What Options Can I Use When Shortening a Link on tny.lv?

Updated

tny.lv offers four inputs on its shortening form: the destination link itself, plus three optional settings — a custom keyword, an expiry date, and a password. Only the link is required; the other three appear under "Advanced Options" and can be left blank for a standard short link.

The four fields on the form

Field Required? What it does
Link you want to shorten Yes The destination URL that the short link will point to
Custom keyword Optional Lets you choose the ending of the short link instead of accepting a generated one
Expiry date Optional Sets a date after which the short link stops working
Password Optional Requires a password before the short link can be opened

The page labels the last three as "Advanced Options," so a plain paste-and-click flow is the default path.

How each option behaves

Custom keyword

This replaces the automatically generated code at the end of the short link with one you pick. It is useful when you want a link that is easy to read aloud, print on a poster, or recognize later in a list. The form does not state rules for allowed characters or length, so treat it as a free-text field and test the result before distributing the link.

Expiry date

Setting a date makes the link time-limited. This suits one-off situations — a sign-up sheet for a single event, a temporary download, a link shared in a chat that should not circulate indefinitely. Leaving it empty means no expiry is applied through this field.

Password

A password adds a gate in front of the destination: anyone with the short link still needs the password to continue. Use it when the link itself may be forwarded beyond your intended audience, and share the password through a separate channel.

A worked example

Suppose you are collecting RSVPs for a workshop on a fixed date. You paste the registration form URL, set the custom keyword to something like workshop-rsvp, and set the expiry date to the day after the event. The result is a short, readable link that stops accepting visitors once the event has passed — no manual cleanup needed.

If the same form contained attendee-only material, you would add a password and send it to confirmed registrants separately from the link.

What the service says about handling your links

The footer describes tny.lv as "a sovereign short-link service by adminForge" built on YOURLS, and states "no tracking | no logging | no advertising." That matters when choosing between options: the site presents itself as a plain redirector rather than an analytics product, so do not expect click statistics from the short link itself. If you need to count visits, track them on the destination page.

One behavior worth knowing: if the link you submit is already in the database, the page reports "This link was already in the database" rather than creating a duplicate. In that case you receive the existing short link, and any custom keyword, expiry, or password you entered may not apply to it. If those options matter, confirm the resulting link reflects them before sharing.

Choosing your settings

  • Public, permanent link (a homepage, a document you maintain): paste the URL and skip all advanced options.
  • Link you will say out loud or print: add a custom keyword.
  • Time-bound campaign or event: add an expiry date.
  • Restricted audience: add a password and distribute it separately.
  • Need click data: use a different tool, since this service advertises no tracking or logging.

The interface is available in English and German via the language toggle at the top of the page.