Illustration by the author with MidjourneyA URL shortener creates a compact public address that redirects to a longer destination. A managed short link adds an important layer: its owner can change the destination and availability without changing the public URL.
Quick links and managed links
A quick cutdown.link URL can be created without an account. It includes a downloadable QR code and a private statistics page, but its destination cannot be edited later.
A link created while signed in appears in the dashboard. You can give it a title, change its destination, schedule a start, set an expiry, pause or resume it, archive it, download its QR code, and review aggregate clicks.
The redirect lifecycle
Before a scheduled start, visitors see a live countdown. During the active window, the short link redirects to its current destination. After the expiry, or cutdown time, visitors see an expired-link page. A manually paused or safety-blocked link shows an appropriate status page.
QR codes
The downloaded QR code contains the short URL. For a managed link, changing the destination does not change the QR image. JPEG works for common documents; SVG is preferable when the code must remain sharp at larger print sizes.
Click reporting
cutdown.link reports aggregate totals for today, the last seven days, the last thirty days, and all time. It does not currently provide geography, device breakdowns, visitor profiles, or destination conversions.
Safety and privacy
Destinations are screened during creation and editing and periodically rescanned. Raw redirect records include IP address and user-agent data for recent statistics, abuse investigation, and security, with the retention described in the Privacy Policy. Link owners receive aggregate counts rather than visitor IP addresses.
Choosing the right workflow
Use a quick link for disposable sharing. Use a managed link whenever the URL or QR code will be printed, published widely, scheduled, measured over time, or expected to outlive its first destination.
Frequently asked questions
- What makes a short link editable?
- Its public short URL is stored separately from its destination, allowing an authenticated owner to update the destination later.
- Are no-account links editable?
- No. Create the link while signed in if you need dashboard management, scheduling, pause controls, or future destination changes.
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