Help
Getting started
How do I shorten a URL?
Paste your long URL into the box on the homepage and click Shorten. You'll get back a short link of the form comprs.me/xxxxxx ready to copy.
Do I need an account?
No. You can shorten URLs without signing up — the short link will work indefinitely. With a free account you also get a dashboard for managing your links, basic analytics, and higher rate limits. Paid plans add custom slugs, custom domains, deeper analytics, and CSV export.
What kinds of URLs can I shorten?
Any URL using http:// or https:// that points to a publicly reachable destination. We screen URLs against the URLhaus malware blocklist before accepting them, and we reserve the right to refuse or disable links that violate the terms of service.
How long do short links last?
Indefinitely, as long as the destination is reachable and the link hasn't been disabled for abuse. Deleting a link from your dashboard removes it immediately and the short URL stops resolving.
Custom slugs
What's a custom slug?
The slug is the bit after the domain — in comprs.me/abc123, the slug is abc123. By default we generate a random one. On Starter and above, you can choose your own (e.g. comprs.me/launch).
Who can set a custom slug?
Custom slugs (4–20 characters) are included on Starter and above. Free accounts get auto-generated slugs only. Premium 3-letter slugs (e.g. comprs.me/xyz) are reserved for the Pro plan because there are very few of them and they're disproportionately valuable.
What characters are allowed?
Letters and digits only — a–z, A–Z, 0–9. No spaces, hyphens, underscores, or punctuation. Slugs are case-insensitive: /Promo and /promo resolve to the same link.
Can I change a slug after creating the link?
Yes, on Starter and above. Open the link from your dashboard and use the rename option. The old slug continues to redirect to the same destination for a 90-day grace period so any links you've already shared keep working, then it's released for reuse.
Custom domains
What's a custom domain?
Instead of comprs.me/xxxxx, your short links use a domain you own — for example links.yourbrand.com/launch. Better for branding, and your links stay yours even if you ever stop using Compress Me (you can point the DNS elsewhere).
Which plans include this?
Starter includes 1 custom domain, Pro includes 5. See the pricing page for the current limits.
How do I set up a custom domain?
Three steps:
- In your domains page, click Add domain and enter the hostname you want to use (e.g.
links.yourbrand.com). - At your DNS provider, create a CNAME record for that hostname pointing to
cname.comprs.me. (Apex domains can't use CNAMEs — use a subdomain instead.) DNS changes typically propagate within minutes, sometimes up to a couple of hours. - Back in the domains page, click Verify. We'll check the DNS record and, if it's correct, issue an HTTPS certificate automatically. Your short links on that domain start working as soon as the certificate is live (usually under a minute).
Verification is failing. What now?
Most common causes, in order: DNS hasn't propagated yet (wait a few minutes and retry); the CNAME points to the wrong target (must be exactly cname.comprs.me); there's an existing A or AAAA record on the same hostname blocking the CNAME (CNAMEs can't coexist with other records — delete the conflicting record). If none of those, email hello@comprs.me with the domain and we'll look at our end.
Will the certificate auto-renew?
Yes. Certificates are issued by Let's Encrypt and renewed automatically before they expire. You don't need to do anything.
Analytics
What counts as a click?
Every successful HTTP request to your short link that we successfully redirect. This includes link-preview crawlers from social platforms — when you paste a link into Facebook, Slack, WhatsApp, or similar, their crawler fetches it to build the preview, and that counts as a click. In the Browsers and Platforms breakdowns we exclude bot user-agents from the totals so the human-traffic numbers stay clean.
How far back can I see my data?
- Free: 30 days
- Starter: 365 days
- Pro: unlimited
We retain the underlying click data indefinitely (see the privacy policy), so upgrading at any point unlocks the full back-history.
What's the geographic breakdown?
On Pro and above, the per-link analytics view shows a country breakdown of where clicks came from. We derive this from the IP address using a local lookup database — we don't send IP addresses to any third-party geolocation service.
Can I export my click data?
Yes, on Starter and above. Each link's analytics page has an Export CSV button that downloads the full click log (timestamp, IP, browser, platform, referrer, user agent) up to your plan's history limit.
QR codes
How do I get a QR code for my link?
Every short link has a QR code automatically. Open the link from your dashboard and use the QR button to download it. Anonymous links (without an account) also have QR codes — they're shown on the page right after you shorten the URL.
What size and format?
QR codes are generated as PNG at a size suitable for both screen and print. The PNG includes a quiet zone (white border) so they scan reliably even when overlaid on coloured backgrounds.
Account & billing
How do I change my email or password?
Email: from your account settings. We'll send a confirmation link to the new address before the change takes effect. Password: use the forgot password form on the login page — we'll email you a reset link.
How do I cancel my subscription?
From your account settings, click Cancel subscription. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period; you keep paid-tier features until then. After cancellation, your account drops to the Free tier — your links and click data remain.
Can I get a refund?
If you cancel within 14 days of your first paid charge on an account, we'll refund that payment in full — email hello@comprs.me from your registered address. After the first 14 days, or on renewals and subsequent subscriptions, we don't issue refunds. Full details are in the terms of service.
What happens if I downgrade?
Your links and click data stay intact. Features tied to the higher plan stop being available — for example, if you downgrade from Pro to Starter, the country breakdown disappears from your analytics, but the underlying data is still there and reappears if you upgrade again later. Custom slugs that were created on a paid plan continue to resolve even after downgrade; you just can't create or rename them on Free.
How do I delete my account?
From your account settings, click Delete account. There's a 30-day grace period during which signing back in cancels the deletion. After 30 days all your data is permanently removed: account, links, click history, custom domains. Billing records are retained for tax purposes — see the privacy policy.
Abuse & link removal
How do I report an abusive link?
Use the report form or email abuse@comprs.me with the short URL and a brief description of the issue. We review every report and disable links that violate the acceptable use policy.
My link was disabled. Why?
Either it appeared on a third-party blocklist (e.g. URLhaus, anti-phishing feeds), or we received an abuse report we found credible. Disabled links return a "link disabled" page instead of redirecting.
Can I appeal a disabled link?
Yes. Email abuse@comprs.me with the short URL and an explanation of why you believe the disabling was in error. False-positive blocklist hits do happen and we'll reinstate links where the report doesn't hold up.
Last updated: July 2026