Custom Short Codes

Every Shrinkr link has a short code — the part after shrinkr.nl/. You can choose your own or let Shrinkr generate one.

Auto-Generated Codes

If you don't provide a custom code, Shrinkr generates a random 8-character alphanumeric string:

https://shrinkr.nl/k7xm2p9a

These are guaranteed unique and work great for temporary or internal links.

Choosing a Custom Code

Custom codes make links memorable and brandable:

https://shrinkr.nl/docs
https://shrinkr.nl/spring-sale
https://shrinkr.nl/portfolio

Rules

• Length: 3 to 50 characters
• Characters: Letters (a-z, A-Z), numbers (0-9), and hyphens (-)
• Case-sensitive: MyLink and mylink are different codes
• Unique: Short codes are globally unique across all users

Best Practices

• Keep it short — the whole point is a shorter URL
• Make it readable — use hyphens to separate words: spring-sale not springsale
• Be descriptive — docs is better than d1
• Avoid ambiguity — don't use codes that look like existing URL paths
• Think about longevity — sale-2026 will feel outdated; latest-sale won't

Reserved Codes

The following paths are reserved and cannot be used as short codes:

• api — API endpoints
• dashboard — user dashboard
• login, register — auth pages
• docs — documentation
• privacy, terms — legal pages
• _next — Next.js internals

If you try to use a reserved code, you'll receive a 400 Bad Request error.