What are short link analytics and how do I track them?

What are short link analytics?

Short link analytics provide detailed data on how users interact with shortened URLs.

This includes metrics such as the number of clicks, unique users, geographic data, browser and device types, and other key statistics that help you understand the performance of your shared links.


What kind of data does Linko provide in short link statistics?

Linko offers comprehensive data in its short link statistics, including:

  • Clicks
  • Unique clicks
  • Top country
  • Top referrer
  • Summary of clicks
  • Country and city
  • Browser
  • Platform
  • Language
  • Referrer
  • A/B testing

What are clicks stats?

Click stats represent the total number of times a short link has been clicked, including repeated clicks from the same user.


What are unique clicks stats?

Unique clicks stats count only one click per user based on their IP address. This ensures that repeated clicks from the same user are not overcounted.


What is the difference between clicks and unique clicks?

  • Clicks show the total number of interactions, including multiple clicks from the same user.

  • Unique clicks count only one interaction per user.


What are top countries and top referrer stats?

  • Top countries stats show the leading countries from which the clicks are originating.

  • Top referrer stats indicate the websites or platforms that directed users to your short link.


What are summary of clicks?

Summary of clicks provides recent click data, showing details such as the country, city, browser, platform, referrer, and language of users.


What are country and city stats?

Country and city stats allow you to view the countries from which clicks were received. By selecting a specific country, you can see the cities contributing to those clicks.


What are browser stats?

Browser stats display the types of browsers users are using when clicking on your short link, such as Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.


What are platform stats?

Platform stats show which operating systems or devices (e.g., Windows, Android, iOS) are used when accessing your short link.


What are language stats?

Language stats highlight the primary language settings of users’ browsers or devices.


What are referrer stats?

Referrer stats provide insight into the source URLs or platforms that led users to your short link.


What is A/B testing stats?

A/B testing stats show the distribution of traffic between different variations if A/B testing is enabled for a short link.


How do I track short link analytics at Linko?

To track short link analytics for any URL shortened in Linko, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the My Links section.

  2. Locate the desired link and click the Action button.

  3. Select Statistics from the dropdown menu.

  4. Review the detailed data displayed on the analytics page.


Can I view overall statistics of all my short links and clicks?

Yes, Linko provides an overall summary of all your short links and clicks. You can access this through your dashboard for a complete performance overview.

Can I export the oversall stats of my account?

Yes, you can export the overall analytics of your short links by clicking on the export button.


Can I export the statistics of a single short link?

Yes, you can export stats for individual short links.

  1. Go to the My Links section.

  2. Locate the link and click the Action button.

  3. Click export from the drop down list to export the stats.

Check out this guide for detailed steps on exporting your short links and statistics in bulk.


Can I share the analytics of a short link?

Yes, you can share the stats of a short link with your teammates or clients. Follow these steps to share short link statistics:

  1. Go to the My Links section.

  2. Locate the link and click the Action button.

  3. Select Public from the dropdown to make the stats shareable.

Copy and share the short link URL with others and instruct them to add a

+

at the end of the URL to view the statistics. Like below example,

https://my.linko.me/custom-domain+

:loudspeaker: Note: Making the short link public will allow search engines to index it. If you don’t want your short links to be indexed, remember to change the short link back to private when you’re finished.

Can I change the public stats back to private?

Yes, you can revert the public stats to private. This way, only you will be able to view the stats for the short link, keeping the information confidential.


Can I reset the stats of a short link?

Yes, you can reset or delete the stats of a short link. This is useful for starting fresh or removing old data.

  1. Go to the My Links section.

  2. Find the link and click the Action button.

  3. Select Reset Stats from the dropdown to delete the stats.


Important FAQs

Why is my Google Analytics report different than Linko’s stats?

Google Analytics may report different data due to differences in tracking methods.

Linko’s stats use server-side analytics while Google Analytics often uses client-side analytics.

Variations can happen due to ad blockers, JavaScript issues, or tracking limits on different devices.


What is the difference between server-side and client-side analytics?

  • Server-side analytics are processed on the server and capture data directly when a link is accessed, providing reliable stats unaffected by user settings.

  • Client-side analytics rely on JavaScript on the user’s browser and can be blocked or affected by various user conditions.


Can I view aggregated statistics of multiple short links?

Yes, you can view aggregated statistics for multiple short links by creating a campaign. Add your selected short links to the campaign and view the combined statistics for comprehensive data.


Is bot clicks or traffic included in the short link stats?

No, Linko filters out bot traffic from its statistics. Linko uses multiple layers of security to identify and block bot, fraud, and spam clicks.

  1. AWS WAF: Detects and blocks sophisticated bots through AWS web application firewall.

  2. Internal bot filtering system: Prevents bot interactions from affecting your stats.

  3. Blacklist: Linko has analyzed over 9 million clicks and compiled a database of 100,000+ spam and malicious IPs that are blacklisted.

Every day, we analyze 30,000 new IPs from our database to separate malicious IPs from legitimate ones.


I still see some unusual clicks in the stats. Could they be bot clicks?

Yes, some unusual clicks may still be bot clicks. While most bots are filtered, certain legitimate bots from search engines and social platforms are allowed for link previews and indexing.


Can I exclude my own IP from link statistics?

This feature isn’t available right now. Excluding your own IP from clicks isn’t helpful because you might want to test your short link to make sure it works and is counted.


Can I filter the short link stats?

Yes, you can apply filters to view link stats for the last 7 days, last 30 days, or a custom range.


Can I customize the report for specific data in Linko?

No, Linko does not currently allow customization of data reports. However, you can filter your analytics to view specific time periods and compare metrics within that range.


Can I track UTM performance directly within Linko?

No, Linko does not display UTM tags directly in the analytics. To analyze UTM parameters, you need to refer to your web analytics tool, such as Google Analytics or UserMetric.


Can Linko show which social platforms my clicks came from?

Yes, Linko’s referrer stats display the main source URLs or platforms, which can indicate if clicks originated from popular social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.


Will my short link analytics expire?

Yes, the analytics for your short links can expire, and this is determined by the data retention period of your specific plan.