Link Management Best Practices: Naming, Organising and Cleaning Up Short Links

Your first few short links are easy to keep track of. By the fiftieth, you'll be wondering which link is printed on the spring flyer, which one went in last month's newsletter, and whether that old offer link still works.

A few simple habits keep things organised, protect links that matter, and make your data far more useful.

1. Adopt a naming convention

Consistent custom aliases make links easy to recognise in your history and easy to say aloud. A simple pattern is:

topic + channel or detail

• sale-ig, sale-mail, sale-flyer
• menu-table, menu-window
• webinar-oct, webinar-nov

Pick one separator (hyphens are the easiest to read) and stick with lower case.

2. Keep a link inventory

Your link history shows what you've created, but not why. A simple spreadsheet fills the gap. Track:

The "Where it's used" column is the most important. It tells you which links must never be deleted.

3. Separate permanent links from campaign links

Not all links have the same lifespan:

• Permanent links appear on packaging, signage, business cards, your bio or your website. They should work for years.
• Campaign links are tied to a promotion, event or post. They matter for a few weeks, then mainly for reporting.

Label each link as permanent or campaign in your inventory. Permanent links should be checked regularly and never deleted while in use.

4. Shorten the final destination

Before shortening, open the destination and copy the address you finally land on. If the page redirects elsewhere, shorten the final URL. This avoids redirect chains, which slow visitors down and break more easily when websites change.

5. Test every link before sharing

Open each new short link once in a private browser window and once on your phone. Check that:

• It reaches the right page
• The page loads properly on mobile
• Any UTM parameters are intact

Then stop clicking it, because your own clicks count in the analytics.

6. Use separate links to compare channels

If you want to know what works, never use one link everywhere. Create a link per channel or placement, all pointing to the same destination, and compare their clicks. See link click analytics.

7. Review your analytics on a schedule

Set a recurring reminder, weekly for active campaigns and monthly for everything else:

• Which links got the most clicks?
• Which channels are growing or shrinking?
• Are permanent links still getting regular use?
• Has any link suddenly dropped to zero? That might mean its destination is broken, or it's no longer displayed somewhere.

8. Check destinations after website changes

Website redesigns, new shop platforms and renamed pages are the most common cause of broken links. After any website change, test your permanent links and update any that now point to missing pages. On Trimx you can't change a link's destination, so create a new link and replace the old one where possible.

9. Clean up links you no longer need

Old test links and expired campaign links clutter your history and make reporting harder. With a Trimx account, you can delete links you created from your link history: click the delete icon next to the link and confirm.

Before deleting, check:

• Is it printed anywhere? If yes, keep it.
• Is it in old emails, posts or documents people might still open? If those still matter, keep it.
• Do you need its analytics? Deleting a link removes its click data too, so note any numbers you want to keep first.

Once deleted, the link stops working immediately for everyone, and this can't be undone.

10. Protect sensitive links

• Use one-time links for private files meant for a single person.
• Use IP-restricted links for internal resources.
• Make sure the destination itself has the right permissions. A short link doesn't make a public document private.

A monthly link health check

1. Open your link history and sort by date.
2. Test every permanent link.
3. Review analytics for active campaigns.
4. Delete test links and expired campaign links that aren't used anywhere.
5. Update your link inventory.

It takes about fifteen minutes and saves you from broken links in front of customers.

Frequently asked questions

Can I delete a short link on Trimx?

Yes. Sign in, open your link history, click the delete icon next to a link you created, and confirm. The link stops working immediately, and its analytics are removed.

Can I change where a short link points?

Not currently. To change a destination, create a new short link and replace the old one wherever it's used.

How many short links is too many?

There's no real limit to how many you can manage, as long as they're named consistently and tracked in an inventory. Organisation matters more than quantity.

Should I delete old campaign links?

Only if they're not used anywhere and you don't need their data. Links in old emails or printed materials should usually be kept.