Frequently asked things

Is BlinkLink free?

Yes for personal use: Free covers up to 10 active links, unlimited standalone QR codes (text / WiFi / contact), 30-day analytics, password-gating and link scheduling on 2 links, and read-only API access. Pro ($6/mo) unlocks unlimited links, 90-day analytics, the rest of the link features (routing, branded expiry pages, retargeting pixels, webhooks, UTM templates, trust badge), 1 custom domain, team workspace with 6 seats, the write API, and priority support. Full comparison lives in Settings → Billing. If you're on the fence about Pro, use the Contact tab on this page (or email support@bnkl.me) and we'll usually give you a month to try it.

Can I make a link-in-bio page?

Yes, and it's free for everyone. Every account gets a public profile at bnkl.me/@yourhandle: add an avatar, a short bio, your social links, and an ordered list of link buttons, then flip it to published. Set it up under Settings → Profile page. Leave it unpublished and the page stays private to you.

How long does a short link last?

It depends on the plan. Pro links never expire. Free signed-in links last 30 days by default, and links you make without signing in last 7 days. You can set or clear that expiry whenever you create or edit a link, and upgrading to Pro automatically removes the expiry from all your existing links. Once a link expires it shows an "expired" page instead of redirecting; we never silently recycle slugs out from under you.

Do you support custom domains?

Yes: one custom domain per Pro account. Settings → Custom domain walks you through the CNAME record and the TXT verification. SSL is issued automatically. The /custom-domain guide has the full step-by-step.

Can I redirect to anywhere, including non-https URLs?

We require http:// or https:// destinations. We don't allow javascript:, data:, mailto:, or other non-web schemes; these have a long history of phishing abuse. If your destination is bare-IP (e.g. http://10.0.0.5), it'll work but won't get our usual edge-cached lookup.

What happens if I delete a link?

The slug is freed immediately and the link's analytics history is removed within a day. Anyone visiting the old short URL afterwards gets a tasteful "not found" page. Deletes are permanent; we keep backups for disaster recovery but you can't ask for an old link to be "undeleted" once you've removed it.

How accurate are the analytics?

Click counts and per-country / per-browser / per-device aggregates are accurate: they come from server-side log writes at the redirect, not a client-side pixel. "QR scans" are heuristic: we mark a hit as a scan when the URL carries the ?qr=1 marker our generator adds, or when the user-agent looks like a barcode scanner. Most real scans get categorised correctly; a handful slip into the "click" bucket and that's fine.

Can I bulk-create links?

Via the API, yes: see /api for the spec. A CSV upload in the dashboard is coming in the future.

Do you read my links or my destination pages?

No. We resolve the slug, redirect the visitor, and never make a request to the destination page from our servers. The destination URL is stored encrypted at rest. If our security page interests you, you'll like the privacy page too.

Can I share an account with my team?

Yes: Pro includes a team workspace with up to 6 seats. Invite by email; each member picks editor (can create / edit links) or viewer (read-only). Settings → Team is where you manage seats. The /teams guide covers the role matrix.

What if a short link's destination becomes a phishing site later?

Every destination is checked against Google Safe Browsing when the link is created, and flagged URLs are refused up front. If something slips through later, every redirect page surfaces an abuse-report link to support@bnkl.me; we review reports and suspend confirmed phishing / malware links, which then serve a warning page until the owner intervenes.

Is there a CLI?

Not officially, but the API is straightforward enough that the official curl examples on /api are basically a CLI. If you build a wrapper you're proud of, we'll happily link it here.

Who built this?

BlinkLink is a one-person operation, run by Thomas Rapcat (with help from a very supportive partner and an unhelpful but charismatic actual cat). Feedback, complaints, and bug reports all land in the same inbox: support@bnkl.me (or just use the Contact tab on this page).