Viraly’s link shortening feature creates clean, trackable URLs for your posts. Shorten long links, track clicks, and understand which content drives the most traffic.
How Link Shortening Works
When you add a URL to your post, Viraly can:
- Detect the link automatically in your caption text
- Generate a shortened URL that’s easier to share
- Track every click on the shortened link
- Show click analytics so you know what’s working
Shortened links use the vrl.link domain (e.g., https://vrl.link/abc123). They’re cleaner, take up fewer characters (helpful for platforms with tight limits), and give you valuable click data.
Shortening Links in Posts
To shorten a link when creating a post:
- Add a URL to your caption
- Viraly detects the link and shows a preview
- Enable Shorten Link in the link options
- The shortened URL will be used when the post publishes
Link Preview
When you add a URL, Viraly automatically fetches:
- Page title
- Description
- Preview image
This preview shows how the link will appear when posted.
Click Tracking
Every shortened link tracks clicks automatically. View click data to understand:
- Total clicks on each link
- Which posts drive the most traffic
- Click trends over time
Viewing Click Analytics
To view your link analytics:
- Go to Post Scheduler
- Click Shortened Links in the secondary navigation
- View click counts for all your shortened URLs
Link Analytics
Click View Analytics next to any shortened link to access detailed performance data.
Analytics Overview
The analytics page shows key metrics at a glance:
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Total Clicks | Total number of times the link was clicked |
| Created | When the shortened link was first created |
| First Used | When the link received its first click |
Link Details
View the full short URL (vrl.link) and destination URL. Copy either to share or reference.
Clicks Over Time
A chart showing click activity over time. Track patterns and see when your links receive the most engagement.
Geographic Data
Understand where your clicks come from:
- Top Countries — Ranked list of countries where clicks originated
- Top Cities — Ranked list of cities where clicks originated
Device & System Data
See what devices and operating systems your audience uses:
- Devices — Breakdown by device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)
- Operating Systems — Breakdown by OS (iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, etc.)
This data helps you understand your audience and optimize your content for the devices they use.
Managing Shortened Links
Access all your shortened links from the sidebar:
- Go to Post Scheduler
- Click Shortened Links
- Browse all links with their click data
From here you can:
- View click counts for each link
- Copy shortened URLs to use elsewhere
- See which posts use each link
Best Practices
- Use for important links: Shorten links you want to track—landing pages, products, sign-up forms
- Compare performance: Test different CTAs and see which drive more clicks
- Check analytics regularly: Monitor which content drives traffic
- Save characters: Shortened links help on platforms with character limits
When to Use Shortened Links
- Product pages you’re promoting
- Blog posts and articles
- Landing pages and sign-up forms
- Any link where click tracking is valuable