SharePoint Online URL Shortener

[Vanessa Martin]

Hi Folks,

In doing a search, the resulting URL (which contains the search string) is long. So long that is can't be saved a link in SharePoint so that it can be used again.

Does SharePoint have a URL shortener?

If yes, please share both the app and your experience in using?

Or, can anyone suggest another means of saving a search string?

Thanks.

[#2 · Accepted solution]

SharePoint does not have a native URL shortener. That doesn't mean you couldn't use a third-party service like bit.ly to achieve shortening, though.

As for your need to have links--where are you trying to make these links? If you're relying on the Hyperlink/Picture field type in a List, your issue is perfectly understandable, as there is a character limit there, but I've found that using a Multiple Lines of Text field to be a good workaround--if you have rich text turned on, hyperlinks made there don't have that character restriction, or at least it's not so high that SharePoint's own URLs don't fit. Also, if storing links in a Page with hyperlinks is acceptable to you, I've found the character limit is similar to what is experienced with Multiple Lines of Text.

[#3]

Thanks Matt.

I have used bit.ly and wanted to know if I had missed a native SharePoint app.

And, I appreciate the hint about multiple lines of text.

[#4]

I have also been trying to find a solution for this. Has anyone found a tool or a good app that could be integrated to Sharepoint so users would have an easy way to shorten the links from Sharepoint without the need to use external service?

[#5]

Wouldn't third-party service like bit.ly present data leakage concern ? If yes, how to get around? Thanks Ahead!

[#6]

Hello @Vanessa Martin, @Matt Coats and @sunnyschindler in my case I have found a solution without using multi-line columns, that is, using hyperlink columns, maybe it can be useful to others. The first thing I do is select the document and click "Share" then, in the section where the people with whom you want to share are indicated, I click on "edit" (pencil) and in "Link configuration" I select "All employees of the company that have the link". "Share" links are less than 255 characters. Indicate that in my case the hyperlinks are always to PDF documents that can only be viewed and not edited, so each one adapts it to their needs by blocking editing, downloading, etc.

I hope it helps you :)