> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.branch.io/llms.txt).

# Create Short Links (New)

> Create web and app Short Links in Branch, add analytics tags, redirects, and link data, and customize the QR code and link preview.

## Overview

Short Links are Branch Links for owned placements like email, social posts, and QR codes. Each Short Link is either a web link or an app link:

- A **web link** always opens a web page. If someone has your app, the page opens in your app through an in-app web view. Otherwise, it opens in their browser.
- An **app link** deep links to a specific page in your app. If someone doesn't have your app, they go to the redirect you set, which can be a web page, a Deepview, or the app store.

Web and app links look the same. A link looks like `yourbrand.app.link/alias` with the Branch-provided domain, or `yourbrand.com/alias` with a custom domain.

You can create Short Links in five ways:

- [Method 1: Create Short Links in Branch](#method-1-create-short-links-in-branch)
- [Method 2: Create bulk Short Links in Branch](#method-2-create-bulk-short-links-in-branch)
- [Method 3: Create Short Links in the Branch Slack App](#method-3-create-short-links-in-the-branch-slack-app)
- [Method 4: Create Short Links through the Deep Linking API](#method-4-create-short-links-through-the-deep-linking-api)
- [Method 5: Create Short Links with Ivy](#method-5-create-short-links-with-ivy)

## Before you begin

To create Short Links, you first need:

- **Edit** access to **Link-level Settings**. Without it, the **Create** button doesn't appear.
- For app links, the Branch SDK in your app. Web links need the SDK only if you want them to open in an in-app web view. To learn more, see our [Branch SDK Overview](https://help.branch.io/developer-hub/native-sdks-overview.md).

Your links use the Branch-provided link domain unless you set up a custom domain for your brand. To set one up, see [Link Appearance](https://help.branch.io/account-hub/link-appearance-new.md#link-domains).

## Create Short Links

### Method 1: Create Short Links in Branch

Create individual Short Links on the **Create Link** page. **Short Link** appears in the **Create** menu only when the new link form is turned on for your account.

#### Step 1: Start creating your link

Follow these steps to open the **Create Link** page:

1. In Branch, go to **Campaigns > Links**.
2. Select **Create**.
3. Select **Short Link**. The **Create Link** page opens.

#### Step 2: Define your link

The **Define** tab sets the basics of your link. Follow these steps to fill it in:

1. (Optional) Choose a folder in **Choose Folder**. If you opened a folder before you selected **Create**, that folder is already chosen. If the folder requires a template, Branch applies it to your link. This field appears only when folders are turned on for your account.
2. (Optional) Choose a template in **Create Link Via Template**. Choose it before you fill in anything else, because selecting a template clears the other fields. If your access requires templates, you must choose one. This field appears only when link templates are turned on for your account.
3. Enter a **Link Title** of up to 200 characters. Use a consistent naming style so your links are easy to search.
4. Under **Destination Type**, select **App** or **Web**. **App** is the default, and the toggle appears only when both link types are turned on for your account.
5. Enter the link's web page:
   - For an app link, you can enter an **Original Web URL**. Branch fills in your link data from that page and uses it as the desktop redirect. Branch can overwrite link data you've already added.
   - For a web link, enter the **Destination Web URL**. This field is required, and it's where the link sends everyone. Branch also fills in your link data from that page.

   If Branch can't read the page, a message says so, but you can still create the link.
6. (Optional) Choose a **Link Domain**. The domain list appears only when multiple custom domains are turned on for your account. Otherwise, the field shows the domain your link uses. You can't change the domain after you create the link.
7. (Optional) Enter an **Alias**, the part of the link after the domain. An alias can be up to 128 characters, using letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores. You can't change it after you create the link.
8. (Optional) Choose an **Objective**. The objectives are Monetization, Retention, Engagement, and Acquisition.
9. (Optional) Choose an **Objective Event**. This field appears only when last-touch attribution is turned on for your account.

#### Step 3: Add analytics tags (optional)

Add analytics tags to your link so you can sort and compare its performance with your other links.

On the **Analytics Tags** tab, you can fill in the following tags:

- **Feature (utm_medium)** describes the action or product where the link is placed.
- **Channel (utm_source)** describes the platform or source where you expect users to click the link.
- **Campaign (utm_campaign)** describes the theme of the link.
- **Tags (utm_tags)** is a free-form list of labels you can use as filters on the **Links** page.

Each field suggests up to 10 values you've used in the last two months. **Feature** and **Channel** also list common values under **Suggested**. To add a new value, type it, then select the **Create** option that shows your value.

#### Step 4: Set redirects (optional)

Your link inherits its iOS, Android, and desktop redirects from the defaults in [Link Routing Rules](https://help.branch.io/account-hub/link-routing-rules-new.md). On the **Redirects** tab, you can override them to choose where users go when they don't have your app.

For each platform, choose one of the following options:

- **Default Redirect** uses your account's default from Link Routing Rules.
- **Web URL** sends users to a web page you enter.
- **Deepview** shows users a preview of the content before they go to the app store. Select it, then pick a template from **Select a deepview template**.

For a web link, the **Destination Web URL** you entered in step 2 already sets all three redirects.

The **Redirects** and **Link Data** tabs appear only when app links are turned on for your account.

#### Step 5: Add link data (optional)

On the **Link Data** tab, add custom key-value pairs that your app receives when the link opens it. Select a key from **Type or select key** or type your own, enter its value, and select **Add more link data** to add another pair.

To learn which keys you can use, see the [custom data](https://help.branch.io/marketer-hub/deep-link-reference.md#custom-data) and [analytics options](https://help.branch.io/marketer-hub/deep-link-reference.md#attribution-and-analytics-control) in our Deep Link Reference article.

> **Note**
>
> Link data supports flat key-value pairs only. To send nested data, use the Deep Linking API instead. Your developers use nested data when they create links with the API.

Keys that other tabs already set don't appear on the **Link Data** tab. For example, the redirect URLs come from the **Redirects** tab. Each key can appear only once, and every key needs a value.

#### Step 6: Customize the QR code (optional)

Every link includes a QR code. To customize it, follow these steps:

1. In the side panel, select the **Previews** tab.
2. Select the pencil icon in the **QR Code** section. The **Customize QR Code** dialog opens.
3. Choose your pattern, finder, shape, border, colors, and logo.
4. Select **Save Changes**.

The pencil icon appears only when QR code customization is turned on for your account. To change the default design for all new links, see [Link Appearance](https://help.branch.io/account-hub/link-appearance-new.md#qr-code).

> **Note**
>
> If you switch a link between **App** and **Web**, its URL can change. If you plan to print the QR code, choose the destination type before you share it.

#### Step 7: Customize the link preview (optional)

The link preview is how your link looks on social media, in messaging apps, and anywhere else that shows link previews. To customize it, follow these steps:

1. In the side panel, select the **Previews** tab.
2. Select the pencil icon in the **Link Preview** section. The **Customize Link Preview** dialog opens.
3. Enter a **Title** and a **Description**.
4. Add an image by entering an image URL or uploading a file. Uploading works only when image upload is turned on for your account.
5. Select **Save Link Preview**.

#### Step 8: Create your link

Select **Create Link**. Branch saves the link and takes you to the **Links** page, where a message confirms that your link was saved. To check the link's routing, select **Validate Link** in that message. The Link Validator opens in the legacy version of Branch.

### Method 2: Create bulk Short Links in Branch

Bulk link creation opens in the legacy version of Branch. To start it, follow these steps:

1. In Branch, go to **Campaigns > Links**.
2. Select **Create**.
3. Select **Bulk Links**.
4. If a submenu opens, select **Bulk Short Links**.

To finish creating your links in the legacy version, see [Create Web Links](https://help.branch.io/marketer-hub/create-web-links.md#method-2-bulk-short-links-in-the-branch-dashboard).

### Method 3: Create Short Links in the Branch Slack App

You can create Short Links from Slack with the [Branch Slack App](https://help.branch.io/marketer-hub/branch-slack-app.md). Slack creates them through the Deep Linking API, so you can't use templates or folders there.

### Method 4: Create Short Links through the Deep Linking API

Use the [Deep Linking API](https://help.branch.io/apidocs/deep-linking/overview.md) to create web and app Short Links from your own systems.

### Method 5: Create Short Links with Ivy

Describe the link you want, and Ivy fills in the **Create Link** form for you. To learn how, see [Create Links With Ivy](https://help.branch.io/marketer-hub/create-links-with-ivy-new.md).

## View and manage links

Your links appear on the **Links** page, where you can search, filter, edit, and organize them into folders. To learn more, see [Links Page](https://help.branch.io/marketer-hub/links-page-new.md).

## Analyze link performance

Each link card on the **Links** page shows the link's clicks from the last 30 days. To see more of the link's analytics, select **Analysis** in the card's three-dot menu. To learn more, see [Link Analytics](https://help.branch.io/marketer-hub/link-analytics-new.md).

## Additional resources

To keep learning about Short Links, see our [Deep Link Reference](https://help.branch.io/marketer-hub/deep-link-reference.md), [Links Page](https://help.branch.io/marketer-hub/links-page-new.md), and [Link Validator](https://help.branch.io/marketer-hub/link-validator.md) articles.

## FAQs

> **Why are some Short Link thumbnails not shown in WhatsApp?**
>
> The most common reason is that the image file is too large. Facebook supports Open Graph images [up to 8 MB](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/sharing/webmasters/images/#images-in-link-shares), but WhatsApp appears to have different, undocumented limits. We've seen that WhatsApp generally shows thumbnail previews for images up to 300 KB.
>
> If your image is larger than 300 KB, reduce its file size by adjusting its dimensions or compression settings.

> **Why isn't my Short Link redirecting as expected?**
>
> Check how the link is set up with the Link Validator. On the **Links** page, select the three-dot menu on the link's card, then select **Validate**. The Link Validator opens in the legacy version of Branch.

> **How can I create a Short Link for Snapchat?**
>
> Snapchat won't let you attach redirecting links to stories. To work around this, turn off the link's redirects until the link is attached, then turn them back on:
>
> 1. Create the Short Link you want to attach to your story.
> 2. On the **Link Data** tab, add a `$always_deeplink` key with `false` as its value.
> 3. On the **Redirects** tab, set the iOS redirect to **Deepview** and choose a Deepview template.
> 4. Attach the link to your Snapchat story.
> 5. Edit the link and remove the `$always_deeplink` key from the **Link Data** tab.
> 6. On the **Redirects** tab, set the iOS redirect back to what it was before.

> **Does a Branch QR code expire?**
>
> No. A QR code points to a Short Link, and it keeps working as long as the Short Link exists. If you change your app's link domain, Short Links and QR codes that use the old domain stop working.

> **Are opens included in the number of installs in Branch?**
>
> No. If a user who already has the app clicks the link and opens the app, Branch counts an open. If the app isn't installed, the user goes to the app store to install it, and the first open after the install counts as an install.

> **Can updating a link preview affect my app's ranking in app store searches?**
>
> No. Updating the link preview only changes the title, description, and image associated with the link. Platforms show the new preview the next time they scrape the link.

> **Does Branch overwrite UTM parameters that are already on a link?**
>
> No. When Branch redirects to a web URL, it passes the link's analytics tags through as UTM parameters. Branch maps the `~campaign`, `~channel`, and `~feature` tags to the `utm_campaign`, `utm_source`, and `utm_medium` parameters. If the destination URL already has those UTM parameters, Branch doesn't overwrite them.
>
> To stop passing analytics tags through as UTM parameters, turn off **Analytics mapping with UTM** in [Link Routing Rules](https://help.branch.io/account-hub/link-routing-rules-new.md#other-advanced-settings).

> **How long does it take for a new image to appear in a link's social media preview?**
>
> Branch updates the link's preview immediately. Each platform decides when to show the new image, though. Some platforms scrape the link every time it's shared, so the image updates right away. Most don't scrape links often, so you might see a delay. For Facebook-owned platforms, you can scrape the link manually with the [Facebook Sharing Debugger](https://developers.facebook.com/tools/debug/).

> **How are Short Links different from Ad Links?**
>
> Short Links and Ad Links attribute and route users the same way. The difference is where you use them.
>
> Short Links are for owned placements where people may see the link, like email, social posts, and QR codes.
>
> [Ad Links](https://help.branch.io/marketer-hub/ad-links.md) are for paid ads with ad partners. They include a `$3p` value that names the ad partner. For integrated partners, they also include macros that pass dynamic values like the campaign name. Ad Links also apply ATT-compliant behavior on iOS automatically, which [Short Links don't](https://help.branch.io/marketer-hub/general-ios-14-faq.md).