Best WordPress Plugins to Shorten URLs (2026)

ByChandra Updated on
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Looking for WordPress plugins to shorten URLs? Short links are easier to share on social media, in emails and in print, and good URL shortener plugins also count clicks. In 2009, when Twitter limited posts to 140 characters, we listed five WordPress plugins to shorten URLs. Most of those plugins are gone, so here are the best WordPress URL shortener plugins in 2026, plus free options that need no plugin at all.

Best WordPress URL shortener plugins

Quick answer: The best WordPress plugins to shorten URLs in 2026 are Pretty Links, BetterLinks and ThirstyAffiliates, which create short links on your own domain and track clicks. For a self-hosted shortener on a separate short domain, use YOURLS. WordPress also has a built-in shortlink (yoursite.com/?p=123) for every post.

Best WordPress plugins to shorten URLs

  • Pretty Links: creates short, branded links like yoursite.com/go/offer, with click tracking, redirects (301, 302, 307) and a link dashboard. It was on our 2009 list and is still one of the most popular.
  • BetterLinks: a link shortener and redirect manager with analytics, link cloaking, categories and UTM builder.
  • ThirstyAffiliates: built for affiliate links, with short cloaked URLs, link categories and automatic nofollow or sponsored attributes.
  • YOURLS: “Your Own URL Shortener”, a free open-source PHP app you install on a short domain, like your own Bitly. WordPress plugins can connect it to your posts.

Shorten URLs without a plugin

  • WordPress shortlinks: every post already has a short link using its ID, such as yoursite.com/?p=8840. It redirects to the full permalink.
  • Jetpack WP.me links: if you use Jetpack, you can get wp.me short links for posts.
  • Free shortener services: Bitly and TinyURL still work for quick links, though free plans may limit features.

You can also create short URLs on your own domain for easier sharing.

Why use a short link on your own domain?

  • Trust: people are more likely to click a link that shows your brand than a random shortener.
  • Control: if a free shortener shuts down or changes its rules, your links keep working.
  • Tracking: see which links get clicks, and add UTM tags for analytics.
  • Easy updates: change where a short link points without editing every post.

Tips for using URL shortener plugins

  1. Choose a short, clear prefix such as /go/ or /link/, and keep it consistent.
  2. Use 301 redirects for permanent links and 302 or 307 for links you might change.
  3. Add rel=”sponsored” or nofollow to affiliate and paid links.
  4. Exclude short link paths from page caching if click counts look wrong.
  5. Do not shorten internal links inside your own posts; link directly to the full URL for SEO.

What happened to the 2009 plugins?

Our original list included Short URL Plugin, YOURLS, Pretty Link, Shorter Links and plugins built around TinyURL, Bit.ly and is.gd. Pretty Links and YOURLS are still active; most of the others are no longer maintained. Twitter (now X) also counts every link as a fixed length, so shortening is now about branding and tracking, not saving characters.

FAQ

Do short links hurt SEO?

Not when they use proper 301 redirects. Use full URLs for internal links, and short links mainly for sharing.

What is the best free URL shortener for WordPress?

Pretty Links and BetterLinks both have capable free versions that create short links on your own domain with click tracking.

Can I use my own short domain?

Yes. Install YOURLS on a short domain, or use a paid shortener that supports custom domains.

Does WordPress have a built-in URL shortener?

Yes, the ?p= shortlink for each post. It is basic and has no click tracking.

Found this useful? Share it with someone who needs it.

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I am a geek, blogger and tech lover. Learning from my experiences in tech and running websites, I share tech tips, solve tech problems and help webmasters succeed. I have been writing QuickOnlineTips since 2004.

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9 Comments

  3. I’ve tried Pretty Link. It’s good url shortening plugin. It has tracking feature and custom url using our domain feature.

    Reply

  4. I have previously used the Short url plugin on my blog, but I recently stopped using it as it malfunctioned once and caused my blog to be taken down to remove it.

    Haven’t tried the rest. Will surely check them out!

    Regards,
    Sagar Gholap

    Reply

  6. Again very informative post. This helps a lot when send article to twiter.

    Reply

  7. Thanks Srikanth for the great post and links.
    Now I can share more interesting URL’s with my friends in my blog.

    Reply

  8. Hi Srikanth, thanks for recommending these useful resources. I mostly use but I will try out yours, too. Hope, you will also like my recommendation.

    Cheers,
    Patricia

    Reply