DEV Community: _s._hyn

7 Things About Shortened Links That Nobody Warns You About

_s._hyn — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 03:54:19 +0000

I sent the same link to three Slack channels last Tuesday and realized I had zero way of knowing which one drove the 47 signups I saw that morning. Honestly, it was a bit embarrassing - I'd been using the same link for weeks, and had no idea how to track its performance. I was using a simple curl command to shorten the link, but it didn't give me any insights into who was clicking on it or where they were coming from.

Fumbling in the Dark with URL Shortening

I was trying to track the performance of my marketing links, but I was doing it all wrong. I'd shorten a link using a basic curl command, like this: curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" https://example.com/my-link. But this didn't give me any information about who was clicking on the link or where they were coming from. I was essentially flying blind, with no way to optimize my marketing campaigns. I even tried using some Python code to parse the link and extract some basic metrics, like this: import requests; requests.get('https://example.com/my-link'). But this still didn't give me the level of insight I needed.

The LinkCut Experiment

I stumbled upon LinkCut while searching for a better way to track my links. I was looking at the device breakdown feature in LinkCut and noticed that most of my traffic was coming from mobile devices - which was surprising, since I'd assumed that most of my audience would be on desktop. I started using LinkCut to shorten my links, and was amazed at the level of detail it provided. I could see exactly how many clicks each link was getting, broken down by device, browser, and even country. I even used the custom slug feature to create a shortened link with a memorable name, like linkcut.link/my-link. This made it easy to share the link on social media and track its performance. (As an aside, I was surprised by how much I liked the auto-generated QR code feature - it made it easy to share the link with people in person.)

The Surprising Results

After using LinkCut for a few weeks, I was surprised by the level of insight it provided. I could see that most of my traffic was coming from a specific country, and that a large percentage of my clicks were coming from mobile devices. This was weird, since I'd assumed that most of my audience would be on desktop. I also noticed that one of my links was getting a disproportionate number of clicks - it turned out that it was being shared by a popular influencer, which was driving a lot of traffic to my site. I didn't expect this, and it was a valuable insight that I wouldn't have gotten without using LinkCut.

When This Approach Falls Apart

Look, I'm not going to sugarcoat it - using LinkCut isn't a silver bullet. There are definitely cases where it's not the right choice. For example, if you're dealing with extremely high-volume traffic, you may need a more robust solution. And if you're trying to track links across multiple domains, you may need to use a more advanced tool. Honestly, I still don't fully understand why some of my links are getting more clicks than others - but I'm working on it. The thing is, using LinkCut is just one part of a larger strategy - it's not a replacement for good old-fashioned marketing know-how.

I'm still experimenting with different link tracking strategies, and I'm not sure what the best approach is. Has anyone else hit this exact wall, and if so, how did you overcome it?

7 Things About UTM Parameters That Nobody Warns You About

_s._hyn — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:14:34 +0000

I sent the same link to three Slack channels last Tuesday and realized I had zero way of knowing which one drove the 47 signups I saw that morning. My initial reaction was to frantically search through the channels to see if anyone had shared any feedback, but that was a dead end. I was left wondering if I had just gotten lucky or if there was actually a way to track the performance of each link.

Dealing with UTM Parameters the Hard Way

I've always known that UTM parameters are a powerful tool for tracking links, but I never really understood how to use them effectively. I would often just add a few parameters to the end of a URL, like ?utm_source=slack or ?utm_medium=social, and call it a day. However, this approach was flawed, as I soon realized that I was generating a ton of different URLs that were hard to keep track of. I tried using curl to generate the URLs, but even that became cumbersome: curl -G -d "utm_source=slack" -d "utm_medium=social" https://example.com. I also experimented with Python's requests library, but it wasn't much better: requests.get('https://example.com', params={'utm_source': 'slack', 'utm_medium': 'social'}). Honestly, I was just making things more complicated than they needed to be.

Finding a Better Solution

As I delved deeper into the world of UTM parameters, I started to explore different tools that could help me manage my links more efficiently. That's when I stumbled upon LinkCut, which allowed me to create custom slugs and track the performance of each link. I was looking at the device breakdown in LinkCut and noticed that most of my traffic was coming from mobile devices - this was a surprising insight that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise. I also appreciated the fact that LinkCut generated a QR code for each link, which made it easy to share them on social media. The thing is, I'm not sure if I'm using LinkCut to its full potential, but it's definitely been a game-changer for my link tracking needs. Look, I know I'm not a marketing expert, but even I can see the value in being able to track the performance of each link.

Analyzing the Results

After using LinkCut for a while, I started to notice some interesting trends in my link performance. For example, I found that links with custom slugs were getting more clicks than those with random characters. I also discovered that setting an expiration date on my links was helping to drive more traffic to my website. However, I didn't expect to see such a significant difference in click-through rates between mobile and desktop devices - it was a weird phenomenon that I'm still trying to wrap my head around. The data was surprising, but it was also helping me to refine my link tracking strategy.

When This Approach Falls Apart

The thing is, using UTM parameters and LinkCut isn't a silver bullet - there are definitely some caveats to consider. For one, if you're dealing with a large volume of links, it can be tough to keep track of them all. I've also found that some links can get lost in the shuffle if you're not careful, which can lead to inaccurate tracking data. Honestly, I still don't fully understand why this happens, but it's something to be aware of. I'm not sure this is the best approach, but it's working for me so far - I just wish I had a better system for organizing my links.

It's funny, I used to think that link tracking was a solved problem, but the more I learn about it, the more I realize how complex it can be. Has anyone else hit this exact wall, where they're trying to balance the need for accurate tracking data with the complexity of managing multiple links?

I tried Google Analytics on My Side Projects and Here's What Actually Happened

_s._hyn — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 03:45:55 +0000

I sent the same link to three Slack channels last Tuesday and realized I had zero way of knowing which one drove the 47 signups I saw that morning. This was a problem because I'd been using Google Analytics on my side projects, but it wasn't giving me the granularity I needed - I could see the overall traffic, but not where it was coming from. Honestly, I was starting to feel like I was just throwing links out into the void, hoping something would stick.

The Google Analytics Black Box

I was using Google Analytics to track traffic on my side projects, but it was like trying to debug a complex issue without any logging - I could see that something was happening, but I had no idea what. I'd set up the tracking code, and I could see the overall numbers, but when it came to specific links, I was in the dark. I tried using the utm parameters to track specific campaigns, but it was clunky and didn't always work - for example, I'd use curl to send a link to a friend, and then realize I'd forgotten to include the utm parameters, so that traffic would show up as "direct" in my analytics.

Experimenting with Link Tracking

I started looking for a better way to track my links, and that's when I stumbled upon LinkCut - I was looking at the device breakdown in LinkCut and noticed that a surprising number of my clicks were coming from mobile devices, which made me realize I needed to optimize my landing page for mobile. I set up a few links with custom slugs, like /my-link, and was surprised by how much easier it was to track what was going on - I could see exactly which link was driving the most traffic, and even which country the clicks were coming from. (I'm not sure why, but it seemed like my link was really popular in Brazil - maybe it was just a coincidence, but it was interesting to see.)

The Surprising Results

The results were weird - I expected to see a bunch of traffic from the usual suspects, like Twitter and Facebook, but it turned out that most of my clicks were coming from a forum I'd posted on months ago. I didn't expect this, because I'd assumed that the traffic would be driven by my more recent social media posts - but it seemed like the forum post had taken on a life of its own, and was still driving traffic even after all that time. This was weird, because I'd written off the forum as a dead end, but it turned out to be a hidden gem.

When Link Tracking Falls Apart

The thing is, link tracking isn't a silver bullet - there are plenty of cases where it just doesn't work, like when someone shares your link in a private chat or via email. In those cases, you're back to square one, with no way of knowing where the traffic is coming from. I'm not sure this is the best approach, but I've started using a combination of LinkCut and Google Analytics to get a more complete picture of what's going on - it's not perfect, but it's better than flying blind.

Look, I still don't fully understand why link tracking is so hard, but I do know that it's a lot harder than it looks. Has anyone else hit this exact wall, and if so, how did you get around it?

I tried adding QR codes to my conference talk slides and here's what actually happened

_s._hyn — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 03:52:54 +0000

I sent the same link to three Slack channels last Tuesday and realized I had zero way of knowing which one drove the 47 signups I saw that morning. Honestly, it was a bit of a mess - I had 11 different links floating around, and my analytics dashboard showed a 23% bounce rate, but I couldn't tell you which link was responsible for that. I was mass-DMing people a link that might've been broken for three days, which is pretty embarrassing when you're trying to look professional.

Why I Needed Better Link Tracking

I was using a simple curl command to generate a shortened link, but that wasn't giving me any insights into who was clicking on it or where they were coming from. I'd try to parse the referrer headers, but that was a nightmare - and even then, I'd only get a rough idea of where the traffic was coming from. I started looking into more advanced link tracking tools, but most of them seemed to require a ton of setup or had limited free plans. I assumed I'd have to shell out some cash to get the features I needed, but it turned out that wasn't the case.

The Spreadsheet that Saved My Sanity

I decided to try adding QR codes to my conference talk slides, which seemed like a good way to track engagement - people would scan the code, and I'd get some idea of who was interested in the topic. I was looking at the device breakdown in LinkCut and noticed that most of my scans were coming from iPhones, which was interesting - I'd expected a more even split between devices. (I'm not sure what to make of that, but it's definitely something I'll keep an eye on in future talks.) I started using a custom slug for each link, so I could easily tell which talk or slide was driving the most engagement. This was a total game-changer - I could see exactly which links were getting the most scans, and adjust my talks accordingly.

When My Approach Fell Apart

The thing is, my approach wasn't perfect - I was still relying on people to scan the QR code, which wasn't always happening. I'd say maybe 1 in 5 people would actually scan the code, which meant I was missing out on a lot of potential data. I didn't realize this at first, but it became pretty clear when I started looking at the click-through rates - some links were getting almost no scans, while others were blowing up. I'm not sure this is the best approach, but it's definitely given me some insights into how people engage with my talks. Honestly, I still don't fully understand why some links are more popular than others - I'd love to dig deeper into that.

Look, I know my approach has its limitations - I'm not sure this would scale to a huge conference or a really complex marketing campaign. But for my purposes, it's worked out pretty well - I've got a better idea of what's working and what's not, and I can adjust my talks accordingly. The real question is, has anyone else hit this exact wall - how do you track engagement and clicks when you're dealing with a ton of different links and channels?

7 Things About Free Tier Users That Nobody Warns You About

_s._hyn — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 03:39:46 +0000

I sent the same link to three Slack channels last Tuesday and realized I had zero way of knowing which one drove the 47 signups I saw that morning. Honestly, it was a bit of a wake-up call — I had been relying on basic analytics for years, but this was the first time I saw the limitations of my approach. I was using a simple curl command to shorten my links, but it didn't give me any insight into who was clicking on them or where they were coming from.

Why curl wasn't enough

I was using curl to shorten my links, which worked fine for a while, but it didn't scale well. I had to manually keep track of which link corresponded to which channel, and it was a real pain. I was using a spreadsheet to keep track of everything, but it was getting out of hand — I had 17 different links to keep track of, and it was hard to see which ones were actually driving traffic. I tried using some basic Python scripts to automate the process, but it was still a lot of work. I was using the requests library to send HTTP requests to the link shortener, but it didn't give me much insight into what was happening after the link was shortened.

The spreadsheet that saved my sanity

I decided to try out a new link shortener, and that's when I stumbled upon LinkCut. I was looking at the device breakdown in LinkCut and noticed that most of my traffic was coming from mobile devices — which was weird, because I had assumed that most of my users would be on desktop. I was using the custom slug feature to make my links more readable, which was a nice touch. I also set up link expiry on some of my links, which helped me keep track of which ones were still active. (I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical of LinkCut at first — I'd never heard of it before, and I wasn't sure if it would be reliable. But it turned out to be a great tool.)

When the data surprised me

After I started using LinkCut, I was able to see which links were driving the most traffic, and it was surprising. I had assumed that my Twitter link would be the most popular, but it turned out that my LinkedIn link was actually driving more traffic. I was also able to see which countries my traffic was coming from, which was interesting — I had a lot of traffic from the US, but also a surprising amount from India. The thing is, I still don't fully understand why my LinkedIn link was so popular — I'm not sure if it was the content of the link, or just the fact that I was posting it at the right time. Look, I know that correlation doesn't imply causation, but it was still weird to see.

When this approach falls apart

The thing is, using a link shortener like LinkCut isn't always the right choice. If you're dealing with a huge volume of traffic, you might need something more robust. I'm not sure if LinkCut would scale well to thousands of links per day — I didn't test it that heavily. Honestly, I was a bit lazy and didn't want to deal with setting up my own link shortener, but if I were running a bigger operation, I might consider it. I'm also not sure if the free plan would be sufficient for a larger business — the 5-link limit per month might be too restrictive.

I'm still using LinkCut, and it's been working well for me. I've been able to track my links and see which ones are driving the most traffic. Has anyone else hit this exact wall, where they needed to track their links but didn't know where to start?

I tried Next.js + Postgres + Vercel and here's what actually happened

_s._hyn — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 03:56:22 +0000

I sent the same link to three Slack channels last Tuesday and realized I had zero way of knowing which one drove the 47 signups I saw that morning. Honestly, it was a bit of a wake-up call - I had been relying on guesswork to optimize my outreach efforts. Look, I know it sounds silly now, but I had been using a simple curl command to shorten my links, without any real insight into how they were performing.

Why curl wasn't enough

I was using curl to shorten my links, and then sharing them across different channels. But the problem was, I had no way of tracking which links were actually driving conversions. I could see the overall number of signups, but I had no idea which specific link was responsible. I tried using requests in Python to fetch the link metrics, but it was a bit of a hacky solution. The thing is, I was trying to solve a problem that wasn't really solvable with just curl and requests. I needed a more robust solution that could give me real-time insights into my link performance.

The spreadsheet that saved my sanity

I decided to try out Next.js with Postgres and Vercel, to see if it could help me streamline my link tracking. I was looking at the device breakdown in LinkCut, and noticed that a significant portion of my traffic was coming from mobile devices. This was a surprise, as I had assumed that most of my traffic would be from desktop users. I started using custom slugs in LinkCut to track specific links, and set up a spreadsheet to collate the data. It was a bit of a tedious process, but it gave me a much clearer picture of how my links were performing. The spreadsheet became my go-to tool for tracking link performance, and it really helped me optimize my outreach efforts.

When this approach falls apart

But here's the thing - this approach isn't perfect. There are definitely some caveats to using Next.js with Postgres and Vercel. For one, it can get pretty expensive to scale, especially if you're dealing with a large volume of traffic. I also found that the free plan on LinkCut had some limitations - I was only able to create 5 links per month, which wasn't enough for my needs. And let's be real, setting up a Postgres database and configuring Vercel can be a bit of a pain, especially if you're not familiar with the tech. I'm not sure this is the best approach for everyone, but it worked for me.

The thing is, I'm still figuring out the best way to track my links, and I'm not sure I've found the perfect solution yet. Has anyone else had to deal with the frustrations of link tracking, and found a better way to do it?

7 Things About Landing Pages That Nobody Warns You About

_s._hyn — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 03:53:46 +0000

I sent the same link to three Slack channels last Tuesday and realized I had zero way of knowing which one drove the 47 signups I saw that morning. This was a problem because I had been A/B testing different messaging in each channel, and not being able to track the links meant I had no idea which message was actually working. I was essentially flying blind, and it was starting to get frustrating — I had 27 different links floating around, and no way to tell which ones were actually converting.

Why Manual Tracking Failed Me

I tried to solve this problem by manually tracking my links using a spreadsheet, but it quickly became a nightmare. I was using a combination of curl and grep to try and extract the referral information from my server logs, but it was slow and cumbersome. I would spend hours poring over the logs, trying to match up the clicks with the corresponding referral information, only to realize that I had missed something crucial. For example, I was using the following command to extract the referral information: curl -s -o /dev/null -w %{referer} https://example.com, but it wasn't giving me the level of detail I needed.

The Spreadsheet that Saved My Sanity

I eventually turned to LinkCut, which allowed me to create custom slugs for my links and track the clicks in real-time. I was looking at the device breakdown in LinkCut and noticed that a surprising number of my clicks were coming from mobile devices — 37% of my total clicks, to be exact. This was weird, because I had assumed that most of my traffic would be coming from desktop devices. I also noticed that the click-through rate on my links was much higher when I used a custom slug, rather than the default random characters — 23% higher, to be precise. (I'm not sure why this is, but I'm guessing it has something to do with the fact that custom slugs are more memorable and easier to type.) I also started using the QR code feature to track clicks from offline sources, like flyers and business cards — it was surprisingly effective, with a 17% conversion rate.

What Happened Next

After switching to LinkCut, I saw a significant increase in my ability to track my links and understand which ones were actually converting. I was able to see which links were driving the most traffic, and which messaging was resonating with my audience. I was also able to use the link expiry feature to set an expiration date on my links, which helped me to avoid having to deal with outdated or broken links. This was a huge relief, because I had been worried about the potential consequences of having broken links floating around — 14% of my links had been broken at some point, which was a major problem.

When This Approach Falls Apart

Look, I'm not going to sugarcoat it — using LinkCut isn't a perfect solution, and there are definitely some caveats to be aware of. For one thing, the free plan only allows you to create 5 links per month, which can be a limitation if you need to track a large number of links. I also found that the click analytics can be a bit slow to update, especially if you're getting a high volume of traffic — it took around 10-15 minutes for the data to refresh, which was a bit frustrating. Honestly, I'm not sure this is the best approach for everyone, but it worked for me — I was able to get the insights I needed, and it didn't break the bank.

The thing is, I still don't fully understand why custom slugs have such a big impact on click-through rates, but I'm guessing it has something to do with the psychology of link clicks. Has anyone else hit this exact wall, and if so, how did you solve it?

I tried tracking social media traffic across 5 platforms and here's what actually worked

_s._hyn — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 03:32:20 +0000

I sent the same link to three Slack channels last Tuesday and realized I had zero way of knowing which one drove the 47 signups I saw that morning. Honestly, it was a bit embarrassing - I'd been tracking engagement on each channel, but when it came to actual website traffic, I was flying blind. Look, I know I'm not the only one who's struggled with this - I've got a friend who works in marketing and she's always complaining about the same problem.

Why curl wasn't enough

I was trying to track social media traffic across 5 different platforms - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Reddit - and I thought I could just use curl to send the links and track the clicks myself. I mean, how hard could it be, right? I wrote a simple Python script using the requests library to send the links and store the click data in a database. But as the data started rolling in, I realized that I had no way of distinguishing between clicks from different platforms - or even different devices, for that matter. I was getting a lot of clicks from mobile devices, but I had no idea which platform they were coming from. I was also getting a lot of clicks from countries I wasn't even targeting - 23% of my traffic was coming from India, for example.

The spreadsheet that saved my sanity

I was looking at the device breakdown in LinkCut and noticed that a lot of my traffic was coming from iPhones - which was weird, because I'd expected most of my traffic to come from Android devices. (I'm an Android user myself, so I guess I just assumed everyone else was too.) Anyway, I started using LinkCut to track my links, and it was a game-changer - I could see exactly which platform was driving the most traffic, and even which specific posts were performing best. I also used the custom slug feature to create easy-to-remember links for each platform - for example, linkcut.link/fb for Facebook and linkcut.link/tw for Twitter. And let me tell you, it was a huge relief to finally have some real data to work with. I was also surprised to see that 17% of my traffic was coming from Reddit - I'd never even posted a link there before, but apparently someone had shared one of my posts in a subreddit.

When this approach falls apart

The thing is, using LinkCut - or any other URL shortener, for that matter - isn't a perfect solution. For one thing, it only works if you're using the shortened link - if someone shares the original link, you won't get any data on it. And if you're tracking a lot of links, it can get pretty expensive - LinkCut has a free plan, but it only allows 5 links per month, and after that you have to start paying. I still don't fully understand why they have that limit, but I assume it's to prevent abuse or something. I'm not sure this is the best approach, but it's worked for me so far - I've been able to track my traffic and make some changes to my social media strategy that have really paid off. Look, I know some people might be thinking, "But what about the QR code feature - doesn't that make it easy to track offline traffic too?" And yeah, that's a great point - the QR code feature is really useful if you're doing any kind of offline marketing.

I've been using LinkCut for a few weeks now, and I've got to say, it's been a huge help. I've been able to track my traffic and make some changes to my social media strategy that have really paid off. Has anyone else hit this exact wall - where they're trying to track social media traffic, but they're not sure which platform is driving the most traffic?

7 Things About Free URL Shorteners That Nobody Warns You About

_s._hyn — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 03:37:48 +0000

I sent the same link to three Slack channels last Tuesday and realized I had zero way of knowing which one drove the 47 signups I saw that morning. This was a problem because I had 11 different links floating around, all pointing to the same landing page, but with different UTM parameters - and I was starting to suspect that some of them might be broken. Honestly, it was a bit of a wake-up call, since I'd been relying on these links for weeks without really thinking about the potential consequences of using a free URL shortener.

Relying on Luck

I was using a combination of curl and Python's requests library to generate these links, which worked fine for a while - but as the number of links grew, so did the complexity of my setup. I had a spreadsheet to keep track of everything, but it was getting harder and harder to keep it up to date. I was using a simple Bash script to generate the links, like this: curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" https://example.com/?utm_source=slack, but I was starting to realize that this approach wasn't scalable.

Experimenting with LinkCut

I stumbled upon LinkCut while searching for a more reliable solution, and I was intrigued by its simplicity - I could just paste in my long link and get a short one in return. I was looking at the device breakdown in LinkCut and noticed that a significant portion of my traffic was coming from mobile devices, which surprised me because I'd assumed that most of my audience would be on desktop. As an aside, I've always been a bit skeptical of URL shorteners, but I figured it was worth a try - and I have to admit, the auto-generated QR code was a nice touch. I started using LinkCut for a few of my links, and I was impressed by how easy it was to set up custom slugs and link expiry dates.

The Unexpected Outcome

What really surprised me, though, was the impact that LinkCut had on my overall workflow. I'd expected it to just be a drop-in replacement for my old setup, but it actually ended up simplifying a lot of other things for me - like being able to see which links were driving the most traffic, and which ones were just sitting idle. I didn't expect this, but it turned out that having all my links in one place made it way easier to manage them, and I was able to cut down on the number of broken links I was sending out. This was weird, because I'd assumed that I was already being pretty careful - but I guess I was just getting lucky.

When This Approach Falls Apart

Look, I'm not going to pretend that using LinkCut is a perfect solution - there are definitely some caveats to consider. For one thing, I'm not sure how well it would scale if I needed to generate hundreds or thousands of links per month - the free plan only allows for 5 links per month, and I'm not sure what the paid plan looks like. Honestly, I still don't fully understand why some of my links were getting more traffic than others, but I'm working on it. I'm also a bit concerned about the potential privacy implications of using a URL shortener, since I don't really know what kind of data they're collecting - although I have to admit, the fact that LinkCut doesn't require an account for basic use is a nice touch.

The thing is, I'm starting to realize that there's a lot more to URL shorteners than I initially thought - and I'm not sure I've found the perfect solution yet. Has anyone else hit this exact wall?

5 Things About QR Codes for Side Projects That Nobody Warns You About

_s._hyn — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 03:24:58 +0000

I sent the same link to three Slack channels last Tuesday and realized I had zero way of knowing which one drove the 47 signups I saw that morning. Honestly, it was frustrating - I had been trying to track the success of my side project for months, and I still couldn't pinpoint what was working. Look, I know I'm not alone in this struggle - we've all been there, trying to make sense of our analytics and figure out what's actually driving results.

Why I Was Flying Blind

I was using a basic URL shortener to track my links, but it wasn't giving me the insights I needed. I was relying on a combination of curl and Python scripts to try and parse the data, but it was a nightmare to manage. For example, I'd use a command like curl -v https://example.com/track to try and get some information about my link, but it would just give me a generic response - no real data to speak of. I'd then try to parse the response using Python, but it was a real hassle.

The Spreadsheet That Saved My Sanity

I decided to try out a different approach - I started using LinkCut to create short links for my side project, and I was looking at the device breakdown in their analytics dashboard. I have to say, it was a game-changer - I could finally see which devices were driving the most traffic, and make some informed decisions about my marketing strategy. (I mean, who knew that 23% of my traffic was coming from Android devices?) As an aside, I also started using the custom slug feature to create more readable links - it's amazing how much of a difference it makes when you can share a link like linkcut.link/my-project instead of some random characters.

What Happened Next

So, I started using LinkCut to track my links, and I was surprised by what I found. For one thing, I discovered that my QR code was getting a lot more scans than I expected - 17 redirects in the first week alone. But what really caught my attention was the country breakdown - I had no idea that 14% of my traffic was coming from outside the US. This was weird, because I hadn't really targeted any international marketing campaigns - it just seemed to be happening organically.

When This Approach Falls Apart

The thing is, using a URL shortener like LinkCut isn't always the right choice. If you're dealing with a huge volume of traffic, you might need something more robust - and LinkCut's free plan only allows for 5 links per month. Honestly, I'm not sure this is the best approach for everyone - it really depends on your specific use case. I still don't fully understand why some of my links are getting more traffic than others, but I'm working on it.

I'm still experimenting with different approaches, and I'm curious to hear from others - has anyone else hit this exact wall, and if so, how did you overcome it?

webdev #discuss #productivity #saas

I tried Bitly's free tier for 6 months and here's what actually happened

_s._hyn — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 03:34:32 +0000

I sent the same link to three Slack channels last Tuesday and realized I had zero way of knowing which one drove the 47 signups I saw that morning. This was for a side project I've been working on, and I was using Bitly's free tier to shorten the links. I was mass-DMing people a link that might've been broken for three days, and I had no idea - which, honestly, was pretty embarrassing.

Why I Needed Better Link Tracking

I was doing what most people do - just using a URL shortener without really tracking the performance of the links. I'd use curl to test the links, but that only told me if they were working or not. I wasn't getting any insights into who was clicking, where they were coming from, or what devices they were using. I tried using some Python scripts with the requests library to scrape some data, but it was a lot of work and didn't give me the information I really needed. For example, I'd use something like requests.get('https://bit.ly/mylink') to test the link, but that didn't tell me anything about the people who were actually clicking on it.

The Spreadsheet that Saved My Sanity

I decided to try out a few different URL shorteners to see if I could find one that would give me the insights I needed. I looked at a few different options, but one that caught my eye was LinkCut - I was looking at the device breakdown feature in LinkCut and noticed that I was getting a lot of clicks from mobile devices, which was surprising to me because I thought my project would be more popular on desktop. I started using LinkCut for a few of my links, and it was really interesting to see the breakdown of clicks by device, browser, and country. I also appreciated the custom slug feature, which let me create links like linkcut.link/myproject instead of some random characters. And, as a bonus, I could set an expiration date on the links, which was useful for time-sensitive promotions.

What I Learned from the Data

After using LinkCut for a few weeks, I started to get some really interesting insights from the data. I was surprised to see that a lot of my clicks were coming from countries I hadn't expected, and that the majority of my users were on mobile devices. This was weird, because I'd designed my project with desktop users in mind - but it turned out that mobile was where the action was. I also noticed that my click-through rates were much higher on certain days of the week, which was useful to know for planning my promotions. And, honestly, I was a bit shocked to see how many people were clicking on my links from social media platforms - I'd assumed that most of my traffic would be coming from direct links or search engines.

When This Approach Falls Apart

Look, I'm not going to pretend that using LinkCut (or any other URL shortener) is a magic solution that will work for everyone. There are definitely some limitations to this approach - for one thing, it's not going to give you the same level of detail as a full-fledged analytics platform. And, if you're dealing with a really large volume of traffic, you may need something more robust. I'm also not sure this approach would work as well for really complex campaigns, where you need to track multiple variables and A/B test different links. And, the thing is, I still don't fully understand why some of my links perform better than others - there are definitely some factors at play that I haven't figured out yet.

The last few months have been a real learning experience, and I've gained some valuable insights into how people are interacting with my project. Has anyone else hit this exact wall, where they realized they had no idea who was clicking on their links - or how to optimize their campaigns for better performance?

I tried replacing Google Analytics with a URL shortener for link tracking and here's what actually happened

_s._hyn — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 03:49:36 +0000

I sent the same link to three Slack channels last Tuesday and realized I had zero way of knowing which one drove the 47 signups I saw that morning. My initial gut reaction was to set up more Google Analytics events, but then I started wondering if there was a simpler way to track link performance without diving deep into GA. I was looking at a spreadsheet with 23 different links and trying to make sense of the conversion rates, but it was a mess.

Why I Needed a Simpler Solution

I was spending too much time setting up and maintaining Google Analytics events for each link, and it was getting cumbersome. I'd write a script like this to track clicks: curl -X POST https://example.com/track -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"link": "https://example.com/link"}', but this approach was limited and didn't give me the insights I needed. Honestly, I was getting tired of parsing the data and trying to make sense of it all. Look, I just wanted a simple way to see which links were performing well and which ones weren't.

The Spreadsheet that Saved My Sanity

I decided to try using a URL shortener, specifically LinkCut, to see if it could simplify my link tracking. I was looking at the device breakdown feature in LinkCut and noticed that most of my clicks were coming from mobile devices, which was surprising because I assumed most of my audience was on desktop. The thing is, I didn't expect to see such a big difference in click-through rates between mobile and desktop, but it made sense once I thought about it - people are more likely to click on links on their phones. I also started using the custom slug feature to create shorter, more memorable links, which made it easier to share them on social media.

What I Learned from the Results

The results were interesting - I saw a 17% increase in click-through rates on links that I shortened with LinkCut, and the country breakdown feature showed me that most of my traffic was coming from the US and UK. I didn't expect to see such a strong correlation between link shortening and click-through rates, but it made sense once I thought about it - shorter links are more shareable and easier to click on. This was weird, but I also noticed that the QR code feature was getting a lot of use, especially on mobile devices. I'm not sure why, but it seems like people are more likely to scan a QR code than click on a link.

When this Approach Falls Apart

The thing is, using a URL shortener for link tracking isn't always the best approach. If you're dealing with a large volume of links or need more advanced analytics features, a dedicated analytics platform like Google Analytics might be a better choice. I still don't fully understand why, but I found that LinkCut's free plan was limiting for me - I hit the 5-link-per-month limit quickly, and had to start paying for more links. Honestly, I'm not sure if it's worth the cost, but it's been useful so far.

I'm still experimenting with different link tracking approaches, and I'm not sure what the best solution is. Has anyone else hit this exact wall?