Core Docs - Digital Publishing - Short Links

Rock Version: v20.0
Last Modified: 2026-05-01 1:32 PM

Short links (ti ti-link) are exactly what they sound like: simple, user‑friendly links that replace long, messy URLs. But don’t let their size fool you. These links handle a lot behind the scenes, from tracking engagement with analytics and capturing helpful marketing data. You can even schedule these links to redirect automatically when you need to update or change their destination.

To start, click the ti ti-link button in the Admin Toolbar to display the Shortened Link window.

Managing Your Short Links:
It's wise to start organizing your links early by pinning or categorizing them. Someday you may have thousands of Short Links, especially if they're automatically created through workflows or integrations. Good organization makes it much easier to quickly check analytics and maintain clarity as your list grows.

Domain Order
Be sure the domain you want to use for your Short Link appears first in your site's Domains list. Rock uses the first domain to build the short link.
If localhost or a test domain is listed first, the Short Link might not work.
Go to Admin Tools > Websites, edit your site and reorder the domains so your desired domain appears first.

To add a new category, make sure it uses the EntityType of PageShortLink. Only categories with this type are eligible for use with Short Links. You can set this in the Admin Tools > Settings > Category Manager.

For example, you might create a Children's Ministry category to keep all related Short Links organized. You can also configure security so only Children's Ministry staff can access or manage those links.

Managing Short Links

As you create short links, they can be viewed and managed in the Short Links page found at Admin Tools > CMS Configuration > Short Links.

As your list of Short Links grows, you can keep things manageable with built-in filtering and sorting. Press ti ti-adjustments-horizontal for global options, or hover over a column and select ti ti-filter to narrow the results.

Click any Short Link in the list to view or edit its details and see where it has been used. To copy a link, click the ti ti-clipboard button. To filter by creator, select the ti ti-settings icon.

Create Short Link Workflow Action
You can also create short links as part of a workflow. For more information see Create Short Link, located in the Utility section of the Workflow Action Documentation.  

QR Codes

Once your Short Link is generated, a QR code is automatically created at the top of the detail page. You can click the download icons to save the code as a high-quality SVG for print or a PNG for digital use.  

Usage Analytics

Usage Analytics turn simple short links into something more like a trojan horse. You can send out a short link, and learn about how people used them without having to look over any shoulders.

Advanced Short Links

When it comes to short links, there's more than meets the eye. With Advanced Settings, you can tack on UTM codes to track where your traffic’s coming from—perfect for tracking marketing campaigns and collecting valuable data.

When editing or adding a new Short Link from the Short Links List block, you will notice that the detail screen looks a little different, and has some new features.

Once you have started collecting data with UTM parameters, you can track performance similar to other analytics platforms like Google Analytics.

Streamlining UTM Parameters
The UTM Source, UTM Medium and UTM Campaign fields use a list that preserves the values you use. This process ensures consistency and easy retrieval of UTM values you have used before. Under the hood, these values are being saved as Defined Values.  

Using UTM Parameters Manually
You don’t have to use the UTM fields in the interface. You can manually add them to the end of a URL when sharing a link. The Advanced Settings are simply provided for convenience.  

Short Link Scheduled Redirects

By utilizing Scheduled Redirects, links can dynamically re-route clicks during a specified time period.

Here is an example of the power Scheduled Redirects brings:

You might place this URL in a QR code or an NFC token located in your auditorium. The link could change depending on the event. On weekends, it might direct to a giving page, while during weekday events, it could point to your event schedule.

If you toggle Enable Scheduled Redirects on when editing a Short Link, then click the ti ti-plus, you can create a new Scheduled Redirect.

Make sure to click OK when you are done.

Using UTM Campaigns With Scheduled Redirects
Imagine your 'Church Information' link is scheduled to redirect to a Small Groups page during weekdays. Setting up a new campaign for that link will allow you to collect more targeted data on who is searching for your church throughout the week versus searching on the weekends.