How to Create Short URLs

by Krystle Vermes

Overview

It's fun to share interesting websites with friends, but sending them the address link can be a hassle. For the most part, URLs are long and difficult to type out. You can copy and paste them, but they're often space-consuming. New websites have been created to solve this problem by hosting addresses in a smaller form. By going to one of these generators, you can turn an endless URL into just a handful of letters.

Step 1

Launch your web browser and open a new window or tab.
Step 2

Visit the site TinyURL.com by typing in the address in your browser's address bar and clicking the "Go" button.
Step 3

Allow the site to fully load. On the home page, you will see a text box that says "Enter a long URL to make tiny."
Step 4

Type your long URL into the text box, then click the "Make TinyURL!" button.
Step 5

Allow the next page to process your request and fully load. Upon success, the page will say "TinyURL was created!" It will tell you the new, smaller URL of your address (e.g., http://tinyurl.com/bregw) and how many characters it has become (as opposed to how long it was before). You can now copy and paste this link to send to your friends.