Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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What is URLNEW?
URLNEW is a free URL redirection and shortener service that allows users to make a long URL into a new URL (or Shortcut) that is easier to remember and share.
For example, you can turn this link (long URL):
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Grand+Rapids,+MI/@42.95,-85.725,12z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x88185460bb502815:0xa593aacb1bd3a8d0!8m2!3d42.95!4d-85.725
Into this link (Shortcut):
https://urlnew.com/sample
This makes it easier to include the link in an email, tweet or document without it breaking or taking up too much space.
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Can I customize my Shortcut (pick my own Shortcut code)?
Sure, as long as it hasn't already been claimed. When you paste in your own long URL, just enter your own Shortcut code (at least 6 and up to 16 letters and/or digits), and click the "Make URL!" button.
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How long will these Shortcuts last? Will they ever expire?
No, there are no plans to expire Shortcuts created in URLNEW. However, Shortcuts that are found to be in violation of our Terms Of Use policy are subject to termination.
Additionally, Shortcuts that become stale or "broken" (i.e., return errors when navigated to), or have gone for a prolonged period of time without any visits (i.e., hasn't been clicked for a year or longer) may also be subject to removal.
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Is there a way to find out the destination link (long URL) of a published Shortcut without actually going there?
Yes, there is a "peek" (preview) feature for any URLNEW Shortcut. Just insert the word peek into the URLNEW Shortcut in your web browser.
For example, https://urlnew.com/peek/sample will show a preview of https://urlnew.com/sample. Try it!
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How about statistics? Can I find out how many times a Shortcut has been clicked?
URLNEW maintains a daily, weekly and monthly count of the number of clicks for each Shortcut, as well as an overall count since the Shortcut was created.
To view these counts, insert the word stats into the URLNEW Shortcut in your web browser. For example, https://urlnew.com/stats/sample.
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Will URLNEW be translated into other languages?
Currently there are English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portugese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish and Thai-language translations of the website. Work is underway on other languages, which may be coming online over the next several months.
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Are Internationalized Domain Names (IDN) available for use in URLNEW?
Not at this time, although this is being considered for a future release.
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Can "private" URLNEW Shortcuts be created, and/or can an URLNEW Shortcut be modified or deleted once it is created (published)?
Not at this time, although these and other features may be considered in the future.
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How about user privacy? Does URLNEW collect and/or sell personal information about me?
URLNEW does not collect and/or sell ANY personal or personally identifiable information about any visitors, to anyone, for any reason. At this time, we don't even provide user accounts which themselves would require furnishing personal information to us.
However, it is not enough for us to simply state "we repect your right to privacy", as we are subject to several privacy-related regulations online, including the California Consumer Privacy Act and General Data Protection Regulation. For further information on how we comply with these regulations, please refer to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy, as well as our Terms Of Use.
Last Modified: January 3, 2022