Unwrite Link Shortener
Paste a long URL, get a short code. It happens in your browser, so we don't see the link.
We don't own the site at the other end.
100% PrivateBrowser-BasedNo trackingTruly Free
Up to 8,192 characters.
How it works
Paste
Drop the URL in the box.
Compress
Click Compress.
Share
Whoever opens it sees the host first, then continues.
When it's useful
Campaign links
The ones with UTM fields and a click id hanging off the end. Compress the lot, or tick the box to strip tracking first.
QR codes
Long URLs make noisy QR codes. Compress first, then generate the code.
Texts and captions
When the URL is a paragraph and you've got a character limit, paste the code.
Papers
DOIs and wiki URLs pack well. Use this when the citation has to stay short.
Questions
- How can a short link work with no database?
- The code is the URL, squashed. There's nothing to look up. Anyone who has the packing rules can expand it, including this page.
- Why not just zip the URL?
- Zip is a poor fit for a 180-character Amazon link. YouTube, Amazon, and GitHub have templates. Everything else gets packed by host, path, and query.
- Does every URL get shorter?
- The code usually does. The unwr.dev wrapper still has to carry a domain, so a short original can come out longer.
- Why three short domains?
- Style. unwr.dev, unwr.io and unwr.link all expand the same code the same way. Pick the one that fits where you are sharing it.
- Why a preview instead of a redirect?
- Hidden redirects are how phishing works. There's no automatic jump, and we don't send a referrer.
- What do the safety warnings mean?
- The preview checks the destination against daily lists of known malware and phishing sites, and against lookalikes of well-known brands, all in your browser. Amber is a caution. Red is a known-bad or lookalike destination and asks for one extra click. You can always still open the link.
- Could someone fake a PayPal or GitHub link?
- The code is opaque. Destination names don't go in the path. unwr.io/paypal.xyz isn't a thing here.
- What if Unwrite disappears?
- The packing rules are in the Glyph-1 write-up. A saved copy of this page can still expand old codes.