Short Link FAQs

Answers to common Ours Privacy short link questions: why a link is not resolving or recording clicks, renaming, reprinting QR codes, scan counting, and consent.

Common questions about short links and QR codes. For the walkthrough, see Creating a short link.

Setup and publishing

Why is my short link not resolving?

Almost always because it has not been published. Saving a link stores it; publishing a version is what makes it live. Open the link and check the readiness pill in the header. If it reads Draft, publish.

The other two causes are a link with no destination set, and a link that has been disabled.

Why does my link go to the Ours Privacy website?

That is what a link forwards to when it has no destination, has never been published, or has been deleted. It is not an error page, so an unexpected landing is the signal that a link is unfinished.

Why is my short link not recording clicks?

Work through these in order:

Is it published? Unpublished links record nothing.
Did you edit the URL? Copy the link from the editor rather than typing it out. A mistyped code does not match your link.
Is your account restricting event names? If your account uses an allowed events list, the link's name has to be on it. See Allow listing events.
Are you looking at the right event name? The event is named after the link, not Short Link Click.
Is it just bots? Reporting excludes automated traffic. A link that only a link previewer has touched shows zero.

Do I have to publish every time I edit a link?

Yes. Changing the destination, campaign tags, their forwarding choice, the name, or the enabled status takes effect on the next publish. QR design changes affect what you export immediately and do not need a publish to take effect on the file.

Naming and organization

Can I choose my own short URL?

Yes. Set a custom code in the editor's Link details card, or via the code parameter on the create/patch API. Leave it blank and one is generated for you. Codes are immutable once the link is published. A branded domain is the way to make the link read as your brand on top of the code.

What happens if I rename a link?

After you publish the rename, new clicks use the new event name. The link’s Analytics tab keeps its history together. In an event-name report, include both names to cover clicks before and after the rename.

How do I organize a large set of links?

Give related links a consistent name prefix so you can find them with the list’s search. Add a shared Campaign value to measure them together through campaign reporting.

How many short links can I have?

There is no cap.

QR codes

Do I have to reprint a QR code when the destination changes?

No. Update the link’s destination and publish. Existing printed codes then open the new destination.

You do have to reprint if the link is deleted, because that is permanent.

Can I put my logo in the middle of the code?

Yes. Drop a PNG, JPG, SVG, or WebP into the logo dropzone. QR codes here are generated at the highest error-correction level, which is what makes a centered logo safe. Scan a printed proof anyway.

Why does my code fail to scan?

The usual causes, in order of frequency:

Not enough contrast between the modules and the background. The editor warns you when the ratio is low.
Printed too small. Roughly one inch square is the floor for a hand-held scan, and anything read at a distance needs to be much larger.
Artwork crowding the code. Keep the quiet space around it clear.
A logo scaled up too far, or a photographic logo that muddies the center.
A glossy or reflective surface under overhead light.

What size and format should I send to a printer?

Send the SVG. It scales without softening. Both formats export at 2048 by 2048 pixels, which is more than enough for a raster placement, but print vendors generally prefer vector.

Can I make a WiFi, vCard, or PDF QR code?

For a PDF or a contact card, yes: host the file or page and point the short link at it. Every code here opens a short link, so it leads anywhere with a URL. WiFi credentials and vCard data are not encoded directly in the code.

Reporting

Are QR scans counted separately from clicks?

They are when you give each placement its own link. Create one link for the printed code and one for the digital placement. A code encodes the same URL as the copy button, so a single link reports the two together. See Reporting.

Why is the click count lower than I expected?

The Analytics tab excludes automated traffic, including detected link previewers and email security scanners. Inspect individual clicks and their bot signals in Query Events when comparing counts.

Can I report on a whole campaign at once?

Yes. Give the links the same Campaign value, then include their click events in an Insights report filtered by that campaign. Each link’s Analytics tab shows that link’s own results.

Can I see where each click came from?

Yes. Use one link per placement, and each link's clicks are that placement's traffic. The redirect does not record the referring page, so per-placement links are the reliable split.

Data and compliance

Yes. The click is recorded in your own account, and it is sent to your destinations only when the visitor's consent choices allow it, the same as every other event. See Cookie Consent.

Can I use short link clicks to build an audience?

Yes. The link's name is the event name, so add it as an event condition. See Event conditions, and read Compliance for audiences before syncing anything to an advertising platform.

Are the UTM tags passed to my landing page?

Yes, by default. Your campaign tags are added to the destination URL when you publish. Turn off Forward campaign tags to destination to stop this. See Forwarding UTM tags.

Is the location data precise?

It is approximate. Country, region, city, postal code, and coordinates are derived from the network, not from device GPS. Country is reliable; city is indicative.

Management

What is the difference between disabling and deleting?

Disabling takes a link out of service and can be reversed, keeping its reporting history. Deleting is permanent, removes the link and its design, and breaks every printed code for good. Disable unless you are certain nothing is in circulation.

Can I import links from another tool?

Yes. Create them through the Platform API and repoint the old tool's links at the new ones so existing material keeps working.

Why does the same link appear under Sources?

Older links can appear under both Sources and Short Links. Open the link in the Short Links editor and save it, and it is managed from Short Links only.

Need help?

Reach out to support@oursprivacy.com with anything not covered here.