# What is an SMS short link?

> An SMS short link is a shortened, often branded URL used in a text message to save characters and track clicks. Because SMS is billed per segment, a long URL can push a message into a second segment; a short link keeps it compact, and a branded domain keeps it trustworthy. Link analytics then tell you how many recipients clicked — the closest thing SMS has to an engagement metric.

- Canonical URL: https://www.broadnet.me/answers/what-is-a-sms-short-link
- Language: en
- Last reviewed: 2026-07-22
- Publisher: BroadNet (https://www.broadnet.me)

## Why shorten links in SMS

A single SMS is 160 GSM-7 characters, so a long link can cost you an extra billed segment. A short link preserves your character budget and keeps the message to one segment. See /answers/sms-character-limit-explained and /products/link-shortener.

## Use a branded, trusted domain

Generic shorteners look like spam or smishing; a branded short domain tied to your sender ID keeps the link trustworthy and improves click-through. See /answers/what-is-smishing and /answers/sms-sender-id-best-practices.

## Track clicks

Short links let you measure click-through per campaign — useful for attributing SMS marketing ROI when SMS itself has no open rate. See /answers/sms-marketing-roi.

## Related

- [All answers](https://www.broadnet.me/answers)
- [Glossary](https://www.broadnet.me/answers)
- [What is the SMS character limit?](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/sms-character-limit-explained)
- [What is smishing?](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/what-is-smishing)
- [How do you measure SMS marketing ROI?](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/sms-marketing-roi)
- [What are SMS sender ID best practices?](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/sms-sender-id-best-practices)
- [Link shortener](https://www.broadnet.me/products/link-shortener)
- [Bulk SMS](https://www.broadnet.me/products/bulk-sms)