How your links work
Linktrap gives you one short URL. Real visitors go straight to your page; chat apps and social networks usually show a separate title, description, and image you control.
When someone opens your link in a normal browser
They first see a small Linktrap page with the short URL (and a copy button), a preview card matching what bots use (title, description, optional image), and a button to continue to your destination. That keeps the experience transparent while still separating “what the card shows” from “where the click lands.”
When an app shows a “preview card”
Apps like Slack, Discord, iMessage, and many social networks fetch your link with an automated preview bot. Those bots get a small HTML page that only describes the preview: title, description, and optional image. That is what you set in the create flow (or what quick-shorten uses as a safe default).
The important part: the text shown on the card should not be used to smuggle in your private destination URL for bots to scrape — Linktrap is built so the real URL is not exposed that way. See Link previews & social cards for the exact rules.
Quick shorten vs full setup
- Shorten now — fastest. You get a working short link; preview text is generic so your real URL does not appear on the card.
- Craft the preview — you choose (or generate) title, description, and image so the card matches your campaign while people still land on the real URL when they tap through.
Where to manage everything
The Dashboard lists your links, shows click counts, lets you copy short URLs, and delete links. Pro workspaces can also use API keys and custom domains — see Clicks & campaign links and Custom domains.
Next steps
- Getting started — sign in and create your first link.
- Crawler checklist — if a preview looks wrong on one network.