What is URL Shortener service?

URL shortening is a technique to convert a long URL (site or page address) to a shorter version. This shorter version of the URL is usually cleaner and easier to share or remember. When someone accesses the shortened address, the browser redirects to the original (large) url address. It is also called URL redirection or URL redirect.

For example, the large version of this url:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/URL_shortening

Can be shortened with theurl.co service to this small address, that redirects to the previous longer address:
http://theurl.co/46364

Uses and purposes:

• Track user clicks from your site to external websites.
• Share links inside email messages without breaking lines
• Track email marketing campaigns with stats in all links
• Share short links in Twitter messages, blogs, microblogs and other social networks
• Create customized links to easily remember your favorite addresses
• Share short links in instant-messaging
• Share easy-to-type links in news and printed material
• Have clean and compact urls for your use
• Hide real URL (user will see the real link only after clicking the short url)
• Create human-readable links
• Avoid errors when typing long urls links with parameters
• Surprise users by creating links like this: theurl.co/thinking-of-you