Retargeting with Tracking Pixels (PRO)

Advertising platforms build audiences from people who load a page carrying your pixel — which works on your own site, but not for traffic you send elsewhere. URL Shortify's Tracking Pixels feature closes that gap: attach a retargeting pixel to a short link and it fires on your own domain as the visitor clicks through, before they reach the destination. This is a PRO feature managed under URL Shortify → Tracking Pixels.

What are tracking pixels in URL Shortify?

Tracking Pixels is a URL Shortify PRO feature that lets you store retargeting pixels from advertising platforms and attach them to short links. When someone clicks a link set to the Pixel redirection type, URL Shortify loads the attached pixels on your own domain and then forwards the visitor on — so you can build an ad audience from that click even when the destination is a site you do not own.

Why attach a pixel to a link

Platforms build audiences from people who visit pages carrying your pixel. That covers your own site, but not the traffic you send to an affiliate offer, a partner's landing page, a PDF, or a video. A short link with a pixel fixes this: the click passes through your domain, the pixel fires there, and the visitor lands where you sent them. You can then retarget everyone who clicked.

Typical uses:

• Retarget people who clicked an affiliate link, even though the sale happens on the merchant's site.
• Build an audience from a link shared in a newsletter or a social post.
• Track offline campaigns that use a QR code pointing at a short link.

Supported platforms

Add a pixel

1. Go to URL Shortify → Tracking Pixels.
2. Click Add New.
3. Enter a Name you will recognise later.
4. Choose the Type (the platform) from the dropdown.
5. Paste the Pixel ID given to you by that platform.
6. Save.

You only need to do this once per pixel. The same pixel can then be attached to as many links as you like.

Attach a pixel to a short link

1. Edit the link under URL Shortify → Links.
2. Set Redirection to Pixel.
3. Select one or more pixels from the Tracking Pixels field.
4. Save the link.

You can attach several pixels to the same link — all of them fire on the same click.

What the visitor experiences

Instead of an instant redirect, a Pixel link returns a small page that loads your pixels and then forwards the visitor on. It happens in a fraction of a second and there is nothing to interact with.

• The page is served with a 200 OK rather than a redirect status, because the pixel scripts need to run.
• If a link is set to Pixel but has no pixels selected, it falls back to a normal redirect, so the link never breaks.
• Clicks are recorded exactly as they are for any other link.

Things to know

• Consent and privacy law. Pixels set cookies and send data to advertising platforms. Depending on where your visitors are, GDPR, ePrivacy, or similar rules may require consent before firing them. URL Shortify does not manage consent — pair it with your consent tool if that applies to your audience.
• Test with the platform's own debugger. Meta's Pixel Helper, Google Tag Assistant, and their equivalents confirm the pixel fired on the redirect.
• Pixels need JavaScript. A visitor with JavaScript disabled still reaches the destination, but no pixel fires.
• Audiences take time to build. Most platforms need a minimum audience size before you can target it.

Conclusion

Tracking Pixels lets you grow retargeting audiences from every short link you share, including traffic bound for sites you do not control. Set the pixel once, attach it to the links that matter, and combine it with UTM presets and link tracking for a complete picture of a campaign.

FAQs

Can I use a tracking pixel on a link that points to someone else's website?

Yes — that is the main reason to use one. The pixel fires on your own domain as the click passes through, so you build the audience even though the destination is a site you do not control, such as an affiliate offer or a partner page.

How do I make a pixel fire on a link?

Add the pixel under URL Shortify → Tracking Pixels, then edit the link, set its Redirection to Pixel, and select the pixel in the Tracking Pixels field. The pixel only fires when the redirection type is Pixel; a link left on a normal redirect type will not load it.

How many pixels can I attach to one short link?

As many as you need. Every pixel selected on the link fires on the same click, so you can build audiences on several platforms at once from a single short link.

Do tracking pixels work with QR codes?

Yes. A QR code points at a short link, so a scan behaves exactly like a click and fires the attached pixels. This is a common way to bring offline campaigns into your retargeting audiences.

Will a pixel work if the visitor blocks JavaScript or uses an ad blocker?

No. The pixel is a script, so a blocker or disabled JavaScript stops it firing. The visitor still reaches the destination — only the tracking is lost for that click.

Are tracking pixels free?

No. Tracking Pixels are part of URL Shortify PRO. The free version does not include the Pixel redirection type or pixel management.