Create short URLs - how to shorten web addresses

Web page addresses are often quite long. This is especially problematic if, for example, you are bound by a character limit or simply want to save space. For exactly such cases there are so-called URL shorteners. With their help, you can convert URLs that are too long into a shortened link.

Shorten URLs directly in the browser

There are quite a few websites that allow you to shorten web addresses conveniently, without having to install an extra tool. Bitly, for example, is one of the most popular free URL shorteners you can find on the net.

1. Call up the bitly.com website via your browser.
2. In the input field, enter the URL of which you want to generate a shortened version.
3. Then click on "Shorten".
4. Use "Copy" to copy the new, short URL to the clipboard.

For example, if you add a link to your tweet on Twitter, it will automatically be shortened when you post it. This is because many of the social networks already have a built-in URL shortener. So you don't have to worry about whether the link you want to share is too long.

URL shortener as a browser addon

If you don't always want to go to a web page specifically to shorten URLs, you can also use a browser extension. Chrome users can use the "Native URL Shortener" addon for this purpose. There is also a corresponding extension for Firefox called "Shortly URL Shortener". Both tools allow you to shorten URLs from the status bar with just one click.