Free Link Shortener for Streamers: No Ads, No Expiry
A link shortener seems like a solved, boring problem until you stream. Your links live in chat commands, panels, video descriptions and printed cards, and a 90-character store URL with tracking parameters works in none of them.
This guide covers where short links genuinely earn their keep for streamers, what to avoid in free shorteners, and how to use click counts as lightweight analytics without paying for a marketing suite.
Where short links beat full URLs
- Chat commands. !discord, !merch and !schedule via Nightbot or StreamElements should answer with links that look intentional. Short links keep command responses tidy and readable at a glance.
- Panels, descriptions and printed material. Convention cards, badge inserts, panel text and video descriptions all read better with one short URL than a wrapped two-line link.
- Pairing with QR codes. Shorter URLs produce simpler QR codes that scan more reliably at small sizes. If you print codes, shorten first - the QR codes for streamers guide covers the print side.
- Campaign and sponsor links. A dedicated short link per campaign gives you a per-campaign click count with zero analytics setup.
Click counts are the analytics most streamers actually need
Most streamers do not need funnels and attribution models. They need an answer to "did anyone actually click this?" A shortener with per-link click counts answers that for free: which chat command gets used, whether the panel link does anything, how many people followed the link you posted during Saturday's stream.
The same numbers do double duty in sponsor conversations. "About 280 clicks to the landing page over four streams" is the kind of concrete line that makes a media kit credible. Treat the counts as approximate - link previews in Discord and other apps can open a link too - and start collecting them now, before you need them.
What to avoid in free link shorteners
- Links that expire. Some free shorteners delete or paywall links after an inactivity period or a plan change. A short link in a year-old YouTube description or a printed card that now 404s is worse than no link. Check the expiry policy before you commit a link to anything permanent.
- Interstitial ads. Bitly's free plan, for example, sends visitors through a preview page with an ad before the redirect. That is fine for a casual link and a poor experience for a creator link your viewers trust.
- Tight monthly limits. Bitly Free allows five new links and two QR codes a month, with no click data. Check the limit, not just the price.
- Spam-flagged domains. Heavily abused generic shortener domains sometimes get caught by chat filters, Discord spam bots and moderation tools. A domain tied to a real product tends to get through more reliably.
The Pulz link shortener
Every Pulz account includes a link shortener. You paste a URL and get a link like pulz.bio/l/k7Qm2x. The six-character code is generated for you; each link shows how many times it was opened, never expires, never shows an ad, and you can keep up to 1,000 active links. It lives next to the rest of the toolbox - your Twitch-synced link in bio, the QR generator and Twitch panels - so the link, the QR code that carries it and the page it points to come from one free account.
| Bitly Free | Pulz | |
|---|---|---|
| New links | 5 a month | Up to 1,000 active |
| Ad page before the redirect | Yes | No |
| Click counts | Not on Free | Yes, opens per link |
| Choose your own code | 3 custom back-halves | No, codes are random |
| Links expire | No | No |
| Price | Free, paid plans for more | Free, no paid plan |
A simple system that holds up
- Shorten the links you repeat, not everything. Discord, merch, the current campaign. Five well-chosen short links beat fifty you cannot remember the purpose of.
- Put short links behind every chat command. One pass through your Nightbot or StreamElements commands, done once.
- Check click counts monthly. Not daily. The question is 'does this link earn its slot in my panels and commands?', and that needs a month of data, not a dashboard habit.
- Point permanent placements at stable destinations. Anything printed or buried in old video descriptions should go to a page you control long-term. Your link in bio is the safest target, because the links on it can change without the URL changing.
FAQ
Do Pulz short links expire?
No. They stay active until you delete them, with no inactivity deletion. That makes them safe for printed material and old video descriptions - the places expired links hurt most.
Can I choose my own short link?
No. Pulz generates a six-character code, like pulz.bio/l/k7Qm2x, and it cannot be changed. If you need a link people can remember, use your link-in-bio address.
Can I change where a short link points?
No. Delete it and shorten the new URL, which gives you a new code. For placements you cannot update later, point them at your link in bio instead.
How many short links can I have?
Up to 1,000 active links per account.
Are link shorteners safe to post in Twitch chat?
Generally yes, but some heavily abused generic shortener domains get caught by chat filters and Discord spam bots. Test your link in your own chat once. Links on a product domain like pulz.bio are less likely to be flagged than anonymous shortener domains.
Can I see who clicked my link?
You see how many times each link was opened, not who opened it - no country, device or referrer. Link previews and bots can count too, so treat the number as approximate. It is still enough to compare placements (panel vs chat command vs description) and to report campaign results to a sponsor.
Should I shorten my link in bio URL too?
Usually no - a pulz.bio/yourname URL is already short and memorable, and it is better brand exposure than a random code. Shorteners are for the long, ugly URLs behind specific actions: store pages, campaign landing pages, event signups.