa0", "aa1", etc. When we run out of 3-character codes, we'll expand to four characters.
Can I request my own unique code?Eventually, we'll add the ability to request your own code, but we don't currently support this option.
Do you track usage information on the codes I create?We are tracking code usage and we plan to make this information available through a page on our site in the future.
Can I programmatically create short URLs?In the future we plan to offer a web service API that will allow you to request shortened URLs programmatically. This means you will be able to have your web site automatically generate short URLs for pages on your site.
Can I use my short URL as the base for a longer URL?Some sites allow you to create a short URL, such as http://tflnk.com/aaa, which maps to a long URL, such as http://www.mywebsite.com/account/username. Then you can use http://tflnk.com/aaa/payments to reach http://www.mywebsite.com/account/username/payments. We do not currently support this feature, but we may add it in the future.
What if I forget the short URL?Don't worry! If you forget the short URL, we won't. Just re-enter the long URL and we will find it in our database and give you the short URL again. It's also possible to send yourself an e-mail after generating a short URL to keep a record of the URL you created.
Can I change the long URL once I've created the short URL?It is not currently possible to change the target of a short URL after it's been created. In the future, it is likely that you will be able to create an account at tflnk.com and we'll keep track of the short URLs you've created. Then, we'll allow you to update the short URL's target. Stay tuned!
Why can I only shrink 10 URLs in any 24 hour period?Since Link Shrink is a free service, it is subject to abuse by those who would create thousands of short URLs every day. To avoid any problems, we limit the number of shrink requests that can be processed from a single IP address within a rolling 24 hour period. We constantly keep an eye on how the service is being used and may relax this restriction if it seems feasible.
