Ow.ly URL Shortener
Using links in your social posts is a great way to drive traffic to your website, blog, or landing page. With Hootsuite’s link shortener, you can shorten and measure the traffic of links.
Shorten your links in Hootsuite with ow.ly for a tidier look in your social posts
Add tracking parameters in Hootsuite so you can see how much web traffic comes from those links
Analyze the number of clicks on your Ow.ly links in Hootsuite
Create a Hootsuite account now to access our URL shortener.
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Your Ow.ly link is short and, unlike long URLs with lots of characters, doesn’t look suspicious. And that makes it much more clickable.
Ow.ly tells you who clicks your links and what they do when they land on your website. Those insights can help your team make smarter decisions around your content and web strategies.
If you have a Team, Business, or Enterprise plan, you can use Ow.ly’s custom URL shortener for a branded look.
If you have a Business or Enterprise plan, you can enable Bit.ly shortener in your social posts.
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Whether you’re a solo superstar or a global team of hundreds, our plans are designed to adapt to the needs of you and your business.
- Start your free trial
Learning new software takes time. Spend 30 days testing and getting comfortable with Hootsuite, completely free.
- Attend free classes for beginners
Get access to classes with Hootsuite experts who will show you the ropes and answer all your social media management questions (even the ones your boss is too shy to ask).
Ow.ly Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ow.ly?
Ow.ly is Hootsuite’s very own URL shortener. It allows you to shorten links for free as you compose and plan posts in the dashboard. Each link can be customized with tracking parameters to monitor success using analytics tools.
What is the best URL shortener?
We’re partial to Ow.ly, of course, but there are plenty of top-notch link shorteners out there. We’ve put together a guide to all the best URL shorteners to help you decide which one is best for you.
Where is Ow.ly in Hootsuite?
Ow.ly is found in the Hootsuite Composer. When you add a link into the content box of Composer, Hootsuite will automatically give you the option to shorten with Ow.ly and add tracking parameters.
Is it easy to use Ow.ly in Hootsuite?
Yes. The Hootsuite dashboard is designed to be user-friendly, so shortening links and tracking clicks is a cinch.
Are there any other benefits to using Hootsuite?Lots! Hootsuite is the most popular social media management platform on earth and lets you manage all your social accounts in one place, schedule messages in advance, track important conversations, and, of course, use the Ow.ly link shortener.
Why shorten URLs?
Shortening lengthy URLs with a tool like the Ow.ly link shortener can help you create neater links and measure how many clicks they get.
Short links are useful if you’re working with a limited character count and don’t want to waste precious caption space on a never-ending URL. For example, Ow.ly is the perfect Twitter URL shortener because it leaves more of those 280 characters for your actual message.
Long links look spammy and untrustworthy, so people are less likely to click on them. Plus, vanity URLs can help boost brand awareness and keep your business top-of-mind.
Can you create custom URLs with Ow.ly?
Yes, you can create custom links with Ow.ly as long as you have a Team plan or above. Create a vanity URL in Hootsuite by navigating to Account & Settings and then selecting Vanity URLs.
Why do I need a Hootsuite account to use Ow.ly?
Previously, Ow.ly was available to everyone. However, to increase security for our users, we’ve moved the Ow.ly link shortener into the Hootsuite dashboard. To access it, sign up for your free Hootsuite trial here.