When you click a shortened link, there is a brief moment between tapping the URL and arriving at the destination page. During that moment, the shortener's server receives your request. What happens with that request — what data is logged, what is analysed, what is stored — varies considerably between different services. This guide covers what URL shorteners typically track, what that data is used for, and what it means for people on both sides of a short link.
What URL Shorteners Can Track
When someone clicks a short link, the request passes through the URL shortener's server before the redirect is issued. At that moment, the server has access to the following information:
| Data type | What it reveals | Tracked by most services? |
|---|---|---|
| IP address | Approximate location (city, region, country), internet service provider | Yes |
| User agent string | Browser type, version, operating system, device type | Yes |
| Referrer URL | The page the visitor was on before clicking the link | Yes |
| Timestamp | Exact date and time of the click | Yes |
| Geographic location | Derived from IP — country, city, sometimes neighbourhood | Yes (via IP geolocation) |
| Language setting | Browser's preferred language | Sometimes |
| Screen resolution | Device display characteristics | Rarely |
All of this data is visible to the URL shortener's server without any special software or user consent — it is part of how HTTP requests work by default. The question is whether the shortener chooses to log it, analyse it, and make it available.
Who Can See This Data?
Most URL shortening services offer click analytics as a feature — they present this data to the person who created the short link. If you receive a Bitly link from a newsletter, the newsletter sender can see that you clicked it, approximately when, from which country, and on which device. This is usually disclosed in the shortener's privacy policy, but most people sharing or clicking links are unaware of the extent of data collection.
Beyond the link creator, the shortener service itself has access to aggregate data across all links. This data is often used for internal analytics, service improvement, and in some cases, monetisation.
Comparison of URL Shorteners by Privacy
| Service | Click tracking | IP logging | Data sold or shared | Account required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| clkr.me | Anonymous (country, device, browser) | No (IP used transiently for geo, not stored) | Not sold or shared | No |
| Bitly | Full analytics dashboard | Yes (for geolocation) | Per privacy policy | Yes |
| TinyURL | Optional, limited | Unknown | Not disclosed clearly | No |
| Rebrandly | Full analytics | Yes | Per privacy policy | Yes |
| t.ly | Optional | Unknown | Not disclosed clearly | Optional |
| Short.io | Full analytics | Yes | Per privacy policy | Yes |
How clkr.me Handles This
clkr.me collects anonymous click analytics per link — specifically: country and city (derived from IP at click time, IP not stored), device type, browser, operating system, and referrer. This data is accessible via the Stats page using your short code. There is no account or login to view it — anyone with the short code can see the stats.
What clkr.me does not collect: raw IP addresses of clickers, personal identifiers, names, emails, or any data linked to who created the link. The link creator is completely anonymous to us.
For businesses subject to GDPR, CCPA, or similar regulations: you should be aware that clkr.me does collect anonymous click analytics. These do not include personal identifiers, but they do include approximate location data. Review our Privacy Policy to determine if this fits your compliance requirements.
Google Analytics runs on our website pages, and Google AdSense serves ads on the link preview page. These are standard services with their own data collection governed by Google's policies.
If You Create Short Links: What This Means
If you are sharing links with customers, followers, or colleagues, be aware that clkr.me does collect anonymous click data — country, device, browser. No personal identifiers or IP addresses are stored. The data is visible to anyone with the short code via our Stats page.
The trade-off is that you have no click analytics. You will not know how many people clicked your link, when, or from where. If analytics matter for your use case — tracking campaign performance, measuring link engagement in newsletters — a service that offers opt-in analytics with proper disclosure is more appropriate.
If You Receive Short Links: What You Can Do
If you want to know where a short link goes before clicking it, most browsers allow you to hover over a link (on desktop) to see the destination URL in the status bar. On mobile, long-pressing a link usually shows options including "preview link" or "open in new tab" where you can see the destination URL before committing to the click.
For Bitly links specifically, adding a plus sign to the end of the URL (e.g., bit.ly/example+) opens an information page showing the destination rather than redirecting immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can URL shorteners see what websites I visit after clicking their link?
No. A URL shortener only sees the click — the moment you request the short URL. Once the redirect sends you to the destination, the shortener has no visibility into what you do on that site or where you go afterwards.
Is my IP address shared with the destination website when I click a short link?
Your IP address is visible to any web server you connect to, including the destination website. The shortener's redirect does not change this. The destination site receives your IP address the same way any website does when you visit it directly.
Does clkr.me use cookies?
clkr.me does not set first-party cookies on regular visitors. Third-party cookies from Google Analytics and Google AdSense may be set on website pages per their respective policies.
Are clkr.me short links safe to click?
clkr.me validates all URLs before accepting them — only standard http:// and https:// links are permitted. Links using javascript:, data:, or other non-standard protocols are rejected. As with any link, exercise normal caution if you received it from an unknown source.
