A truly minimal and straightforward URL shortener for WordPress. Create and manage short links directly under your own domain – no third-party services, no bloat, no hassle. Zero database writes — all shortlinks are stored in a single JSON file.
This plugin is especially useful if you create shortlinks for affiliate links, newsletters, QR codes, Instagram bios, YouTube descriptions, or internal redirects etc.
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- Dashboard view
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- Create, manage and search shortlinks
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- Inline editing of target URL and description
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- Search shortlinks
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- Bulk actions — reset clicks (PRO only) and delete selected
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- CSV / TXT export and import (import PRO only)
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- Mobile-responsive table view
About The Plugin
The Simplest WP URL Shortener is designed for WordPress users who need a straightforward, reliable URL shortening solution without the complexity or dependency on third-party services. Unlike external URL shorteners that control your links and data, this plugin keeps everything under your own domain and in your complete control.
The plugin creates short, memorable links using auto-generated 5-character alphanumeric slugs that are easy to share and remember. Every shortlink includes a simple built-in click counter, so you can monitor link performance directly from your WordPress dashboard. The intuitive interface lets you create, edit, and delete links with just a few clicks.
For power users and agencies, the PRO version adds essential bulk operations: import thousands of links via CSV or TXT files, reset click counters to restart from zero, and enjoy an ad-free experience with priority support (ticket system). Whether you're managing a handful of links or thousands, the plugin scales effortlessly.
Unlike most plugins, this one writes nothing to your WordPress database. All shortlinks are stored in a single JSON file — keeping your database clean, lean and fast. All shortlink data is stored in a JSON file located in your WordPress uploads directory (/wp-content/uploads/t9pshort/), protected by .htaccess rules to prevent unauthorized access. The plugin uses 301 redirects for optimal SEO performance, ensuring search engines properly attribute your links.
The responsive admin interface works beautifully on all devices, features live search to find links instantly, sortable columns to organize data your way, and one-click copy functionality for quick sharing. Export your entire shortlink database as CSV or TXT files anytime for backups or external analysis.
No bloat, no complex configurations, no subscription fees for essential features. Just a clean, efficient URL shortener that does exactly what you need – nothing more, nothing less. Perfect for marketers, content creators, agencies, and anyone who values simplicity and ownership of their data.
Key Features
🔗 Create & Delete
Submit any target URL with an optional description and get a shortlink instantly — no page reload. Remove individual links anytime with a confirmation dialog and smooth fade-out animation.
✏️ Inline Editing
Update the target URL and description directly inside the table row — no page reload needed. Changes are saved instantly via AJAX and reflected immediately in the table.
⚡ 301 Redirect
Visitors hitting a short URL are seamlessly forwarded to the destination at the server level — fast, clean, and fully SEO-friendly with permanent redirect headers.
🔢 Click Counter
Every visit to a short URL automatically increments its counter. Each shortlink displays its total click count in a dedicated table column — always visible at a glance.
🔍 Live Search & Sort
Filter the table in real time as you type, with a dynamic count display and one-click clear. Sort by any column — Short URL, Clicks, Target URL, or Description — ascending or descending.
💾 Export CSV & TXT
Download all your shortlinks including click counts as a CSV or tab-separated TXT file — ideal for backups or further analysis in spreadsheet tools like Excel or Google Sheets.
🔄 Bulk Reset Clicks PRO
Select multiple shortlinks and reset all their click counters to zero in one action. Saves time compared to resetting entries individually — perfect for restarting campaigns.
📂 Bulk Import PRO
Import shortlinks in bulk from a CSV or TXT file. Invalid rows and duplicate target URLs are detected and skipped automatically — clean data without any manual effort.
🎧 Priority Support PRO
PRO users get direct access to our ticket system for fast, personal support. Skip the forum queue and get your issues resolved quickly by our team.
LITE vs. PRO Comparison
| Feature | LITE | PRO |
|---|---|---|
| Create unlimited short URLs | ✓ | ✓ |
| Click counter for each shortlink | ✓ | ✓ |
| Edit & delete shortlinks | ✓ | ✓ |
| Live search functionality | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sortable table columns | ✓ | ✓ |
| One-click copy to clipboard | ✓ | ✓ |
| Export as CSV/TXT | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bulk delete selected shortlinks | ✓ | ✓ |
| Responsive admin interface | ✓ | ✓ |
| Secure data storage | ✓ | ✓ |
| 301 SEO-friendly redirects | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bulk import via CSV | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bulk import via TXT | ✗ | ✓ |
| Bulk reset click counters for selected shortlinks | ✗ | ✓ |
| No advertisements | ✗ | ✓ |
| Priority support via ticket system | ✗ | ✓ |
Use cases
Affiliate Marketer / Content Publisher
If you run affiliate content, you already know the pain: ugly tracking URLs, constantly changing destinations, and links scattered across dozens of posts. This plugin is perfect if you’re looking for a WordPress URL shortener plugin with click tracking that keeps everything organized in one place.
Instead of editing links inside every article, you create a clean shortlink once and update the target anytime. You can also quickly search, sort, and copy links while publishing new content. The click counter helps you see what’s actually getting traction, and the reset button is ideal when you start a new campaign or want clean stats again.
Online Shops & Landing Page Campaigns
If you run an online shop, you’re constantly pushing links: ads, QR codes, newsletters, social posts, product launches. You need shortlinks that are stable, easy to update, and easy to track. This plugin is a great fit if you’re searching for a WordPress shortlink plugin for marketing campaigns or a WordPress plugin to track shortlink clicks.
You can create shortlinks for product pages, update the destination when stock changes, and reset click counters between campaigns. Bulk upload makes it easy to add large batches of landing pages at once, which is exactly what you need when you run seasonal promotions.
The Agency Owner Reporting to Multiple Clients
"I need clean reporting and the ability to import hundreds of client links fast"
Sophia's agency handles SEO for 15 local clients. Each month, she creates custom short URLs for client newsletters, Google Ads, and Facebook campaigns. The bulk import lets her upload 300 client URLs in one go – saving 4 hours monthly. Upload works for quick bulk tasks. When a client asks "how many clicks last month?", she exports with click counts and emails it in 30 seconds. The live search helps her find any client's shortlink instantly across 1000+ entries.
readme.txt
=== The Simplest WP URL Shortener === Contributors: the9dollarplugins Donate link: https://www.the-9-dollar-plugins.com Tags: url shortener, shortlink, redirect, link shortener, custom links Requires at least: 5.5 Tested up to: 6.9 Requires PHP: 7.4 Stable tag: 1.0 License: GPLv2 or later License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html A lightweight URL shortener for WordPress. Self-hosted shortlinks, no third-party services. PRO: bulk import, bulk actions and priority support. == Description == The Simplest WP URL Shortener is exactly what the name says: minimal, fast and reliable. Shortlinks live under your own domain, data is stored in a single JSON file — no database overhead, no bloat, no hassle. **LITE — Core Features** - Create, edit and delete shortlinks directly in the WordPress admin - Automatic 301 redirects with unique 5-character alphanumeric slugs - Click counter — every visit increments automatically - Export all shortlinks as CSV or TXT (including click counts) - Live search with real-time filtering and dynamic count display - Sortable columns — Short URL, Clicks, Target URL, Description - One-click copy to clipboard - Bulk delete selected shortlinks - Shortlinks are stored in a JSON file, faster than database queries — keeping the database clean - Fully translatable and WordPress.org compliant **PRO — Everything in LITE, plus:** - Bulk import via CSV file - Bulk import via TXT file - Bulk reset click counters for selected shortlinks - No ads - Priority support via ticket system = How It Works = 1. Install and activate the plugin 2. Go to "URL Shortener" in your WordPress admin menu 3. Enter a target URL and an optional description 4. Get your shortlink instantly and track clicks from one place == Screenshots == 1. Dashboard view 2. Create, manage and search shortlinks 3. Inline editing of target URL and description 4. Search shortlinks 5. Bulk actions — reset clicks (PRO only) and delete selected 6. CSV / TXT export and import (import PRO only) 7. Mobile-responsive table view == Installation == 1. Upload the plugin to `/wp-content/plugins/` or install it directly via the WordPress plugins screen. 2. Activate the plugin through the Plugins screen. 3. Open the URL Shortener page in your WordPress admin menu. 4. Add your target URL and get your shortlink instantly. == Frequently Asked Questions == = What is the difference between LITE and PRO? = LITE covers all core features: create, edit, delete, export, live search, click counting and bulk delete. PRO adds bulk import via CSV/TXT, bulk reset of click counters, the select-all checkbox and priority support. = Can I customize the shortlink slug? = No, slugs are auto-generated. Each slug is a unique 5-character alphanumeric string. = Where are the links stored? = In a JSON file inside `/wp-content/uploads/t9pshort/`. The directory is protected with .htaccess rules that block direct web access. = Is this GDPR compliant? = Yes. The plugin stores only shortlink data (URLs, descriptions, click counts) on your own server. No personal user data, no cookies, no tracking. = Can I import existing shortlinks? = Yes — with PRO. Bulk import via CSV and TXT is supported. Invalid rows are automatically skipped and reported. Example files are available directly in the plugin admin page. = Can I reset the click counter? = Yes — with PRO. Reset individual counters or use the bulk action to reset multiple at once. = How many links can it handle? = The JSON format works well with 10,000+ links without performance issues. = What happens if I deactivate the plugin? = Shortlinks stop working, but your data file remains in `/wp-content/uploads/t9pshort/`. Reactivate and everything is back instantly. = Can I use this for affiliate links? = Yes, any valid URL works — including affiliate links. == Changelog == = 1.0 - 2026-02-22 = Initial release. Full feature set including bulk actions, CSV/TXT import/export, inline editing, click counter, live search, sortable columns and one-click copy.
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