URL Shortener Follow

Salesmate’s URL Shortener allows you to convert long URLs into short, branded links using your own custom domain. This feature is especially useful for text messaging (SMS), where character limits matter, and helps build trust with recipients through recognizable branded links while enabling click tracking for performance measurement.

This feature is available on all the plans where Voice and Text is active.

Real-World Use Cases:

• Sending promotional SMS campaigns with product links, branded short links like https://s.yourcompany.com/Ab3x9 appear more professional and trustworthy than generic shorteners like bit.ly.
• Sharing personalized follow-up texts with long tracking URLs (containing UTM parameters) without exceeding SMS character limits or losing click analytics.

Topics Covered

• Prerequisites
• Setting Up Your Branded Short-Link Domain
• URL Shortener Settings
• Using Branded Short Links in Text Messages

Prerequisites

• Only users with Admin profile permissions can configure the URL Shortener settings.

• We strongly recommend using a subdomain (e.g., s.yourcompany.com) rather than a root domain for your short links. You will need access to your domain's DNS settings to add a CNAME record.
• URL Shortener will only work on Unified Inbox. If you are using Text Inbox, we recommend you to switch Unified Inbox.

Setting Up Your Branded Short-Link Domain

When you first access the URL Shortener settings, you'll see an empty state prompting you to set up your branded domain.

• Navigate to the Profile icon in the top right corner
• Click on Setup
• Go to the appropriate category (typically under General or Communication settings)
• Select URL Shortener (or Branded Links)

Follow these steps to add and verify your domain:

• Click Add Short-Link Domain

• Enter your desired subdomain (e.g., s.yourcompany.com)

  Do not include http://, https://, or www in the domain field.
• Salesmate will display the required DNS CNAME record details like Record type, Host/Name, Points to / Target
• Log in to your DNS provider (such as GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Namecheap, etc.) and add this CNAME record
• Allow time for DNS propagation (this can take a few minutes to several hours)
• Return to Salesmate and click Verify
• Once successful, the domain status changes to Verified and becomes active

Note on single domain support: Currently, Salesmate supports only one active branded short-link domain at a time. To use a different domain, remove the existing one first and set up the new one.

URL Shortener Settings

Once your domain is active, configure these options:

Auto-shorten links in Text Messages

• On (recommended): Salesmate automatically shortens URLs in all outgoing text messages
• Off: Links remain full-length unless manually shortened

Never shorten these links (Exclusions) Add patterns to prevent specific links from being shortened (useful for unsubscribe pages, WhatsApp links, etc.).

• Click Add pattern
• Enter patterns such as:
  • wa.me/*
  • maps.google.com/*
  • yourcompany.com/unsubscribe*
  • token=
  • # (to skip anchor links)
• Each pattern appears in a list with a remove option
• Duplicates are prevented automatically

Using Branded Short Links in Text Messages

Automatic shortening (recommended) With auto-shorten turned On:

• Compose your text message in any SMS-supported area (Bulk campaigns, Sequences, Smart Flows/Execution Flows, Unified Inbox, etc.)
• Paste your long URL
• Salesmate automatically replaces it with a branded short link before sending (at send time)

Manual shortening For more control (e.g., in templates or dynamic content):

• Use the shorten function where available (conceptual example: {{ shorten("https://example.com/long-url") }})
• If no verified domain exists or shortening is unavailable, the original URL is used instead

What recipients experience

• They see a clean branded link (e.g., https://s.yourcompany.com/Ab3x9)
• Clicking redirects seamlessly to the original destination
• Shortened links expire after 30 days; disabled/expired links show a friendly message like “This link is no longer active.”