How to Forward Query Parameters with URL Shortify

Do the tracking parameters you add to a short link disappear when it redirects? URL Shortify's Parameter Forwarding fixes that: when it's on, any query parameters on the short URL are appended to the destination URL on redirect, so campaign data such as UTM tags survives the click. It's a free per-link toggle on the link form, with a global default under Settings → Links.

What is parameter forwarding?

Parameter forwarding is the automatic passing of query-string parameters from a short URL to its target URL when someone clicks the link. Without it, a short link redirects to the plain destination and drops anything after the ?. With it enabled, those parameters are carried through, so the destination — and any analytics on it — receives the same data.

This matters for UTM campaign tags, affiliate and referral IDs, and any parameter a downstream tool relies on to attribute or personalise a visit.

Example

Say your short link is https://exe.com/abc123 and it points to https://example.com/page.

Someone shares the short link with campaign tags appended:

https://exe.com/abc123?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=summer_sale

With Parameter Forwarding on, the UTM tags reach the destination, so your analytics attribute the visit to the Facebook summer-sale campaign instead of losing it.

Why use parameter forwarding?

• Keep campaign tracking intact. UTM parameters reach the destination, so tools like Google Analytics attribute the visit correctly.
• Preserve affiliate and referral IDs. Attribution codes survive the redirect, so commissions and referrals are credited.
• Reuse one short link. Append different parameters to the same short URL for different sources without creating a new link each time.
• Avoid data loss. Any parameter the destination expects is passed through automatically instead of being stripped.

How to enable parameter forwarding for a link

Parameter forwarding is a per-link toggle on the link form.

1. In the WordPress admin, go to URL Shortify → Links.
2. Click Add New (or edit an existing link).
3. Turn on the Parameter Forwarding toggle.
4. Click Save.

How to set parameter forwarding as a global default

To forward parameters on every new link automatically:

1. Go to URL Shortify → Settings.
2. Open the Links tab.
3. Under Default Link Options, enable Parameter Forwarding and save.

New links inherit the setting, and you can still override it per link. Parameter forwarding is off by default.

Best practices

• Don't forward sensitive data. Avoid putting personal or private information in query parameters, since they are visible in the URL.
• Test the redirect. Click your short link with parameters appended and confirm they arrive on the destination.
• Check the destination handles them. Make sure the target page and its analytics are set up to read the parameters you forward.

Conclusion

Parameter forwarding keeps the query parameters on your short URL — UTM tags, affiliate IDs and more — intact through the redirect, and in URL Shortify it's a free per-link toggle with a global default under Settings → Links. To build the campaign tags you forward, see UTM presets (PRO), and to measure the clicks that result, turn on link tracking.

FAQs

How do I enable parameter forwarding in URL Shortify?

Open URL Shortify → Links, add or edit a link, turn on the Parameter Forwarding toggle, and save. To forward parameters on every new link automatically, enable Parameter Forwarding under URL Shortify → Settings → Links → Default Link Options. It is off by default, and you can override it per link.

Can I disable parameter forwarding for a specific short link?

Yes. Even if parameter forwarding is enabled globally, you can turn the Parameter Forwarding toggle off on any individual link's form and save. The per-link setting overrides the global default, so that link redirects to its plain destination without appending query parameters.

Will forwarded parameters break my destination URL?

No, as long as the parameters are valid and the destination is built to handle them. Forwarding appends the query string to the target URL exactly as received; a well-formed page ignores parameters it doesn't use. Test your short link with parameters appended to confirm the destination behaves as expected.

Is parameter forwarding free in URL Shortify?

Yes. The Parameter Forwarding per-link toggle and its global default under Settings → Links are both included in the free version of URL Shortify. No upgrade is needed to pass query parameters from a short URL through to its destination.

Does parameter forwarding work with UTM tracking?

Yes. Parameter forwarding is commonly used to carry UTM tags such as utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign from the short URL to the destination, so analytics tools attribute the visit to the right campaign. Add the UTM parameters to the short link you share, and forwarding passes them through on redirect.