URL Shortener and QR Code Glossary
Plain-language definitions for terms used in URL shortening, QR codes, and link tracking.
Short links, QR codes, and link analytics come with their own vocabulary. Some terms get confused with each other, some sound technical when they are not, and some have specific meanings worth knowing. These glossary entries explain each one in plain language.
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Glossary Terms
URL Shortener
A tool that turns a long web address into a clean, short, shareable link.
Branded Short Link
A short link built on your own domain so every link reinforces your brand.
Custom Back-Half
The readable text after the slash in a short link, set by you instead of generated automatically.
Vanity URL
A short, easy-to-remember URL chosen for branding rather than auto-generated.
QR Code
A scannable pattern of squares that encodes a web address, opening it instantly on a phone.
Link Cloaking
Hiding the destination of a link by routing it through a different URL, often used for affiliate or branded marketing.
UTM Tracking
Adding labeled tags to a URL so analytics tools can tell where each click came from.
Permalink
A URL that stays the same permanently, so it works as a stable reference.
Dynamic QR Code
A QR code whose destination can be changed after the code is printed.
Static QR Code
A QR code whose destination is fixed and cannot be changed without making a new code.
Redirect
A rule that automatically sends visitors from one URL to another.
301 Redirect
A permanent redirect from one URL to another, used when content moves to a new address.
Custom Domain
Your own web domain used in place of a generic one, for branded short links.
Click Tracking
Counting and analyzing how many people click a link and what they do.
Link Analytics
The full set of data about how your links perform, from total clicks down to device, location, and source.
Alias
Another word for the custom back-half of a short link. Used in URL shortener APIs and dashboards.
Subdomain
A prefix added to your main domain (like link.yourbrand.com) that creates a separate web address using the same domain registration.
Error Correction Level
A QR code setting that lets the code still scan when part of it is damaged or covered by a logo.
Quiet Zone
The blank margin around a QR code that lets scanners distinguish it from surrounding content.
Scan Tracking
Counting and analyzing how many people scan a QR code. The QR equivalent of click tracking.
API
A way for software programs to communicate. In URL shorteners, the API lets you create and manage links from your own apps.
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