Frequently Asked Questions

We upgraded our servers. If you use an A-record for your DNS that points to our sevice, then you need to change it to 52.23.47.7 . If you use a CNAME then you don't need to do anything. There should not be any downtime or service outage during your change over. Both the old and new platforms are up and handling requests.

There are three ways that you can potentially use for setting up your domain to "point" at ours.

If you are using a subdomain such as shor.tswit.ch, then we recommend setting up a CNAME so that your domain points to shortswitch.com.

If you are using a root domain such as tswit.ch, then you may need to setup an A record instead since some DNS providers do not support assigning a CNAME to a root domain. In this case, set up an A record that points to 52.23.47.7 which is our IP address.

If you are using a domain that also serves other purposes (e.g. website, blog, etc.) such as eyestreet.com, then you need to alter your account settings to specify that you want to "Use Rewrites Instead of a DNS change". After doing that, you must then setup a redirect for a path on your web server that sends the traffic back to us. Please see the discussion on your accounts page that provides specific examples for your domain.

DNS configuration is different with each DNS provider, so feel free to email us or call us to work through the settings.
Once your settings have been updated, it may take up to 24 to 48 hours for the DNS changes to propagate through the Internet.

If you go the web server configuration route we can also be of assistance.

First, you will need to register a domain. iWantMyDomain offers DNS registration for many different domain extensions. Once you have registered the domain, you just need to sign up for an account and point the DNS to our site as described above.

Yes.

Our default settings assume that the domain or subdomain is being solely used for URL shortening. For example, the link, http://shor.tswit.ch/home is handled by our service because the subdomain, shor.tswit.ch, has a CNAME that resolves to our server and redirects to the ShortSwitch home page for the home short URL token.

If you want to have a dual use for your domain, then you can configure your account to work at a specific path off of your domain. For example, the link, http://eyestreet.com/s/olympics is handled by our service because the web server that serves eyestreet.com has a rewrite for the /s path that sends a user to our server which determines that the olympics short URL token resolves to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics site.

First thing you need to do is log into https://dns.godaddy.com using your GoDaddy account information. Then click on "Edit zone" below the domain you wish to use for ShortSwitch. The next step depends on whether you are going to use your root domain - tswit.ch - or a subdomain - shor.tswit.ch - for your shortener.

Root domain:

In the "A (Host)" section you should see a record with the Host "@". That means it's the main host record. As a backup make note of the IP Address the "Points to" field currently points to; you're about to change it. Click on the row to begin editing it and change the "Points to" field to our IP address - 52.23.47.7

Subdomain:

In the "Edit Zone" screen go to the CNAME section and click "Quick Add". Then choose a subdomain to use for shortening. "s" is a pretty common choice. Enter that in the "Host" column and in the "Points To" column enter: shortswitch.com

In both cases save the change by clicking the "Save Zone File" button at the top right. Once the change has propagated through the internet, you're all set. You'll know you've done it right when pointing your browser to your domain (or subdomain) sends you to shortswitch.com

We have a bookmarking tool that shows up on your dashboard, and a tools page that lists our featured tools. Use the feedback link on the left side of the page to let us know what tools we need to support.

Only people that have been given a login for your account may create shortened URLs. The aministrator of your account can create new users. Each user has a login. On your dashboard you will see links created by everyone on your account. Also, each user has a separate API key that is used with tools such as a bookmarklet that allows you to generate a short URL from your web browser. By using the API key you can create links using your account without having to log back into our site.

We can work with you to import short URLs from another service into our service. Email us to start the process.

No. So long as our service is running your short URLs or custom URLs are maintained. Our company is over ten years old. We aren't going anywhere.

You can use any english letter or number. They can be as short as a single character or as long as you want.

Yes. Use our API.

Contact us to discuss prices for custom development and configurations.

A QR Code is a matrix code (or two-dimensional bar code) created by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994. The "QR" is derived from "Quick Response", as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed. Many mobile phones support scanning of QR codes to quickly open web links on the phone. The QR codes on our site allow you to track usage of the code. Take a look at this Mashable article on 5 Unique Uses for QR Codes to get ideas for how to use them.

Charges for paid plans will show up as Eye Street Research.

Short answer: Very.

Longer Answer: Not only can you write whatever HTML you'd like (Example HTML) but because the code you enter is run "as is" by the browser, you may use JavaScript which will be run when the Toolbar/Interstitial page loads.

To make manipulating the default content of the page easier, we have added HTML IDs and Classes to all of the elements which appear on the Toolbar/Interstitial page (Raw HTML of Interstitial page) which means you can manipulate those objects as you see fit. Additionally we include the jQuery JavaScript library which means, if you're familiar with jQuery, you can use it as well.

jQuery Example with explanation.

Click on the big button that says "QR Code" under the link in your dashboard. When the image pops up, right click on the image and Save to your desktop. Or take your shortened url and add .qr to the end, and it will redirect you to a QR image for your shortened URL.

If you believe your copyright-protected work was posted without authorization or the custom domain infringes on your copyright, you may submit a copyright infringement notification. These requests should only be submitted by the copyright owner or an agent authorized to act on the owner's behalf. The fastest and easiest way to notify ShortSwitch is via the email: DMCA Complaint