If you send links in SMS messages, you may have encountered the challenge of trying to fit the URL and the rest of your message in 160 characters.
Now, we’re happy to announce Telerivet’s Short Links feature, which makes it easy to shorten URLs and track clicks in your SMS messages. Telerivet will show you every contact who clicked the link (or didn’t click it), as well as overall statistics to help you optimize your messaging campaigns.While composing an SMS message in Telerivet, simply type or copy/paste any URL starting with http:// or https://, and the Shorten links / track clicks checkbox will automatically appear below the message:
You can preview how the URL will be shortened and verify the character count before sending the message. (You can still send any URL without Telerivet shortening links or tracking clicks, simply by leaving the checkbox unchecked.)
By default, Telerivet sends short links with the domain rvt.me, and each contact will receive a unique URL in the format https://rvt.me/xxxxxxxxx (24 characters):
Telerivet adds “https://” for security, but you can remove it on the Messaging Settings page to shorten the link to 16 characters.
When any contact clicks the link, they will automatically be redirected to the destination URL, and the contact will show up as “Clicked” on your Messages page.
Although the Messages page shows the short URL like https://rvt.me/xxxxxxxxx, each contact actually receives a unique URL (not all x’s). This is different from link shortening services like bit.ly — if you send short links from a link shortening service, everyone would receive the same short URL, and you wouldn’t know who actually clicked the link.
The actual unique short URL is hidden from the Messages page, because if you opened it in your browser, Telerivet would count it as if the contact clicked the link. The Messages page also shows the destination link, which is not sent as part of the SMS, which you can click without being tracked.
Branded Short Links
Accounts on Enterprise plans can replace rvt.me with their own domain name or subdomain. To use a custom short link domain, contact support@telerivet.com for more information.
Link Previews
The Short Links feature supports link previews on iOS and Android. If link previews are enabled on the recipient’s phone, the SMS app may show a title, domain, and an image from the destination page, giving the contact more confidence about the short link. When a link preview is loaded, Telerivet marks the message as delivered, but does not count the message as clicked until the contact actually opens the link.
Click-Through Statistics
If you send a short link to multiple contacts, the Broadcast Details page shows the real-time click-through rate and total number of contacts who clicked the link, and a chart with the number of contacts who have clicked the link in 15 minute intervals.
When viewing a broadcast, the Short Link filters show who clicked the link, and who didn’t click it. Details about which links were clicked are also included when exporting messages to CSV.
Developer API Integration
For organizations sending SMS messages from their own systems, the Short Links feature works seamlessly with Telerivet’s developer API. When sending messages via the REST API, just set the track_clicks parameter to true, and Telerivet will shorten URLs and track clicks within the message content. If you configure a webhook URL for status notifications, Telerivet will also notify your webhook URL when the contact clicks your link, with clicked_time set to the timestamp of the click.
Availability
The Short Links feature is available to users on the Pro plan and higher Custom plans. To try it out, compose a new message and paste a URL starting with http:// or https:// into the Message box.
If your current plan doesn’t include this feature, you can upgrade to Pro to start shortening links and tracking clicks. To send branded short links, Telerivet’s Enterprise plans support replacing rvt.me with your own short link domain. To use a custom short link domain, contact support@telerivet.com for more information.