Marketing1 min read
7 rules for naming your short links
A good slug can be read out loud, typed without mistakes and understood before the click. Here are the rules we follow ourselves.
By L'équipe Bref
A random short link like /k7x2qm does the job. But a readable link like /spring-sale builds trust, sticks in memory and gets shared more. Here are our seven rules.
1. Say what's behind it
The slug is a promise. /menu leads to a menu, /signup to a form. A link that announces its destination gets more clicks than a mystery link.
2. Keep it short
Aim for one to three words. Beyond that, you lose the point of a short link. /utm-guide rather than /complete-guide-to-utm-parameters-2026.
3. Hyphens, no capitals
Bref lowercases slugs on purpose: /Sale and /sale should never be two different links. Separate words with hyphens, never spaces or accents.
4. Avoid words that are ambiguous out loud
If the link will be read on the radio, in a podcast or on stage, avoid words that can be spelled several ways. /4u is short but hard to dictate; /for-you is safer.
5. Think about the medium
On a poster, people type the link by hand: every character counts. For a QR code length matters less, but a short slug gives a simpler QR code, easier to scan from a distance.
6. One link per channel
Instead of one /promo everywhere, create /promo-insta, /promo-newsletter, /promo-flyer. Your analytics will tell you which one works, with nothing else to set up.
7. Never recycle a slug
A printed link lives a long time. If you reuse /contest next year for something else, old posters will lead to the wrong place. Prefer /contest-2027, and change the old link's destination if needed.
In Bref, a random slug is suggested by default (the die in the field), and you can replace it with your own. Availability is checked as you type.
