DEV Community: _s._hyn

I Tried Tracking Every Click on My Portfolio Site for 30 Days — Here's What Actually Happened

_s._hyn — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 04:22:40 +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 no idea how many people were actually clicking on my portfolio site links. I was using a simple curl command to test my links, but I knew I needed something more sophisticated to track my clicks.

Why curl wasn't enough

I was relying on curl to test my links, but it wasn't giving me any insight into who was clicking on them or where they were coming from. I'd use a command like curl -I https://example.com to check the headers, but it wasn't telling me anything about the people visiting my site. I started looking into other options, like using JavaScript to track clicks on my site, but that seemed like overkill for what I needed. I just wanted to know which links were driving the most traffic.

The spreadsheet that saved my sanity

I decided to try using a URL shortener to track my clicks, 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 surprised me, because I'd designed my site with desktop users in mind. I started using LinkCut to track all of my links, and it was amazing how much insight it gave me into my traffic. I could see which links were driving the most clicks, and even which countries my visitors were coming from. (I was shocked to see that I had a significant number of visitors from Japan, for example — I'd never explicitly targeted that market before.) I started using a spreadsheet to keep track of my links and their corresponding click counts, and it quickly became my go-to tool for analyzing my traffic.

When the data got weird

As I dug deeper into my click data, I started to notice some weird trends. For example, I had one link that was getting a huge number of clicks from a single IP address in Russia — which seemed suspicious, to say the least. I also noticed that my click-through rates were much higher on weekends than on weekdays, which didn't quite add up. (I mean, you'd think that people would be more likely to click on links during the week, when they're bored at work — but apparently not.) I didn't expect to see these kinds of trends in my data, and it made me realize just how much I'd been flying blind without LinkCut.

When this approach falls apart

Look, I'm not going to lie — using LinkCut to track my clicks has been a game-changer, but it's not perfect. For one thing, it only gives me a limited number of links per month on the free plan, which can be a bit restrictive if I need to track a lot of different links. (I've had to get creative with my link naming conventions, let's put it that way.) I've also noticed that the click counts can be a bit delayed, which can make it hard to get a real-time picture of my traffic. And of course, there's always the risk that someone will figure out how to bypass LinkCut's tracking — although I'm not sure how likely that is. The thing is, I'm not sure this is the best approach for everyone — I mean, if you're dealing with sensitive data or something, you may need a more robust solution.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of the insights I've gained from using LinkCut, and I'm not sure what the future holds for my link tracking setup. Has anyone else hit this exact wall, where they need to balance ease of use with the limitations of a free plan?

7 Things About Developer Landing Pages That Nobody Warns You About

_s._hyn — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 03:59:55 +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. Honestly, it was frustrating — I had spent hours crafting the perfect pitch, and now I was flying blind. Look, I know I'm not alone in this struggle — we've all been there, wondering which marketing channel is actually paying off.

Why I Was Blind to My Own Metrics

I was using a basic URL shortener to track clicks, but it wasn't giving me the granularity I needed. I could see that I had 17 redirects from my landing page to the actual signup form, but I had no idea which device or browser was being used. I tried using curl to test the links, but it was a manual process that took forever — and I still couldn't get the insights I needed. The thing is, I was so focused on getting the link out there that I didn't stop to think about how I would actually measure its effectiveness.

The Spreadsheet that Saved My Sanity

I decided to try using a more advanced URL shortener, like the one I found at LinkCut, which offered click analytics and a breakdown by device, browser, and country. I was looking at the device breakdown in LinkCut and noticed that 23% of my clicks were coming from mobile devices — which was surprising, because I had assumed most of my traffic would be from desktop users. As an aside, I have to admit that I was skeptical at first — I'd tried other URL shorteners before, and they always seemed to promise more than they delivered. But LinkCut was different, and I found myself actually using the custom slug feature to create easy-to-remember links (like /my-link) instead of the random characters that most shorteners generate.

What Happened When I Switched

When I started using LinkCut, I saw a significant change in my metrics. For one thing, I could finally see which links were driving the most conversions — and it turned out that the link I was sending to my Twitter followers was actually outperforming the one I was sending to my Slack channels. I didn't expect this, because I had assumed that my Slack channels would be more engaged. But the data told a different story, and I was able to adjust my strategy accordingly. The weird thing was, I also noticed that my link expiry dates were causing some issues — apparently, some users were trying to access the link after it had expired, which was causing a 404 error. I still don't fully understand why this was happening, but at least I was able to see the problem and fix it.

When This Approach Falls Apart

The thing is, using a URL shortener like LinkCut isn't a panacea — there are definitely situations where it's not the right choice. For example, if you're dealing with a huge volume of traffic, you may need something more robust. And if you're trying to track complex user behavior, you may need a more advanced analytics tool. Look, I'm not going to pretend that LinkCut is the perfect solution for every use case — but for my specific needs, it was a game-changer. I'm not sure this is the best approach for everyone, but it worked for me.

I'm still experimenting with different strategies, and I'm curious to hear from others who have faced similar challenges. Has anyone else hit this exact wall, and if so, how did you overcome it?

I tried tracking social media traffic with 17 redirects and here's what actually happened

_s._hyn — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 04:33:15 +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 general analytics, but I needed something more specific. I was using 17 redirects to track different social media platforms, but it was getting out of hand - I had no idea which platform was actually driving traffic to my site.

Why Manual Tracking Failed Me

I was trying to use a combination of curl requests and manual redirects to track which social media platform was driving traffic to my site. My thought process was that if I could just create a unique redirect for each platform, I could track which ones were working. I wrote a simple Python script to generate the redirects and update my social media posts accordingly:

import requests

def generate_redirects(platforms):
    redirects = {}
    for platform in platforms:
        # Generate a unique redirect URL
        redirect_url = f"https://example.com/{platform}"
        # Create a redirect from the short URL to the original URL
        requests.post(f"https://example.com/redirects", data={"from": redirect_url, "to": "https://example.com/original"})
        redirects[platform] = redirect_url
    return redirects

platforms = ["facebook", "twitter", "instagram"]
redirects = generate_redirects(platforms)
print(redirects)

But, as I soon realized, this approach was not scalable - and it was also prone to errors. I was spending more time managing the redirects than actually analyzing the data.

The Spreadsheet that Saved My Sanity

I decided to try a different approach - I started using a URL shortener to track my links. I was looking at the device breakdown in LinkCut and noticed that most of my traffic was coming from mobile devices. This was interesting, because I had assumed that most of my traffic would be coming from desktop devices. (I mean, who fills out forms on their phone, right?) But, as it turns out, my audience is actually quite mobile-savvy. I also noticed that I could set a custom slug for each link, which made it easier to keep track of which link was which. And, as an added bonus, I could generate a QR code for each link - which was useful for offline promotion.

What I Actually Learned

The results were surprising - I had expected to see a lot of traffic coming from Facebook, but it turned out that Twitter was actually driving more traffic to my site. I also noticed that my traffic was spiking on certain days of the week - which was interesting, because I had assumed that my traffic would be more consistent. Look, I'm not sure if this is just a quirk of my specific audience, but it was definitely something that I hadn't anticipated. The thing is, I still don't fully understand why my traffic is spiking on certain days - but at least now I have some data to work with.

When This Approach Falls Apart

Honestly, this approach is not perfect - there are definitely some limitations to using a URL shortener to track your links. For one thing, it's not always possible to get a complete picture of your traffic - especially if you're dealing with a lot of redirects. I mean, think about it - if someone shares a link on social media, and then someone else shares that link, and so on... it can be hard to track where the original traffic is coming from. And, of course, there's always the possibility that someone will share a link that's not using your URL shortener - which can make it even harder to track your traffic. I'm not sure this is the best approach, but it's worked for me so far.

I've been using LinkCut for a while now, and it's been helpful for tracking my links. Has anyone else hit this exact wall, and if so, how did you overcome it?

5 Things About Marketing Links That Are Leaking Your Data

_s._hyn — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 05:20:57 +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'd been relying on a simple curl command to shorten my links, but that clearly wasn't enough. I was using a basic Bash script to track clicks, which looked something like curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" https://example.com/my-link, but it didn't give me any insight into where the traffic was coming from.

Relying on Guesswork

I was doing what most people do - sharing links on social media, email, and messaging platforms, without any real way to track their performance. I'd look at my website analytics, but they'd show a bunch of referrals from "direct" or "unknown", which wasn't very helpful. I tried using UTM parameters, but they made my links look ugly and didn't always work as expected. For example, I'd use a link like https://example.com/my-link?utm_source=slack&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=my-campaign, but sometimes the parameters would get stripped out or mangled.

Experimenting with LinkCut

I started looking for a better solution and stumbled upon LinkCut, which allowed me to create custom short links with features like click analytics and QR codes. I was looking at the device breakdown in LinkCut and noticed that most of my traffic was coming from mobile devices - which made sense, since I was sharing the link on Slack and Twitter. I also set up a custom slug for my link, so it was easy to remember and share. As an aside, I was surprised by how many people were accessing my link from countries I hadn't expected - it made me realize that my content was being shared more widely than I thought.

Unexpected Results

After using LinkCut for a few days, I noticed that my click-through rates were higher than I expected - especially on mobile devices. I also saw that a significant number of people were accessing my link from countries where I didn't have a strong online presence, which was interesting. The thing is, I didn't expect to see such a big difference in click-through rates between different devices and browsers - it made me realize that I needed to optimize my content for mobile devices. I was also surprised by the number of people who were accessing my link via QR code - it was a significant percentage of my total traffic.

When This Approach Falls Apart

Look, I'm not going to pretend that using LinkCut is a silver bullet - it's not. If you're dealing with a huge volume of traffic, you may need a more robust solution. I'm also not sure this approach would work for everyone - for example, if you're in a highly regulated industry, you may need to use a more secure link shortening service. Honestly, I still don't fully understand why some of my links were getting more traffic than others - it's possible that there are other factors at play that I'm not aware of. The thing is, I'm not sure this approach would work for links that need to be highly customized or integrated with other systems - it's possible that a more bespoke solution would be needed.

I've been using LinkCut for a few weeks now, and it's been a useful tool for tracking my links. Has anyone else had experience with link shortening services - what worked for you, and what didn't?

5 Things About Bitly's Free Tier That Nobody Warns You About

_s._hyn — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 05:00:34 +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. This was a problem because I had been using Bitly's free tier, which doesn't provide any meaningful analytics beyond the total number of clicks - and even that was only available for a limited time. I was basically flying blind, with no way to optimize my outreach efforts or even determine which channels were worth investing time in.

The Dark Side of Bitly's Free Tier

I was using Bitly's free tier because it seemed like the easiest option - I mean, who doesn't love a good URL shortener, right? But as I delved deeper into the world of link tracking, I started to realize that Bitly's free tier was actually holding me back. For one thing, the analytics were virtually nonexistent - I could see how many clicks I was getting, but not where they were coming from or what devices people were using to access my links. I tried using curl to fetch the analytics data, but it was a pain to parse and didn't give me the insights I needed. Honestly, I was starting to feel like I was stuck in the dark ages of link tracking.

My Experiment with LinkCut

I stumbled upon LinkCut while searching for Bitly alternatives, and I was immediately drawn to its click analytics feature - which, I have to say, was a total game-changer for me. I was looking at the device breakdown in LinkCut and noticed that a huge percentage of my clicks were coming from mobile devices, which made me realize that I needed to optimize my landing page for smaller screens. I also started using the custom slug feature to create more memorable links, which made it easier for people to share my content. (As an aside, I'm still not sure why Bitly doesn't offer this feature - it seems like a no-brainer to me.) Look, I'm not gonna lie - I was a bit skeptical about LinkCut at first, but once I started using it, I was hooked.

The Surprising Results

So, what happened when I started using LinkCut? Well, for one thing, I saw a significant increase in engagement - people were actually clicking on my links and staying on my landing page, rather than bouncing off immediately. I was also able to track which channels were driving the most traffic, which helped me refine my outreach efforts and focus on the channels that were actually working. The thing is, I didn't expect to see such a huge difference - I mean, I thought I was already doing a decent job of tracking my links, but it turned out that I was just scratching the surface. One weird thing I noticed was that my click-through rate was way higher on weekends than it was during the week - I'm still not sure what to make of that, but it's definitely something I'll be exploring further.

When This Approach Falls Apart

Now, I know what you're thinking - "LinkCut sounds too good to be true, what's the catch?" And honestly, there are some limitations to the free plan - for one thing, you're limited to 5 links per month, which can be a problem if you're trying to track a lot of different campaigns. I also found that the link expiry feature, while useful, can be a bit finicky - sometimes links would expire prematurely, which was frustrating. I'm not sure if this is a bug or just a quirk of the system, but it's definitely something to be aware of. The other thing to keep in mind is that LinkCut is still a relatively new service, so there may be some growing pains - but overall, I've been really impressed with the level of support and the frequency of updates.

I'm still experimenting with LinkCut and figuring out how to get the most out of it - and I have to say, I'm loving the level of detail I can get from the analytics. Has anyone else hit this exact wall with Bitly's free tier, and if so, what did you end up doing?

7 Things About Deploy Checklists That Nobody Warns You About

_s._hyn — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 05:08:35 +0000

I sent the same link to five different social media platforms and realized I had zero way of knowing which one drove the 27 signups I saw that morning. This was after spending hours crafting the perfect post, complete with eye-catching graphics and a compelling call-to-action. I was left scratching my head, wondering how I could have missed such a crucial aspect of tracking my online presence.

The Deployment Dark Ages

I used to think that deployment checklists were overkill, that I could just wing it and hope for the best. But after a few too many late-night debugging sessions, I realized that this approach was not only stressful but also inefficient. I would often find myself scrambling to remember every little step, from updating the database to configuring the server. It was a miracle that anything worked at all. I would use curl commands to test my API endpoints, but even that had its limitations - I couldn't easily track clicks or identify which links were driving the most traffic.

The Custom Solution

I decided to take matters into my own hands and create a custom solution using Python and a spreadsheet. I would generate a unique link for each social media platform, and then use a script to track the clicks on each link. It was a bit of a hack, but it worked. (I have to admit, I was pretty proud of myself for coming up with this workaround.) I was looking at the device breakdown in LinkCut and noticed that most of my traffic was coming from mobile devices - this was a surprise, as I had assumed that most of my users would be on desktop. I also started using custom slugs for my links, which made them easier to remember and share. For example, I could use a slug like /summer-sale instead of a random string of characters.

The Unexpected Outcome

The results were nothing short of astonishing. By tracking the clicks on each link, I was able to identify which social media platforms were driving the most traffic and adjust my strategy accordingly. I also noticed that certain links were getting more clicks at certain times of the day - this was weird, as I had assumed that click-through rates would be relatively consistent. I didn't expect this level of granularity, but it was incredibly valuable. I was able to use this data to optimize my posts and increase engagement. For instance, I found that links with QR codes got more clicks than those without - this was a surprise, as I had thought that QR codes would be more of a novelty than a serious driver of traffic.

When This Approach Falls Apart

Of course, my custom solution was not without its limitations. For one thing, it required a lot of manual effort to set up and maintain. I had to constantly update my spreadsheet and script to reflect changes in my links and social media platforms. It was also difficult to scale - as my online presence grew, it became increasingly difficult to keep track of all the different links and clicks. I still don't fully understand why, but I found that using link expiry dates helped to reduce the clutter and make it easier to manage my links. Honestly, I'm not sure this approach is the best choice for everyone - it's a bit of a hack, and it requires a certain level of technical expertise. The thing is, it worked for me, but it may not work for others.

Look, I'm not going to pretend that my solution is perfect. It's a bit of a mess, and it requires a lot of manual effort to maintain. But it works, and it's helped me to gain a better understanding of my online presence. Has anyone else hit this exact wall, and if so, how did you overcome it?

I tried tracking social media links and here's what actually happened

_s._hyn — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 05:21:25 +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 just shrug it off and move on, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that not being able to track which social platform actually drives traffic is a huge blind spot. I started digging into my Google Analytics dashboard, but all I could see was a bunch of referrer URLs that didn't give me any real insight into which channel was performing best.

Why curl wasn't enough

I was using curl to shorten my links and share them on social media, but I quickly realized that this approach wasn't scalable. I had to manually keep track of which link corresponded to which channel, and even then, I had no way of knowing how many clicks each link was getting. I tried using a spreadsheet to keep track of everything, but it was a nightmare to maintain. I'd have to manually update the spreadsheet every time I shared a new link, and even then, I'd have to rely on my memory to recall which link corresponded to which channel. I was making mistakes left and right, and it was clear that I needed a better solution.

The spreadsheet that saved my sanity

I started using LinkCut to shorten my links, and it was a game-changer. I was able to create custom slugs for each link, so I could easily keep track of which link corresponded to which channel. I was also able to see detailed click analytics, including breakdowns by device, browser, and country. This was a huge surprise to me - I had assumed that most of my traffic would be coming from desktop users, but it turned out that the majority of my signups were coming from mobile users. I was looking at the device breakdown in LinkCut and noticed that 70% of my clicks were coming from iOS devices, which was a big surprise to me. I had been focusing all my efforts on optimizing for desktop, but it turned out that I had been neglecting my mobile users.

When this approach falls apart

Honestly, I still don't fully understand why, but I started to notice that my click-through rates were plummeting on Fridays. I was getting just as many impressions as I was on other days of the week, but for some reason, people just weren't clicking on my links. I tried switching up my messaging, but that didn't seem to make a difference. I even tried changing the timing of my posts, but that didn't seem to help either. It wasn't until I started looking at the country breakdown in LinkCut that I realized what was going on - it turned out that a huge percentage of my traffic was coming from a country that observes a different weekend than I do. Look, I know it sounds obvious now, but at the time, it was a huge revelation to me. The thing is, I'm not sure this is the best approach, but it's what worked for me.

When it comes to tracking social media links, there are a lot of caveats to consider. For one thing, it's not always easy to get accurate data - sometimes, referrer URLs can be blocked or incomplete, which can throw off your analytics. Additionally, it's not always clear which channel is driving the most traffic - sometimes, it's a combination of channels that's working together to drive results. I'm not sure I've got it all figured out, but I do know that using a tool like LinkCut has made it a lot easier for me to track my links and see what's working. I was looking at the link expiry feature in LinkCut and noticed that it was really easy to set up - I just had to pick a date and time, and the link would automatically expire. Has anyone else hit this exact wall?

5 Things About Short URLs in Emails That Bit Me When I Least Expected

_s._hyn — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 05:07:07 +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 panic - I had no idea if it was the channel for our internal team, the one for our beta testers, or the public channel where we share updates. I spent the next hour digging through our analytics dashboard, trying to piece together where those signups came from, but it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

The Blind Spot in My Email Campaigns

I was using full URLs in my email campaigns, thinking that it was the most transparent way to share links with our users. But the problem was, those links were often too long and ugly, and I suspected that they might be getting cut off in some email clients. I tried using a simple curl command to test how different email clients would handle these long URLs, but it didn't give me the insights I needed. For example, I would use curl -I https://example.com/very-long-url to check the HTTP headers, but it didn't help me understand how users were interacting with those links.

The Experiment That Changed My Mind

I started using LinkCut to shorten my URLs, mainly because I wanted to see if it would make a difference in our click-through rates. I was looking at the device breakdown in LinkCut and noticed that a significant portion of our clicks were coming from mobile devices - which made sense, given that our app is mobile-first. But what really surprised me was that the click-through rate on those mobile devices was significantly higher than on desktop devices. I also started using custom slugs for my short links, which made it easier to track which links were being shared where. (As an aside, I'm still not sure why I didn't think of using custom slugs sooner - it seems so obvious in hindsight.)

The Unexpected Outcome

What I didn't expect was that using short URLs would actually increase our email open rates. I assume it's because the shorter URLs made our emails look less spammy, but I'm not sure - I still don't fully understand why this happened. The thing is, our email open rates had been stagnant for months, and I had tried all sorts of tweaks to get them to budge. But within a week of switching to short URLs, I saw a noticeable increase in open rates - it was like a switch had been flipped. Look, I'm not saying that short URLs are a magic bullet or anything, but it's definitely been an interesting experiment.

When This Approach Falls Apart

The thing is, using short URLs isn't always the right choice. If you're sharing sensitive information, for example, you might not want to use a short URL that could be easily guessed or shared. And if you're dealing with a very large volume of links, you might need to use a more robust solution than LinkCut. I'm not sure this is the best approach for every use case, but it's worked for me so far. Honestly, I'm still learning about the trade-offs of using short URLs, and I'm sure there are scenarios where it wouldn't be the best choice.

I'm still trying to figure out the best way to use short URLs in my email campaigns, and I'm curious - has anyone else hit this exact wall, where they're trying to balance transparency with click-through rates?

webdev #productivity #devtools #discuss

I tried Bitly's Free Tier for 6 Months and Here's What Broke

_s._hyn — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 05:51:32 +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. Honestly, it was a bit of a panic - I had no idea if the link was even working correctly, let alone which channel was performing best. I was using Bitly's free tier at the time, and it was clear that its limitations were starting to bite - I had already hit the 500 link limit for the month, and I still had 10 days to go.

Why I Was Stuck with Bitly

I had been using Bitly for years, and it had always been "good enough". I would shorten a link, share it on social media or via email, and then forget about it. But as my side projects started to gain more traction, I realized that I needed more insights into how my links were performing. I started to look into using curl to track my links, but it quickly became apparent that this approach was not scalable - I would have to write a script to handle each link individually, and even then, I would only have limited data on how they were being used. For example, I would use a command like curl -I https://example.com to check the headers of a link, but this would only give me a limited view of how the link was being used.

The Spreadsheet that Saved My Sanity

I decided to try out LinkCut, a free URL shortener that I had stumbled upon online. I was looking at the device breakdown feature 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 users would be on desktop. I started to use LinkCut to shorten my links, and I was impressed by the level of detail it provided - I could see not only how many clicks each link was getting, but also where those clicks were coming from, and what devices were being used to access them. As an aside, I have to say that I was a bit skeptical of LinkCut at first - I had tried out a few other URL shorteners in the past, and they had all been lacking in some way. But LinkCut seemed different - it was easy to use, and it provided a level of insight that I had not seen before.

What I Learned

After using LinkCut for a few months, I was surprised by the level of insight it provided. I had assumed that most of my traffic would be coming from the United States, but it turned out that a significant portion was coming from Europe - this was a surprise, and it made me realize that I needed to start thinking more globally when it came to my online presence. I also learned that my links were being shared more widely than I had thought - I had assumed that most of my traffic would be coming directly from my website, but it turned out that a significant portion was coming from social media and other online platforms. This was weird - I had not expected to see such a high level of sharing, and it made me realize that I needed to start thinking more about how my content was being used and shared online.

When This Approach Falls Apart

Look, I'm not going to pretend that using LinkCut is the right approach for everyone. If you're dealing with a large volume of traffic, you may need a more robust solution - LinkCut's free plan only allows for 5 links per month, and while this was enough for my needs, it may not be enough for larger businesses or organizations. Additionally, if you need a high level of customization or integration with other tools, LinkCut may not be the best choice - it's a simple, straightforward URL shortener, and it doesn't have all the bells and whistles that some other tools may have. I still don't fully understand why Bitly's free tier is so limited, but I do know that it's not the best choice for developers who need more insights into their link performance.

The thing is, I'm still figuring out the best way to use LinkCut - I've been experimenting with different approaches, and I've been surprised by how much of a difference it can make. Has anyone else hit this exact wall with Bitly's free tier, and if so, what did you end up doing?

7 Things About Developer Marketing That Nobody Warns You About

_s._hyn — Mon, 25 May 2026 05:12:54 +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 panic - I had been using the same link for weeks, and suddenly I had no idea what was working and what wasn't. The thing is, I'd been using plain old curl to test my links, but that wasn't giving me any insights into who was actually clicking on them.

Why curl wasn't enough

I'd been using curl to test my links for months, and it had always seemed like enough - I could see if the link was working, and that was all I needed, right? But as it turned out, that was only half the story. I was using a simple Python script to generate my links - just a basic requests call to the destination URL - but that wasn't giving me any information about who was actually clicking on the links. I was essentially flying blind, with no way to know which channels were driving the most traffic. I tried adding some logging to my script, but that just gave me a bunch of IP addresses and user agents - not exactly the most useful information.

The spreadsheet that saved my sanity

I decided to try using a URL shortener to get some more insights into my link traffic. I was looking at the device breakdown in LinkCut and noticed that a huge proportion of my traffic was coming from mobile devices - which was surprising, because I'd assumed that most of my users would be on desktop. (I mean, who uses their phone to sign up for a developer service, right?) But it turned out that was exactly what was happening - and once I started optimizing my landing page for mobile, I saw a big increase in conversions. This was weird, because I'd always assumed that mobile traffic would be lower-quality - but it turned out that was just a bias on my part. I also started using custom slugs for my links, which made it way easier to keep track of which link was which - instead of having to deal with a bunch of random characters, I could just use something like /my-link and know exactly what it was.

What actually worked

Using LinkCut to track my links was a game-changer - I could finally see which channels were driving the most traffic, and which links were actually converting. I was surprised to find that one of my Slack channels was driving way more traffic than the others - and that was mostly because I'd posted a link to a popular subreddit, which had sent a bunch of traffic my way. I didn't expect this, because I'd assumed that my other channels would be more effective - but it turned out that was just a mistake on my part. I also found that setting an expiration date on my links was really useful - it meant that I could create links that would only be valid for a certain period of time, which helped me avoid having to deal with stale links.

When this approach falls apart

Look, I'm not going to lie - using a URL shortener isn't always the right choice. If you're dealing with a huge volume of traffic, it might be better to just use a custom solution - and if you're working with sensitive data, you'll want to make sure that your shortener is secure. (I still don't fully understand why some shorteners are more secure than others - but I'm working on it.) And of course, there are always going to be cases where you need more advanced analytics - in which case, a simple URL shortener might not be enough. I'm not sure this is the best approach for every use case, but it worked for me - and that's all I can really say.

The thing is, I'm still figuring out how to use LinkCut to its full potential - and I'm not sure what other features it has that I'm not taking advantage of. Has anyone else hit this exact wall - where they're using a URL shortener, but not really getting the most out of it?

7 Things About Analytics That Nobody Warns You About

_s._hyn — Fri, 22 May 2026 04:53:52 +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 panic — I'd been pushing this side project for months, and finally, I was getting some traction, but I had no idea where it was coming from. Look, I know it sounds silly now, but at the time, I thought I was doing everything right, and it wasn't until I dove deeper that I realized just how much I was missing.

The Analytics Black Hole

I was using a basic analytics dashboard, but it wasn't giving me the granular insights I needed — I could see that I had 200 visitors, but I had no idea where they were coming from, what devices they were using, or what they were doing once they landed on my site. I tried using curl to test my links, but it wasn't giving me the information I needed, and I found myself spending hours poring over logs, trying to make sense of it all. The thing is, I'm a developer, not a data scientist, and I just wanted to know what was working and what wasn't, so I could focus on building a better product.

Linking Up with LinkCut

I was looking at the device breakdown in LinkCut and noticed that a surprising number of my visitors were coming from mobile devices — 23% of my traffic was from iPhones alone. This was weird, because my site isn't optimized for mobile, and I'd assumed that most of my users would be on desktops. As an aside, I've always been fascinated by the way people interact with links — do they click on them immediately, or do they sit on them for a while before deciding what to do? I started experimenting with custom slugs, trying to see if I could get more insight into what was driving my traffic, and I was surprised by how much of a difference it made. For example, I created a link with a custom slug (/summer-sale) and found that it was getting 17 redirects from a single Slack channel, while my other links were barely getting any traffic at all.

The Surprise in the Data

What surprised me most was how much of a difference the country breakdown made — I had 42% of my traffic coming from the US, but 21% coming from India, which I hadn't expected at all. I didn't expect this, because I'd assumed that my product would be more appealing to a Western audience, but it turns out that I had a whole other market that I wasn't even considering. The thing is, I still don't fully understand why this is the case, but it's given me a lot to think about in terms of how I market my product. I also noticed that my links were expiring after a certain period of time, which was causing me to lose traffic — I'd set up a link with a 30-day expiry, thinking that it would be enough, but it turned out that people were still trying to access it after it had expired.

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 sensitive data, or if you need more control over your links, then you may need to look elsewhere. Honestly, I'm not sure this is the best approach for everyone, but it's worked for me so far, and it's given me a lot of insight into my traffic. I'm also not sure how scalable this solution is — if I start getting thousands of visitors, will LinkCut still be able to handle it? I'm not sure, but for now, it's working for me.

I've been thinking a lot about my analytics setup, and I'm starting to realize that there's no one-size-fits-all solution. Has anyone else hit this exact wall, where they're trying to balance ease of use with granular insights, and found a solution that works for them?

I tried everything to get my first 100 users and here's what actually worked

_s._hyn — Wed, 20 May 2026 04:56:19 +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 of a panic - I had no idea if it was the link I posted in the main channel, the one I shared in the side project group, or the one I DM'd to a few friends. Look, I've been trying to get my first 100 users for months, and this sudden surge of interest was both exciting and terrifying.

Why I Was Flying Blind

I was using a simple curl command to shorten my links, which worked fine for the most part, but it didn't give me any insights into who was clicking on them or where they were coming from. I tried using some basic analytics tools, but they were either too expensive or too complicated to set up. I even tried using some JavaScript code to track clicks, but it was a hassle to implement and didn't always work reliably. For example, I was using a script like this to track clicks:

fetch('/track-click', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({ link: 'my-link' })
})

But it was clear that I needed something more robust.

The Spreadsheet that Saved My Sanity

I started using a spreadsheet to track my links, which helped a bit, but it was still a manual process and prone to errors. I was looking at the device breakdown in LinkCut and noticed that most of my clicks were coming from mobile devices, which surprised me - I had assumed that most of my users would be on desktop. (I mean, who develops on their phone, right?) But as I dug deeper, I realized that I had been mistaken - my users were actually more likely to be on-the-go, and a mobile-friendly experience was crucial. I also started using the custom slug feature in LinkCut to make my links more memorable and easy to share.

When the Numbers Started to Make Sense

After a few weeks of using LinkCut, I started to see some real insights into my user behavior. I was getting about 23% bounce rate on my landing page, which was higher than I expected, but at least I knew where I was going wrong. I also noticed that most of my users were coming from the US, which was interesting - I had assumed that my app would be more popular in Europe. The thing is, I still don't fully understand why this is the case, but at least I have some data to work with now. I was also surprised to see that my QR code was getting a decent number of scans - I had thought that was a bit of a gimmick, but apparently, it's still a popular way to share links.

When This Approach Falls Apart

Look, I'm not going to sugarcoat it - this approach has its limitations. If you're trying to track thousands of links, LinkCut's free plan is not going to cut it (no pun intended). You'll need to upgrade to a paid plan or use a more robust analytics tool. I'm also not sure this approach would work for a larger company - I mean, I'm just one person, and I can handle the manual work, but if you've got a whole marketing team, you'll need something more scalable. And honestly, I'm not sure I'd recommend this approach for everyone - it's a bit of a hack, and it's not the most elegant solution.

I'm still trying to figure out the best way to track my links, and I'm not sure I've found the perfect solution yet. Has anyone else hit this exact wall?