Shorten long URLs and track link performance directly in Social Planner. The Link Shortener helps you create cleaner social media posts, add campaign tracking parameters, and monitor link clicks.


This guide explains how to generate shortened links and review their performance.

TABLE OF CONTENTS


The Link Shortener is a built-in Social Planner feature that converts long URLs into shorter links for published posts. It also supports UTM parameters and link-click tracking, helping you measure the performance of your social media campaigns.


This functionality helps improve the overall readability and visual appeal of your social content, especially when sharing URLs from blogs, landing pages, or external websites.


Shortened links make social media posts easier to read while providing valuable insights into campaign performance.


  • Clean posts: Keeps social posts uncluttered by shortening long URLs.

  • Better experience: Improves user experience with concise, easy-to-read links.

  • Auto-shortening: Automatically generates a shortened version of a long URL when you use the Link Shortener.

  • Post preview: Shows how the final post will look with the shortened link.

  • Cross-platform support: Works across all connected social platforms in Social Planner.


Follow these steps to create and insert a shortened link while composing a social media post.


  1. Navigate to Marketing > Social Planner from the left-hand menu. Click + New Post > + Create New Post.



  2. In the post composer, select the social media accounts where you want to publish the post.



  3. Enter your post content in the Content input box.

  4. Click the URL Shortener icon next to the content editor.



  5. Enter the Name of the Link and Target URL.

  6. Set up the tracking details:

    • UTM Campaign (utm_campaign): Select or create a campaign.

    • Custom UTM Parameters: Add parameters such as source or campaign.

  7. Click Generate and Insert Link.

  8. Once inserted:

    • The preview pane displays the shortened version of the URL.

    • The content input field continues to display the original long URL.

  9. Review your post and select Publish to publish immediately or Schedule to publish later.



Important Considerations


Understanding how shortened links and tracking parameters work helps ensure accurate campaign reporting.


  • Supported Links: Native URL Tracking is available for supported shortened links generated through Social Planner.

  • UTM Parameters: UTM tags identify campaign traffic in compatible analytics tools. They are separate from Social Planner's click tracking.

  • Automatic Short URLs: Shortened URLs are generated automatically and cannot currently be manually customized.

  • Link Preview: The original URL remains in the editor, but the shortened link appears in the published post.

  • External Shorteners: You can manually add third-party shortened links, but Social Planner's native URL Tracking does not track them.

  • Conversion Tracking: Link clicks do not automatically measure leads, purchases, or other website conversions.


Social Planner provides link-level performance analytics directly on the Statistics page. In addition to shortening links inside your posts, you can track how those links perform after publishing.


The Link Shortener continues to display shortened URLs in your post preview and final published post.


With URL Tracking, you can:


  • View shortened links and their original long URLs in performance analytics.

  • Automatically track clicks for supported links created through Social Planner.

  • Review click performance after a post goes live without additional tracking setup.

  • Use Campaign Names to group multiple posts that share the same link.

Note: Only links created through Social Planner appear on the URL Tracking statistics page.



Social Planner provides click analytics for supported links shared through your social posts.


You can track:


  • Total Link Clicks: View the total number of clicks for each tracked URL.

  • Platform Performance: Compare link clicks across supported platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

  • Trends Over Time: Review how link-click activity changes over time.





2. Campaign Tracking


When composing a post, you can assign a Campaign Name to your link.



Posts that use the same link and campaign are grouped together in analytics. This helps you compare link performance across posts and social channels.



3. Filters & Sorting


Navigate to Marketing > Social Planner > Statistics > URL Tracking to review link performance.


You can filter links to identify top-performing and low-performing URLs.



4. Quick URL Preview


Select any URL in the tracking statistics to open its preview panel.


The preview helps you identify the link you are analyzing.

Frequently Asked Questions


Q: Will my social post show the long or short link?

The published post displays the shortened link. The original long URL remains visible in the content editor.



Q: Why do UTM parameters matter when using a link shortener?

UTM parameters help identify where website traffic originates and which campaigns contribute to visits.

When you use a link shortener without UTM parameters:

  • Analytics tools might classify traffic as direct or generic referral traffic.

  • You may have difficulty distinguishing performance between:

    • Facebook advertisements and organic Facebook posts.

    • Email header links and footer links.

    • Different influencers or promotional sources.




Q. When you use a link shortener with UTM parameters:

You can:

  • Track campaigns in Google Analytics or other compatible analytics tools.

  • Compare performance across marketing channels and creative content.

  • Identify which links and placements generate traffic.

The Link Shortener keeps URLs containing UTM parameters concise, while the UTM tags provide campaign attribution information.



Q: Can I customize or rename the shortened link?

No. Shortened links are currently generated automatically and cannot be edited.



Q: Does the Link Shortener work on all social platforms?

Yes. Shortened links work across supported social platforms in Social Planner, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more.



Q: Can I still use external link shorteners such as Bitly?

Yes. You can manually add shortened links created with third-party services.

However, these links are not included in Social Planner's native URL Tracking analytics.