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Create a Vanity URL for Your Business

Turn a long, unreadable web address into a short one people can remember, say out loud and type without a typo. Choose the ending yourself, point it anywhere, and change the destination later without reprinting a thing.
  • You choose the ending, so the link says what it is
  • Short enough to print on a card, a sign or a slide
  • Repoint it later without changing the printed address
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Your first link is live in under a minute · No credit card required
Create a Vanity URL for Your Business

What Is a Vanity URL?

A vanity URL is a short web address you choose on purpose, instead of the long automatic one your website generated. Compare the two: a booking page might really live at a forty character address full of query strings and identifiers, but your vanity URL for it can simply end in /book. That difference matters more than it looks. A vanity URL is short enough to fit on a business card, clear enough to read out on a podcast or a phone call, and honest enough that people can see where they are going before they click, which is exactly what makes them willing to click at all. With BrandBits you type the ending you want, paste the real destination behind it, and you are done. The address lives on your own BrandBits web address, and on the Pro plan on your own domain, so it carries your name rather than a shortening service nobody recognises.

  • Pick your own short name, so the link reads like your brand
  • Change where a link points at any time, even after it is printed
  • Every click is counted, with no tracking scripts on your site
  • Add a password, an expiry date or a click limit in one click
Vanity URL in use on a website

How It Works

A working short link takes about thirty seconds, and you never have to touch it again.

1

Paste your destination

Drop in the long web address you want to shorten. Anything with a link works: a landing page, a booking form, a PDF, a video, another BrandBits tool.

2

Choose your short name

Type the ending you want, like /spring or /menu. The link lives on your own BrandBits web address, so it carries your brand instead of a stranger’s.

3

Share it and watch

Copy the link into an email, a post, a flyer or a QR code. Clicks start counting immediately, and you can repoint the link whenever you like.

Why It Works

A short link looks like a small thing. What it really does is make the things you print, post and send permanently editable.

Say it out loud

A vanity URL survives being spoken. On a call, a podcast, a radio ad or a stage, people can hear it once and type it correctly.

Readable links get clicked

A link that plainly says where it goes feels safe. A wall of random characters feels like something you should not click.

Safe to print

Because you can repoint the destination at any time, committing a vanity URL to paper stops being a risk.

You find out what worked

Give each channel its own vanity URL and the click counts tell you which one earned the attention.

Ways to use vanity url

What You Can Do

Anywhere you would be embarrassed to show a long web address, a vanity URL belongs instead.

  • Print one short address on business cards, flyers and packaging.
  • Read a memorable link out loud in a podcast, webinar or video.
  • Give every campaign its own readable link and compare the clicks.
  • Replace a forty character booking link with something ending in /book.
  • Point a vanity URL at a different page each season without reprinting.

Everything Smart Links Includes

Custom Short Names

Choose the ending yourself so the link reads like your brand, not random characters.

Repoint Any Time

Change the destination whenever you want. The short address never changes.

Click Tracking

See how many people clicked, and when, in your BrandBits analytics.

Password Protection

Put a password on a link so only the people you tell can reach the destination.

Expiry Dates

Set a date after which the link politely stops working.

Click Limits

Cap a link at a number of clicks, ideal for limited offers and private files.

Served From The Edge

Redirects are cached across 100+ datacentres, so they resolve almost instantly anywhere.

Pairs With QR Codes

Point a dynamic QR code at a smart link and you can change the destination twice over.

More About Smart Links

Every capability below is part of the same tool and included in every plan.

FAQ

What is a vanity URL?

A vanity URL is a short, deliberately chosen web address that redirects to a longer one. Instead of a long automatic address full of identifiers, you get something readable such as an address ending in /book or /menu that people can remember and type correctly.

How do I create a vanity URL?

Create a free BrandBits account, open Short Links, paste the destination address, and type the ending you want. The link is live immediately and starts counting clicks.

Can I use my own domain for a vanity URL?

Yes on the Pro plan, which lets you run your BrandBits tools on your own web address. On other plans the link lives on your own BrandBits address, which still carries your business name.

Can I change where a vanity URL points later?

Yes, at any time. The short address stays exactly the same while the destination behind it changes, which is what makes a vanity URL safe to print.

Do vanity URLs help with tracking?

Very much so. Every click on the link is counted, so giving each channel or campaign its own vanity URL turns your printed and spoken marketing into something measurable.

One link, endlessly editable

Create your first smart link free and see every click it earns.

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Your first link is live in under a minute · No credit card required

More tools included with BrandBits

Your subscription includes a full toolkit. Here are a few: