URL Shortener Software

Notice: Page may contain affiliate links for which we may earn a small commission through services like Amazon Affiliates or Skimlinks.

Patrick

Administrator
Staff member
Dec 21, 2010
12,511
5,792
113
I was thinking about setting up a YOURLS instance for STH links so they look less huge in Twitter for example. Plus, it would be nice to see how many people click links as I wonder if it is even useful.

Does anyone have experience/ thoughts on this or another solution?
 

amalurk

Active Member
Dec 16, 2016
311
116
43
102
Google likely has algorithms to detect shortner use since it is often used by spammers and malware types to hide. Is there a blanket small negative for their use? Maybe, maybe not.

If users start linking in mass with the shortener from other websites where the backlinks do matter, do you want to risk losing a little of the juice sending them through a redirect?

Also if the target urls change because of forum or domain migration in the future you still have to maintain all these with proper redirects or you lose those backlinks. Even if you do all that correctly through a migration, you still end up with what is a chain of redirects overtime and that is definitely going to lose you some backlink juice. Google representatives have even said something to the effect of Googlebot gives up around 4-5 redirects in a chain. (I don't remember exact quote).

IMHO, potential false categorization by Google or potential small ranking algo negatives and long term redirect maintainence issues outweigh the small conveinence factor.

Also, why not edit the Forums item on the menu on the main site to point directly to https://forums.servethehome.com/index.php instead of it having go through a redirect?
 

Evan

Well-Known Member
Jan 6, 2016
3,346
598
113
Other than Twitter where maybe they have a use I think it’s not a good idea. Most URL even gives an idea of the topic based on name where short one... no idea just some random link.
 

Patrick

Administrator
Staff member
Dec 21, 2010
12,511
5,792
113
It is really just for Twitter so I can track the data.
 

sean

Member
Sep 26, 2013
67
33
18
CT
I did a quick check from the app and it includes the t.co URL shortener as a referrer.
 

T_Minus

Build. Break. Fix. Repeat
Feb 15, 2015
7,625
2,043
113
If you do use YOURLS please post follow-up curious how you like it :)

No negatives for short URLs on twitter other than maybe no preview\info.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Patrick

Evan

Well-Known Member
Jan 6, 2016
3,346
598
113
Hey I just saw that there's an official docker image for this too! I had no idea it was big enough for that.

Docker Hub
‘Big enough’ is probably not the reason, just that so many people are deploying apps in dockers these days and really it’s not a bad thing. App runs in its own environment with just remote calls to and from it.