Question 1

What is Cut.bd?

Accepted Answer

Cut.bd is a URL shortener and link intelligence platform. You can shorten any long URL into a compact short link, track who clicks it (device, location, referrer), customise the branded slug, set expiry dates, protect with passwords, generate QR codes, and much more.

Question 2

Do I need an account to shorten a link?

Accepted Answer

No. You can shorten a link without signing in using the anonymous shortener on the homepage. Anonymous links expire after 90 days and don't include analytics or any other features. Create a free account to unlock persistent links and analytics.

Question 3

How do I create my first short link?

Accepted Answer

After signing in, go to My Links and click New link. Paste your destination URL, optionally set a custom slug, tags, expiry, or password, then click Create. Your short URL is ready to share instantly.

Question 4

Is Cut.bd free to use?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Free plan gives you up to 30 links per month, basic analytics, a branded domain, and QR code generation. Paid plans unlock higher limits, more custom domains, team seats, advanced analytics, and more.

Question 5

What browsers and devices are supported?

Accepted Answer

Cut.bd's dashboard works in all modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge). The redirect engine works on any device or browser — short links open reliably on desktop, mobile, and in-app browsers.

Question 6

Can I import links I already have elsewhere?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Go to My Links → Import and either paste a list of URLs or upload a CSV file. You can preview the results before importing and download a results CSV that shows which links were created successfully.

Question 7

Can I choose a custom slug for my short link?

Accepted Answer

Yes. When creating or editing a link you can set any custom slug (e.g. snip.link/my-promo). Slugs must be unique within a domain. If the slug is already taken you'll be prompted to pick another.

Question 8

How long can destination URLs be?

Accepted Answer

There is no hard limit on destination URL length. Cut.bd stores the full URL and uses it for the redirect regardless of how long it is.

Question 9

Can I edit a link's destination after it's been created?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Open the link from My Links, update the Destination URL field in the Details section, and click Save. All existing short URLs continue to work and will point to the new destination immediately.

Question 10

Can I set a link to expire automatically?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Set an Expiry date/time on the link. After that moment anyone who clicks the short URL will see a "link expired" page. You can clear or extend the expiry at any time from the link editor.

Question 11

How do I password-protect a link?

Accepted Answer

In the link editor open the Security section and enter a password. Visitors will see a password prompt before being redirected. You can remove or change the password at any time. Password protection requires a Single plan or higher.

Question 12

What are UTM parameters and how do I add them?

Accepted Answer

UTM parameters (Source, Medium, Campaign, Term, Content) are query-string tags that analytics tools like Google Analytics use to attribute traffic. Open the UTM section in the link editor to fill them in — Cut.bd appends them to the destination URL automatically on every redirect.

Question 13

What is A/B testing for links?

Accepted Answer

A/B testing lets you split traffic across multiple destination URLs with custom weights (e.g. 50/50 or 70/30). Each variant's click counts are tracked separately so you can measure which destination performs best.

Question 14

Can I set iOS and Android deep-link destinations?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In the Deep Links section of the link editor you can set separate destination URLs for iOS and Android. Mobile users will be sent to the appropriate app-store or in-app URL while desktop users go to the default destination.

Question 15

What is the Social Preview section?

Accepted Answer

Social Preview lets you override the Open Graph title, description, and image shown when your short link is pasted into Slack, Twitter/X, iMessage, LinkedIn, and other platforms that unfurl URLs. You can upload an image or paste a URL.

Question 16

How do I pause or archive a link?

Accepted Answer

Open the link and use the status control in the header — you can set it to Active, Paused (redirects stop, visitors see a pause page), or Archived (hidden from your list but data is retained). Archived links can be restored at any time.

Question 17

Can I tag links for organisation?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Tags are free-form labels you can assign to any link. Go to Tags in the sidebar to manage your tag library (colours, descriptions). You can filter your links list and analytics by tag.

Question 18

Is there a bulk shortening option?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In My Links click Import. You can paste a list of URLs (one per line) or upload a CSV. The CSV format supports destinationUrl, customSlug, title, and tags columns. After preview, import creates all links in one go and you can export the results.

Question 19

What analytics data does Cut.bd collect?

Accepted Answer

For every click Cut.bd records: timestamp, country, region, city, device type, OS, browser, browser version, referrer domain, full referrer URL, UTM parameters, and whether the click was a unique visitor or a bot. Geo data requires the GeoIP database to be configured on the server.

Question 20

How is a "unique visitor" counted?

Accepted Answer

Unique visitors are counted using a daily-rotating salted hash of the visitor's IP address. The same IP counts as one unique visitor per day per link. The hash is one-way and cannot be reversed — we never store raw IPs.

Question 21

How are bots detected?

Accepted Answer

Cut.bd uses the isbot library which matches User-Agent strings against a large database of known bot signatures (crawlers, monitoring tools, preview fetchers). Bot clicks are recorded but counted separately so they don't inflate your human-traffic numbers.

Question 22

What time ranges can I view in analytics?

Accepted Answer

You can view analytics for 24 hours, 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, 1 year, 2 years, or All time. The time-series chart, totals, and all breakdown tables all update to the selected range.

Question 23

What is the Hourly Heatmap?

Accepted Answer

The heatmap shows which hours of the day and days of the week your link receives the most clicks — displayed as a grid where darker cells mean more clicks. It's useful for timing campaigns and social posts. Available on the Single plan and above (a 7-day window on Single, 14 days on Team and Ultimate).

Question 24

What is the Source Time Series chart?

Accepted Answer

This chart overlays click volume broken down by social source (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other/direct) across the selected time range. It lets you see which channel is driving growth day-over-day.

Question 25

Can I see analytics for my whole workspace, not just one link?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Analytics page in the sidebar shows workspace-wide rollup metrics: total clicks, unique visitors, active links, top-performing links, top countries, devices, browsers, referrers, and the hourly heatmap — all filterable by date range.

Question 26

Can I export analytics data?

Accepted Answer

Yes. On the Analytics page use the Export button to download a CSV of the raw click log for the selected link and date range. Bulk export of workspace-wide data is available on the Single plan and above.

Question 27

How long is analytics data retained?

Accepted Answer

Retention depends on your plan: Free (30 days), Starter (60 days), Single (1 year), Team (2 years), Ultimate (4 years). Data older than your retention window is automatically pruned.

Question 28

Can I view analytics by tag?

Accepted Answer

From the Tags page click any tag to open its analytics view — totals, time-series, and top links for every link carrying that tag.

Question 29

What are Funnels?

Accepted Answer

Funnels let you chain multiple links or pixel events into a conversion flow. Cut.bd tracks how many visitors enter at step 1 and progress through each subsequent step, showing drop-off rates and an overall conversion rate for a configurable time window.

Question 30

Can I use my own domain for short links?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Add your domain in Domains, then create a CNAME record pointing your subdomain (e.g. go.yourbrand.com) to our edge hostname. Once DNS propagates and SSL is issued, all links on that workspace can use your domain.

Question 31

How do I verify my domain?

Accepted Answer

After adding the domain, Cut.bd gives you a TXT verification record to add to your DNS. Once the record is detected, verification completes automatically. SSL is then provisioned — usually within a few minutes.

Question 32

How many custom domains can I add?

Accepted Answer

Free: 1, Starter: 1, Single: 5, Team: 10, Ultimate: 99. Each domain counts per workspace.

Question 33

Will my existing short links break if I add a custom domain?

Accepted Answer

No. Links using the default domain continue to work. You choose which domain to use per link — existing links are not automatically migrated.

Question 34

Do you support apex (root) domains?

Accepted Answer

We recommend using a subdomain (e.g. go.yourdomain.com) since CNAME records at the apex are not supported by all DNS providers. If your provider supports CNAME flattening or ANAME/ALIAS records you can use the apex, but it's not officially supported.

Question 35

Is SSL included for custom domains?

Accepted Answer

Yes. SSL certificates are provisioned automatically via Let's Encrypt once your domain is verified. Renewal is also automatic.

Question 36

How do I generate a QR code for a link?

Accepted Answer

Open any link and click the QR Code tab. A QR code is generated instantly. You can customise it and download it as a PNG or SVG.

Question 37

Can I customise the QR code design?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Cut.bd's QR Studio lets you: choose the dot pattern (square, rounded, dots, classy, classy-rounded, extra-rounded), choose the corner style, pick a colour from 8 presets or enter any hex colour, and add a logo in the centre.

Question 38

Can I add a frame or call-to-action around the QR code?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Choose from None, Simple, Rounded, or Badge frame styles. Each frame can have custom text (e.g. "Scan me") and a custom colour. Framed codes can be downloaded as a composed PNG.

Question 39

What file formats can I download?

Accepted Answer

PNG (raster, good for print and digital use) and SVG (vector, infinitely scalable, ideal for large-format printing).

Question 40

Does the QR code update if I change the destination URL?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Because the QR code encodes the short URL — not the destination — any change to the destination is reflected instantly without reprinting the code.

Question 41

What is a Bio Page?

Accepted Answer

A Bio Page (link-in-bio) is a mini-website hosted at yourdomain.com/@handle. It displays your profile photo, name, bio, and a list of links — perfect for your Instagram or TikTok bio where you can only share one URL.

Question 42

How do I create a Bio Page?

Accepted Answer

Go to Bio Pages in the sidebar and click New bio page. Choose a handle (e.g. @yourname), add your title and bio, upload an avatar, pick a theme, and start adding links.

Question 43

Can I customise the design?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Choose from four built-in themes: Minimal (clean white), Glass (purple gradient with frosted glass), Gradient (blue-to-purple), and Dark. You can also upload a custom avatar.

Question 44

What types of items can I add to a Bio Page?

Accepted Answer

Three types: Link (a clickable button with title, URL, and optional thumbnail), Header (a section heading to group links), and Divider (a horizontal rule for visual separation).

Question 45

Can I reorder items on my Bio Page?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Use the up/down arrow buttons next to each item to reorder them, or drag them by the grip handle.

Question 46

Can I temporarily hide a Bio Page or individual links?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Set the bio page status to Draft to hide the whole page. Toggle individual items on or off using the toggle button next to each item — hidden items are invisible to visitors but remain in your editor.

Question 47

How many Bio Pages can I have?

Accepted Answer

Free: 1, Starter: 1, Single: 3, Team: 10, Ultimate: 20.

Question 48

Are Bio Page click counts tracked?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Each link item on a Bio Page has its own click counter. The bio page itself also records a view count.

Question 49

What is a Workspace?

Accepted Answer

A Workspace is an isolated namespace for links, domains, analytics, and members. Every account has a personal workspace. Team plan users can create additional team workspaces and invite colleagues.

Question 50

What roles are available in a workspace?

Accepted Answer

Four roles: Owner (full control, can delete workspace), Admin (manage members and settings), Editor (create and edit links), Viewer (read-only access to links and analytics).

Question 51

How do I invite someone to my workspace?

Accepted Answer

Go to the workspace settings (Settings → Members) and enter the person's email. They'll receive an invitation email with a link to join. Invitations expire after 7 days.

Question 52

Can I belong to multiple workspaces?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Switch between workspaces using the workspace switcher at the top of the sidebar.

Question 53

What happens when I remove a member from a workspace?

Accepted Answer

Their access is revoked immediately. Links they created remain in the workspace. Their personal workspace is not affected.

Question 54

How many seats does each plan include?

Accepted Answer

Free: 1, Starter: 1, Single: 1, Team: 5, Ultimate: 10. Additional seats require upgrading to a higher plan.

Question 55

What are Pixels?

Accepted Answer

Pixels are retargeting tags from ad platforms (Facebook, Google Ads, TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Snapchat, Pinterest, GTM). Cut.bd fires them when a visitor clicks your short link, building ad audiences without modifying your destination page.

Question 56

How do I add a pixel?

Accepted Answer

Go to Settings → Pixels, click Add pixel, choose the platform, and paste your pixel ID. Then assign the pixel to any link in the link editor.

Question 57

Can I assign multiple pixels to one link?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A single link can fire multiple pixels from different platforms simultaneously.

Question 58

Can I disable pixels on a specific link?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In the link editor enable Privacy mode → Disable pixels. That link won't fire any pixel on click.

Question 59

What is GTM pixel support?

Accepted Answer

The GTM "pixel" pushes a custom dataLayer event when the link is clicked, so you can trigger any GTM tag (Google Analytics, conversion tracking, etc.) without adding GTM to your destination page.

Question 60

Does Cut.bd have an API?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Cut.bd has a REST API at /api/v1/public/*. Authenticated requests use an API key passed in the Authorization: Bearer header.

Question 61

How do I create an API key?

Accepted Answer

Go to Settings → API Keys and click Generate key. Give it a label, select the permission scopes it needs, and optionally set an expiry. The key is shown once — copy it immediately.

Question 62

What scopes are available for API keys?

Accepted Answer

links:read, links:write, links:delete, analytics:read, domains:read, domains:write, tags:read, tags:write, pixels:read, pixels:write, funnels:read, funnels:write, workspaces:read.

Question 63

What are the API rate limits?

Accepted Answer

Rate limits depend on your plan and are applied per API key per minute. Free: 3 req/min, Starter: 6, Single: 60, Team: 180, Ultimate: 360. You can also configure custom limits via environment variables on self-hosted instances.

Question 64

Can I revoke an API key?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Go to Settings → API Keys and click Revoke next to any key. The key stops working immediately.

How can we help?

Getting Started

Link Shortening

Analytics

Custom Domains

QR Codes

Bio Pages

Teams & Workspaces

Pixels & Retargeting

API & Integrations

Security & Privacy

Billing & Plans

Support