Guide · Creating links
Free or premium short link: what changes
Both links shorten an address. They differ in how long they last, what a visitor sees first and how they are paid for.
Side by side
A free link lasts a week. A visitor first sees a page that shows the destination and asks them to continue. It is made without an account.
A premium link lasts a year and sends the visitor straight to the destination, with no waiting page and no ads. It is paid for with Monero and a pack key, again with no account.
What the difference means
- Lifetime: a week suits a chat or an event; a year suits a bio, a printed leaflet or a link inside a document.
- Waiting page: it is a safety feature, because it shows where the link goes before the visitor goes there. A premium link gives that up for speed, which suits a destination the audience already trusts.
- Redirect: a premium link answers with a temporary redirect (HTTP 302), not a permanent one (301). RFC 9110 describes a 301 as a new permanent address that clients ought to use from then on. Links here can expire or be blocked, so a permanent answer would be wrong.
Premium links are bought in packs. Each premium link or renewal uses one credit, payments are final, and no link, free or premium, lasts for ever.
Choosing
Use a free link when the link matters for days. Use a premium link when it must keep working for months, or when a visitor should not have to stop on the way.
A free link can be upgraded later with its creator token, so starting free costs nothing but time.
Questions
How long does a free short link last?
A week.
Does a premium link show a waiting page?
No. It sends the visitor straight to the destination.
Can a free link become premium?
Yes, with the creator token shown when it was made, using one credit from a pack key.
Sources
The documents this guide's statements rest on. Each link opens in a new page.