Advanced Features
Slug & Link Prefix Settings for Short URLs
Two settings decide what your short URLs look like: the link prefix that sits before the slug, and the slug rules that decide how automatic slugs are generated. The link prefix is free; the slug length, character set and case-sensitivity controls are part of URL Shortify PRO. Both live under URL Shortify → Settings → Links (with one PRO toggle on the General tab).
Add a link prefix (free)
A prefix is a fixed path segment inserted before every slug:
https://example.com/go/summer-sale
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the prefix
To set it, go to URL Shortify → Settings → Links → Default Link Options and fill in the Link Prefix field. Enter go to get /go/, or leave it empty for slugs at the root of your domain. The field is empty by default.
Why use a prefix
- It keeps short links in their own namespace, so a link can never collide with a page, post or category on your site.
- It makes short links easy to spot in analytics and server logs.
Why you might not
- It makes every short URL longer, which works against the point of shortening.
The prefix applies to new links only
Changing the prefix does not rewrite links you already created — the prefix is stored as part of each link's slug. Existing links keep working at their current URLs. To move an old link, edit it and change its Short URL field by hand.
Control slug generation (PRO)
When you don't type a slug yourself, URL Shortify generates a random one. The rules below control the length and character set it draws from.
PRO feature
The slug character and length controls in Settings → Links → Slug Settings are available in URL Shortify PRO. In the free version, URL Shortify generates a short random slug for you automatically — you just can't tune its length or character set.
Open URL Shortify → Settings → Links → Slug Settings to configure these:
| Setting | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Slug Character Count | 4 | How many characters an automatic slug has. Shorter is tidier; longer gives far more combinations |
| Lower-case (a–z) | On | Include lowercase letters in generated slugs |
| Upper-case (A–Z) | On | Include uppercase letters in generated slugs |
| Numeric (0–9) | Off | Include digits in generated slugs |
| Excluded Characters | — | Characters never to use — a comma-separated list |
Excluding characters is worth doing if links are ever read aloud, typed from print, or put on a QR code poster. Removing 0, O, 1, l and I avoids the combinations people most often mistype.
Choosing a length. Each extra character multiplies the number of possible slugs. Four characters is the default and is plenty for most sites; a site with hundreds of thousands of links should use more. URL Shortify checks that a generated slug is free before saving, and lengthens the slug automatically if the shorter space is crowded.
Turn on case sensitive short URLs (PRO)
Under URL Shortify → Settings → General, the Case Sensitive Short URL toggle decides whether /AbC and /abc are the same link. It is off by default.
- Off (default) —
/AbCand/abcresolve to the same link. More forgiving when someone retypes a URL. - On — they are treated as different links. This gives many more usable slug combinations, at the cost of links that break if the case is wrong.
PRO feature
Case sensitive short URLs require URL Shortify PRO. Turn the setting on only if you need the extra combinations and your links are always copied and pasted rather than typed.
Conclusion
The free Link Prefix setting is enough to give every short link a clean, collision-proof namespace such as /go/. If you need control over how automatic slugs are built — their length, character set or case sensitivity — those controls come with URL Shortify PRO. Once your slug format is set, see How to Create a Short Link to start building links.
FAQs
How do I add /go/ to my short links in WordPress?
Enter go in the Link Prefix field under URL Shortify → Settings → Links → Default Link Options, then save. New links are created as /go/slug. The Link Prefix setting is free, and you can use any path segment you like, or leave it empty for slugs at the root of your domain.
Will changing the link prefix break my existing short links?
No. The prefix is stored as part of each link's slug when the link is created, so existing links keep working at their current URLs. Only newly created links use the new prefix. To move an old link onto the new prefix, edit it and change its Short URL field by hand.
Can I control how long my short link slugs are?
Yes, in URL Shortify PRO. Open Settings → Links → Slug Settings and set the Slug Character Count (default 4). You can also choose whether generated slugs use lowercase letters, uppercase letters and digits. The free version generates a short random slug automatically but doesn't expose these controls.
Can I stop confusing characters appearing in generated slugs?
Yes, with URL Shortify PRO. Add them to the Excluded Characters field under Settings → Links → Slug Settings — 0,O,1,l,I is a common choice for links that get read aloud or typed from print. URL Shortify then never uses those characters when generating a slug.
Should I turn on case sensitive short URLs?
Only if you need far more slug combinations, and only in PRO. With Case Sensitive Short URL on, /AbC and /abc become different links, so a mistyped capital gives a broken link. Leave it off (the default) if your links are ever typed by hand rather than copied and pasted.
What happens if a generated slug is already taken?
URL Shortify checks whether a slug is free before saving and generates another if it isn't. If the available slug space is running low for your chosen length and character set, it lengthens the slug automatically so link creation never fails.