Creating your first Smart QR or short link

Overview

A Smart Link is the container for both a short URL and a matching QR code image. This article walks through creating one from scratch.

1. Open the editor

Go to Short Links & QR Codes and click Create New.

2. Name it

Enter a Name for internal reference. The name is never shown to visitors. Optionally, add a Description for team notes.

3. Pick a link domain

The Link Domain dropdown lists every domain your organization has onboarded plus the free qr.sitedetour.com default. New to SiteDetour? Stick with the default for now — you can onboard a branded domain later and move the Smart Link over.

4. Set the path

By default SiteDetour auto-generates a short, URL-safe path (e.g. FMA6rfw8) the moment you save. To use a custom path instead, click Add Custom Path and enter it. Rules:

• Alphanumerics and hyphens only.
• Must be unique per link domain.
• Reserved paths (landing/*, admin/*, etc.) are rejected.

The final short URL is https://{link-domain}/{path}.

5. Set the target URL

Paste the destination URL into Target Url. This is the fall-through target — anywhere the visitor goes when no smart target matches.

6. Save

Click Save. The QR code image renders on the right side of the editor.

7. Download the QR

Click the Download dropdown under the QR preview. Formats:

• PNG — raster, for digital assets and small print.
• SVG — vector, for billboards or anything that needs to scale without losing sharpness.
• PDF — vector, for print shops that prefer PDF workflows.

SVG is generally the safest default for print.

Using the short URL

Copy the short URL icon next to the path field. Paste it anywhere links are clickable (social, email, SMS, chat). Scans of the QR code and clicks on the short URL both hit the same redirect and are both counted in analytics.

What's next

• Customize the appearance: see Customizing a QR code.
• Add dynamic routing: see Smart Targets.
• Brand your short URL: onboard a custom domain in Custom Domains.