How Does a URL Shortener Turn a Long Link Into a Short Link?

Updated

A URL shortener takes a long web address, stores it, and gives you a short code on its own domain — for example, a long product or campaign link becomes something like https://ai6.net/shorty. When someone opens the short link, the service redirects their browser to the original long URL. On AI6, you paste the full target link, optionally pick a link domain (it defaults to ai6.net), click Shorten, and copy the result. The catch: the free version is built for links that go straight to a landing page, and it enforces content rules and a hit limit.

What makes a long URL hard to share

A URL has two parts: the domain (such as oursight.co.uk) and everything after it — folders, page names, and a query string that begins with a question mark. Query strings carry tracking and command parameters and can run past 64 characters on their own. AI6's own example shows the problem:

https://www.exampleofalonglink.com/superlongexampleofalink.html/?still=going&no_not_finished=just_yet&so_on

That is awkward in a social post, breaks across lines in an SMS, and is easy to mistype. A short link replaces all of it with a domain plus a short code.

How the conversion and redirect work

  1. You submit the full URL. The shortener checks that the link is complete and correct; AI6 warns that an incomplete or wrong link returns an error.
  2. It generates a short code. The long address is saved against a short string on the service's domain, producing a link like https://ai6.net/shorty.
  3. A visitor opens the short link. The service looks up the stored original and redirects the browser there. The visitor sees the destination page, not the long address.

The short link is only a pointer. If the destination page moves or is taken down, the short link stops working even though it still resolves.

Steps to shorten a link on AI6

  1. Copy the complete target URL, including any query string.
  2. Paste it into the shortener's input box.
  3. Select a link domain if you want something other than the default ai6.net.
  4. Click Shorten! and copy the resulting short link.
  5. Test it once before sharing to confirm it lands on the right page.

AI6 also lists a QR code option and beta statistics for shrunken links, so you can check whether a link is being opened.

Conditions and limits on the free version

AI6 states its free version is "free forever" but comes with rules:

Condition Free version (ai6.net)
Link domain All links go through ai6.net
Adult sites Not allowed
Redirection sites Not allowed
Hit limit 30 days with no hit limit
Content screening Family-friendly links only; others removed by "Defender"

A paid full version with multiple domains, dedicated adult domains, allowed redirection sites, and unlimited hits is described as "coming soon," so it is not available yet. The site does not publish prices or login requirements, so treat access terms as unconfirmed until you try the form.

The most important restriction is purpose: AI6 says that if you are not redirecting directly to a landing page, the shortener "will not suit your purposes." If your link needs to pass through another redirect, this tool is the wrong fit.

Where short links help

  • Social posts: a compact link leaves room for the message and looks cleaner on Facebook or Twitter.
  • SMS: short links survive line breaks and are easier to tap.
  • Marketing campaigns: a short, memorable link is simpler to repeat in print, email, or spoken calls to action.

For any of these, confirm the destination is final and family-friendly before shortening, and keep a record of the original URL so you can rebuild the link if the destination changes.