Custom short links and QR codes
23 September 2026 · 4 min read
A random short code is enough for a message you will tap. A custom code is for a link people have to remember, say, or type. A QR code is the same link for a camera.
When a custom code helps
- Spoken links. A radio mention or a shop counter works better as
gcut.in/offerthan as a random string. - Print. Menus, packaging, and visiting cards have room for a few readable characters.
- Campaigns. One code per channel — poster, Instagram bio, WhatsApp — makes later click counts easier to compare.
Keep the code short, lowercase, and specific. Avoid names that look like another brand, and skip codes the site already uses for pages.
When a random code is better
If the link only travels as a tap — a DM, an email button, a story sticker — a generated code is fine. It is created immediately and you do not have to hunt for an unused word.
QR codes use the same short link
After the short link exists, Gcut can show a QR code for it. Print that code on a poster or product. Scanning opens the short link, which redirects to the current destination. If the destination page changes later, update the short link in your account instead of reprinting the QR, as long as the short code stays the same.
Leave clear space around the code and test a printout with a phone camera before you order a large run.
One link, two surfaces
Use the text link in bios and chats. Use the QR where people are holding a phone up to paper. Both should point at the same gcut.in code so analytics stay in one place. Start from the homepage shortener if you do not have the link yet.
Start on the free URL shortener at https://gcut.in/. Custom codes are available on a paid plan.