Short links.
Strong opinions about the web.
A URL shortener that respects your readers, a QR generator that runs in your browser, and a blog about the unglamorous parts of building for the web. No tracking pixels. No intimidating customer logos.
What this site isn't.
A short, honest list.
Not a Bitly clone
A URL shortener does not need 600,000 customer logos and an enterprise sales team. We are smaller on purpose.
Not VC-funded
No growth metrics to hit, no investor logos to chase.
Not "AI-powered"
Shortening a URL is a database lookup. It does not need a chatbot.
Not free-with-an-asterisk
The free tier covers what most people need. Paid tiers, when they exist, will be honest.
From the journal
Recent writing.
- № 01 · Apr 22
How URL shorteners actually work
A short URL is a database row, an HTTP redirect, and a series of decisions you don't usually see. Here is what happens when you click bit.ly/anything.
urlsweb - № 02 · Apr 8
QR code error correction, explained
Why a QR code with a logo in the middle still scans, why some codes survive coffee stains and others don't, and how to pick the right error correction level for your use case.
qr-codesencoding - № 03 · Mar 28
The hidden cost of free URL shorteners
Free URL shorteners are not free — they trade your data, your link's longevity, and your readers' privacy. Here is what you are actually paying.
urlsprivacy