Cached link lookups
After the first visit, a short link's destination is served from cache for five minutes, so repeat clicks skip the database.
Feature
How redirects stay quick
Short-link lookups are cached, location lookups are capped and reused, and edits apply the moment you save — so visitors aren't kept waiting and never land on an old destination.
What happens when someone opens a short link
The short link is looked up
The destination comes from the cache or, on a cold start, one indexed database query. Paused, deleted and unknown links show a not-found page instead.The visit is recorded
The referrer, UTM values, device, browser and — within the three-second limit — approximate location are saved with the click or scan.The visitor is sent on
The destination is read from our database at this point, never taken from the visitor's browser, so the redirect always goes where you set it. Browsers without JavaScript are forwarded too.
What keeps redirects quick
The same on every plan.
Indexed short codes
Every short code is unique and indexed, so even an uncached lookup is a single, direct query.
Capped location lookups
Finding a visitor's approximate location is limited to three seconds. If the provider is slow, the visit is still recorded and the visitor still redirected.
Location results reused
Location results are kept for a day per IP address, in memory and in Redis, so returning visitors don't wait for a new lookup.
Less work for bots
Recognised bots and crawlers are logged without a location lookup, so automated traffic stays cheap to handle.
Changes apply at once
Editing, pausing or deleting a link clears its cached redirect as soon as you save, so visitors aren't sent to an old destination.
Create your first short link
Start with the Free plan — every report is included.