Short links and QR codes
Test a short link as an iPhone or Android visitor.
- Who can do this
- Owners and admins
- Where in the app
- Redirects, then Edit on a short link, then Test as
In short
You will know where each kind of visitor lands from your saved short link, and why, before you print or share it.
Steps checked
Run the test.
- Step 1.
Open Redirects (the short links page) and press Edit on the link.
- Step 2.
Find the Test as panel above the form. It says what each visitor gets from the saved link.
- Step 3.
Press one of six buttons: iPhone, Android, Desktop, LinkedIn bot, WhatsApp bot or Slack bot.
- Step 4.
Read the answer. As names the visitor. Status shows the code with a label such as Redirect, iPhone URL, Android URL, Preview page, Fallback, Expired or Disabled. Goes to shows the address. For a preview page, Preview shows the title a bot would read. Why gives one sentence.
- Step 5.
Change the link, press Save changes and test again.
Read the answers.
- "Default target." The visitor goes to the Target address.
- "iPhone URL is set: sent there." and "Android URL is set: sent there." The By device address wins.
- "No iPhone URL is set: sent to the default target." The device address is blank, so the target is used.
- "Link-preview bot and Open Graph fields are set: gets the preview page." The three Link preview fields are filled in, so WhatsApp, LinkedIn or Slack read your title, description and image.
- "Link-preview bot but no Open Graph fields are set: follows the redirect." The bot sees the target page instead.
- "Disabled: sent to the fallback URL, else the not-found target." and "Expired: sent to the fallback URL, else the not-found target." The Fallback address wins, then the not-found target under Settings.
If the test does not run.
"Short link not found" means the link was deleted or belongs to another organisation. "Could not run the test. Try again." means a temporary fault. "You do not have permission to do that" means your role is not owner or admin.
Common questions.
Does Test as count as a click?
No. It reads the saved link and runs the same decision a real visit would, but it writes nothing. No click, no hit and no history entry.
Why does Desktop go to the default target when I set an Android address?
Device addresses apply only to iPhone, iPad and Android visitors. Everyone else, including desktop browsers, goes to the target address.
Does it test unsaved changes?
No. It tests the saved link. Press Save changes first, then press the visitor button again.