A short link is an address book entry

The alias is a key. A redirect service keeps the full destination behind that key. When someone opens the short link, the service finds the saved destination and sends the browser there. The destination is not contained inside the alias itself.

That distinction matters: a browser-only utility cannot create an arbitrary shared alias without a service storing the mapping. Shortform’s pages are static, while its local preview shortener uses a separate service on this Mac.

Pick an alias people can recognize

Use a short description, such as autumn-notes, instead of a phrase that requires an explanation. Avoid names that look like official account recovery or payment pages. Do not include private information; anyone holding the link can read the alias.

Shortform accepts 3–48 letters, numbers, hyphens and underscores. Its aliases are case-sensitive: Autumn-notes and autumn-notes are different. Lowercase names are often easier to repeat over a call.

What if a name is already taken?

A shared namespace can only map one exact alias to one destination at a time. The local service rejects an occupied alias rather than replacing the existing link. Choose a clearer variation or leave the alias blank for a random one.

Random aliases reduce the chance of accidental collision but are not access control. Do not use a short URL as the only protection for private files or account access.

Keep the destination intact

Query parameters can carry campaign attribution, filters or access signatures. Shortform does not automatically remove them when shortening. If you want to clean a URL, use the URL cleaner first and review the selected changes.

The URL inspector shows the hostname and parameters without visiting the destination. It does not certify that a website is safe, reachable or trustworthy.

A small URL is still a dependency

Short links depend on the redirect service, its saved data and its domain. No implementation can guarantee a link will last forever. The preview links here only work on this computer while the preview service is running. A public release needs hosting, a domain, backups and an abuse-handling process.

Ready to try an alias? Use the custom URL shortener.