All my shortened urls just got zapped -- any PAID ways out there?

26 replies
I've been using snipurl.com for several weeks. For some reason, they suddenly just zapped all my urls.

Can anyone suggest any paid services like theirs where this will NOT happen?

Thanks.

-- TW
#paid #shortened #urls #ways #zapped
  • Profile picture of the author 4morereferrals
    Whats the advantage to using a 3rd party hosted URl service ...vs. just using the htaccess method on your own host or other redirect method?
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  • Profile picture of the author TimothyW
    Let me clarify...

    I need a way to quickly just enter long urls and get a shortened version, pretty much immediately -- and often -- without learning anything new.

    I figure a paid way would be more stable than the snipurl.com service -- which IS free, but which just (suddenly) BAILED OUT ON ME, completely.

    So, are there any PAID (+ hopefully more stable) versions of what free services like snipurl do?

    Thanks.

    -- TW
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    • Profile picture of the author 4morereferrals
      Isnt there tinyurl ?

      As far as learning something new ...

      it takes less than a minute to use the .htaccess method on your webhost. Its about a 15 minute read to learn it, and really works sweet.
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      • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
        TW

        Here's a paid service ($9.95, not an affiliate link) :

        Affiliate Link Script - Hide and Track Your Affiliate URL Links with PHP Link Cloaker

        It also includes tracking.




        Frank
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      • Profile picture of the author TimothyW
        Originally Posted by 4morereferrals View Post

        Isnt there tinyurl ?

        As far as learning something new ...

        it takes less than a minute to use the .htaccess method on your webhost. Its about a 15 minute read to learn it, and really works sweet.
        "on your webhost"

        I have no webhost -- all of what I do is done with web-based solutions (google docs, etc.).

        I only have a vague, fuzzy notion of what terms like FTP are, because I have never, ever used them -- never had to.
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        • Profile picture of the author jasonl70
          Originally Posted by -- TW View Post

          "on your webhost"

          I have no webhost -- all of what I do is done with web-based solutions (google docs, etc.).

          I only have a vague, fuzzy notion of what terms like FTP are, because I have never, ever used them -- never had to.
          well, I'd say it's time to learn some skills

          as was shown to you above, it only takes 1 little line of text.. write it in notepad, save it to your hard drive with the extension '.php' on it. If you can move files on your own computer, then you can learn ftp in about 2 seconds, maybe 3 - it is nothing but copying/moving files (it can be done over the web from a browser).

          I am not exagerating if I were to say my 10 yr old could easily learn how to do it.

          edit: if you can upload a file/image to any website , or attach something to an email, then you can ftp. The only difference with ftp is that you also pick the destination folder..
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          -Jason

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  • Profile picture of the author Daniel Soulsby
    Hi

    1. Buy a domain, see below for idea's

    2. Point it towards a hosting company ie hostgator / bluehost etc

    3. in the "public_html" folder place a folder that is called "out" or "recommends"

    4. Put a php in that folder with this code in the 1st line

    HTML Code:
    <?php header("Location: http://www.YOURAFFILIATELINK.Com/"); ?>
    Then you can get this effect with your links:

    HTML Code:
    http://www.YOURNAME.com/reccommends/APRODUCT.php
    or an effect like

    HTML Code:
    http://www.C-h-e-c-k.com/Out/APRODUCT.php
    Hope that helps
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  • Profile picture of the author TimothyW
    Sorry to be such a DUNCE here.

    Frank -- is that web-based?

    All of what I currently do is web-based. Doing anything else (and I mean ANYTHING else), is BEYOND my capabilities.

    I need to be able to jump on -- from any computer -- and do what I have to do -- then jump off. No hosting, no php (I don't even know what that is!), etc.

    What I need is a service that instantly shortens urls *online* -- and will not bail out on me (at its whims), because (?) I have PAID for using the service.

    I need it to act just like snipurl -- without the bail out factor.

    Thanks.

    -- TW
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  • Profile picture of the author jasonl70
    I have no webhost -- all of what I do is done with web-based solutions (google docs, etc.).
    I say it's time to take the next step.. buy a domain for under 10 bucks, get unlimited hosting for $6 or $7 a month, click a button to install wordpress, and start putting up your own sites If you're really motivated, pick up an html for dummies book and you can learn html in a single night
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    -Jason

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    • Profile picture of the author TimothyW
      Originally Posted by jasonl70 View Post

      I say it's time to take the next step.. buy a domain for under 10 bucks, get unlimited hosting for $6 or $7 a month, click a button to install wordpress, and start putting up your own sites If you're really motivated, pick up an html for dummies book and you can learn html in a single night
      Install wordpress?!? I've already read (+ posted) other threads about that. It is akin to waterboarding, as far as I can tell.

      How much would it cost to have someone coach me IN REAL TIME on the phone to learn all this? I DO want to learn all this -- but it DOES require taking several steps BACKWARDS before moving forwards. I need to be able to that fairly easily + painlessly. On the phone, real time coaching would be the best way -- but then there's the M word --- money.

      Fair warning: I am smart -- but a little thick about learning new tricks.

      -- TW
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  • Profile picture of the author TimothyW
    jason -- can what you say be done using quasi-hosting -- which is what i now use (the way google docs works) -- because, if not, I must (yes) learn some skills, AND transfer my entire business to 'real' hosting + THAT becomes a GIANT headache (because it'll take more than 12 minutes to accomplish).
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    • Profile picture of the author jasonl70
      Originally Posted by -- TW View Post

      jason -- can what you say be done using quasi-hosting -- which is what i now use (the way google docs works) -- because, if not, I must (yes) learn some skills, AND transfer my entire business to 'real' hosting + THAT becomes a GIANT headache (because it'll take more than 12 minutes to accomplish).
      probably not.. but hey - you were going to transfer all your url forwarding stuff, so maybe you leave your existing stuff where it is, and just add your blog(s), etc to the mix.. just an idea
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      -Jason

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    • Profile picture of the author bgmacaw
      Your dilemma is why you need to get your own hosting and learn a few basics, at least enough so that you can tell someone you outsource to what to do.

      There's the open source TightURL Project Page that you can use on your own hosting plan.
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  • Profile picture of the author artwebster
    Welcome to Go2-url.com -- The Ultimate Redirection Technology is very reliable. very cheap and comprehensive. I have been using it for several years without a problem
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    You might not like what I say - but I believe it.
    Build it, make money, then build some more
    Some old school smarts would help - and here's to Rob Toth for his help. Bloody good stuff, even the freebies!

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  • Profile picture of the author BrianMcLeod
    Well, you've just discovered why not having control is a problem.

    But if you're determined NOT to get a domain and a cheap shared hosting account check out BudURL:

    Shrink a link. Track it. Grow your business. | BudURL

    or PinURL:

    PinURL.com - make your URLs shorter!

    And create your pages at Weebly:

    Weebly - Create a free website and a free blog

    Hope this helps,

    Brian
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  • Profile picture of the author Dan Riffle
    I don't get the Wordpress/waterboarding comparison. Your host will have a function that automatically installs WP and the new version of WP can automatically upgrade itself. You can function at the basest level and get by with Wordpress.

    I think you are making too big a deal out of these issues. Strap on you Nikes and just do it.

    Once you are dealing with Wordpress, you can upload (very easy to do, by the way) the GoCodes plugin that can shorten urls for you.

    http://www.webmaster-source.com/goco...gin-wordpress/
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    Raising a child is akin to knowing you're getting fired in 18 years and having to train your replacement without actively sabotaging them.

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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    Actually, most <decent> domain registars have free URL forwarding, so all you really need is a domain name ($10 a year) and don't need hosting, as you set it all up in your registar account.
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    Discover the fastest and easiest ways to create your own valuable products.
    Tons of FREE Public Domain content you can use to make your own content, PLR, digital and POD products.
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  • Profile picture of the author TimothyW
    Welp, gang -- false alarm -- now it seems all my snipurls are (just as) suddenly back up and running. But -- it STILL serves as a big wake up call for me. I MUST learn how to not be dependent on 'foreign oil.' (ie: 'free' web-based services that COULD pull the plug at any moment)

    Thanks for all your help.

    Cheers.

    -- TW
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  • Profile picture of the author TheRichJerksNet
    As Steve originally posted, whats wrong with .htaccess ??

    Its simple, no learning at all and even some host will do it for you...

    .htaccess is nothing more than a txt file and in that text file you would have:

    Code:
    RewriteEngine on
    RewriteRule hop/mylink.php$ http://mydomain.com?referral=1 [R]
    The "hop/mylink.php" can be anything you want and does not need to exist on your server. Basically when someone goes to mydomain.com/hop/mylink.php they would be redirected to the mydomain.com?referral=1 url..

    See very simple and free as you are using your own server which means you have full control over the entire process.. No downtime unless your server goes down..

    Invest in a domain name and hosting... Anything free is going to be just that free and you will get the support of free too... Which is normally no support..

    James
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  • Profile picture of the author rondo
    It's risky using 3rd party url services. ClickAudit - Free Ad Tracker, Free Link Tracker recently shut down affecting thousands of users.


    Andrew
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  • Profile picture of the author laird
    Originally Posted by -- TW View Post

    I've been using snipurl.com for several weeks. For some reason, they suddenly just zapped all my urls.

    Can anyone suggest any paid services like theirs where this will NOT happen?

    Thanks.

    -- TW
    I know I'm coming late into the game and your issue has resolved, but if you want to control your URL redirects, (as in host the software on your server and only you add new URLs matched with keywords), I'll give you a copy of my URL Assassin software...It's pretty quick and painless. Just PM me. Happy to help.

    Del
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  • Profile picture of the author Vijay M
    In my opinion, using URL shortening sites is not a smart idea. I can buy a .info domain for less than 3$ and can use it to redirect all of my affiliate links. This way,I do not have to worry, if ,someone bookmarks my URL/saves it and comes back later/URL shortening site is sold and gone etc etc

    If you still want coaching setting it up, and can spare 10mins and 0$, lemme know :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author TimothyW
    Thanks again, again for the help!

    Note to Vijay -- In my case buying a new domain name each time would not help. I need to be able to do many, many of these on the fly at a moment's notice. These are for promo pages that I crank out for very specific purposes, and I do it very, very often -- sometimes several times a day. It's a second to second thing -- as creativity hits me. I need something that allow me to be prolific.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kurt
      Originally Posted by -- TW View Post

      Thanks again, again for the help!

      Note to Vijay -- In my case buying a new domain name each time would not help. I need to be able to do many, many of these on the fly at a moment's notice. These are for promo pages that I crank out for very specific purposes, and I do it very, very often -- sometimes several times a day. It's a second to second thing -- as creativity hits me. I need something that allow me to be prolific.
      You are misunderstanding...

      As I posted above, you buy a domain at namecheap.com for a few bucks a year.

      They will give you access to an admin where you can create redirects using the domain name you bought, just like you do with a free service, except you own the domain name.

      You only need one domain name to be able to redirect any number of URLs, and don't need to buy a new domain each time.

      Actually, you can even use subdomains to redirect...I "think" namecheap allows this...For example:

      sales.YourDomain.com
      special.YourDomain.com
      savings.Yourdomain.com
      budget.YourDomain.com

      And each of these can redirect to any URL you want.

      You don't need hosting and you don't need to install anything on a website. And it's less than $10 a year, cheaper if you can get a deal on .info domains that have URL redirect.

      Buy a short domain name or your own name as a domain, which is a good investment in itself. Then spend an hour learning how to redirect. Then you'll be in control of your business.
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      Discover the fastest and easiest ways to create your own valuable products.
      Tons of FREE Public Domain content you can use to make your own content, PLR, digital and POD products.
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