What is an Alias?
Another word for the custom back-half of a short link, used in URL shortener APIs and dashboards.
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Quick Answer
In URL shortening, an alias is the custom text you choose for the back-half of a short link. The alias is the part after the slash. Most platforms either generate one automatically or let you choose your own. Alias, custom back-half, and slug are different words for the same thing, used in different contexts.
Full Definition
The alias is the part of a short URL that uniquely identifies which long URL it points to. In a link like shortifyme.co/spring2026, the word “spring2026” is the alias. A URL shortener uses the alias to look up the destination URL and redirect the visitor there.
Most URL shorteners either auto-generate the alias as a short random string or let the user choose a custom one. The auto-generated version is fast but not memorable. A custom alias makes the link readable and recognizable, which matters for marketing, print materials, and anywhere a person might see or type the URL.
The vocabulary varies across platforms. API documentation often uses “alias” because it is short and standard. Product dashboards often use “custom back-half” because it is more descriptive. Web developers often call the same concept a “slug.” All three terms refer to the same field in the URL.
Why It Matters
Knowing that alias, custom back-half, and slug mean the same thing keeps URL shortener documentation, dashboards, and API references intelligible. A developer reading the API docs sees “alias”; the same developer reading the product UI sees “custom back-half.” Both describe the same field they are populating. The interchangeable vocabulary is one of the small frictions of working across docs and product.
How ShortifyMe Handles It
ShortifyMe uses both terms. The dashboard’s Create a New Short Link form has a field labeled “custom back-half,” because that is the more descriptive term. The API endpoints POST /shorten-url/generate and POST /qr-code/generate accept an optional parameter called “alias.” Whether you are working in the dashboard or through the API, you are setting the same thing: the readable text after the slash in your short link.
Related Terms
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.
URL Shortener
A tool that turns a long web address into a clean, short, shareable link.
API
A way for software programs to communicate. In URL shorteners, the API lets you create and manage links from your own apps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. They are different words for the same concept: the readable text after the slash in a short URL. ShortifyMe's product UI uses "custom back-half," while the API uses "alias." Both refer to the same field.
Yes. Slug is the term commonly used in web development and content management systems. Alias is the term used in URL shorteners. Both describe the readable identifier in a URL path.
Not on the same domain. Each alias must be unique within its domain. If your chosen alias is already taken on a domain, you will need to pick a different one.
More from the ShortifyMe Glossary
Browse plain-language definitions for short links, QR codes, and link tracking.
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