Short links for SMS campaigns
An SMS fits 160 Latin characters, or 70 with Cyrillic. A long link with UTM tags takes over 100, an lnk.ua link takes 24.
SMS length
The limit depends on which characters are in the text.
| Encoding | When | One SMS | Each part of a long SMS |
|---|---|---|---|
| GSM-7 | Latin letters, digits and basic punctuation only | 160 characters | 153 characters |
| UCS-2 | Any Cyrillic, curly quotes, an em dash, ’ or emoji | 70 characters | 67 characters |
Pitfalls
- One Cyrillic letter or ’ drops the limit from 160 to 70.
- An emoji takes two characters.
- In GSM-7, € [ ] { } \ ~ ^ | take two characters each.
- Each part of a long SMS is billed as a separate SMS.
Characters saved
The same SMS with a long link and with a short one.
With the long link
Sale -20% on sneakers till Sunday! Shop: https://shop.example.com/catalog/womens-sneakers?utm_source=sms&utm_medium=sms&utm_campaign=black_friday
With an lnk.ua short link
Sale -20% on sneakers till Sunday! Shop: https://lnk.ua/xY7kP2qLm
Without https:// the link is 8 characters shorter, but not every phone makes it tappable. Send a test SMS.
Clicks from a campaign
Your provider counts delivered messages, lnk.ua counts clicks on the link.
- 1Sign in before you shorten the link.
- 2Make a separate link for each campaign.
- 3See the clicks in your dashboard.
- 4Bots and link previews count as clicks too.
UTM tags for SMS
The tags sit in the long link, and the SMS carries the short one. They cost no characters.
https://shop.example.com/catalog/womens-sneakers?utm_source=sms&utm_medium=sms&utm_campaign=black_friday
utm_source
Where from: your provider’s name or sms
sms
utm_medium
The channel
sms
utm_campaign
The promotion or mailing
black_friday
utm_content
The text variant, if you compare two
text_a
The builder shortens the link right away and gives you a QR code.
Online shops
Texts that fit one SMS together with the link.
Promotion
Sale -20% on sneakers till Sunday! Shop: https://lnk.ua/xY7kP2qLm
Abandoned cart
Your cart is waiting. Check out with 5% off: https://lnk.ua/xY7kP2qLm
Review request
Thanks for your order! Rate it here: https://lnk.ua/xY7kP2qLm
Make a separate link for each text variant to see which one worked.
Delivery and bookings
The link leads to parcel tracking or rescheduling.
Shipped: long tracking link
Order 4821 has shipped. Track it: https://track.example.com/parcels/20450000000000?utm_source=sms&utm_medium=sms&utm_campaign=delivery
Same with a short link
Order 4821 has shipped. Track it: https://lnk.ua/xY7kP2qLm
One typographic apostrophe
Your parcel 20450000000000 is waiting at pickup point 12. We’re open till 8 pm. Details: https://lnk.ua/xY7kP2qLm
Same text with a plain apostrophe
Your parcel 20450000000000 is waiting at pickup point 12. We're open till 8 pm. Details: https://lnk.ua/xY7kP2qLm
Appointment reminder
Reminder: your appointment is on Thursday at 3 pm. Reschedule: https://lnk.ua/xY7kP2qLm
A separate link for each recipient is made through the API.
Link trust
- Sign the SMS with your shop name or sender ID.
- With a custom domain the link looks like go.shop.com/….
- We check every new address.
- Text only people who agreed to it. Spam is forbidden.
Before you send
- You are signed in.
- The long link has UTM tags.
- Text plus link fits 160 characters, or 70 with Cyrillic.
- A test SMS opens on an iPhone and an Android phone.
FAQ
160 in Latin script. With Cyrillic, 70.
24 with https://, 16 without.
You can, but not every phone makes the link tappable. Send a test SMS.
Shorten the link while signed in and see the clicks in your dashboard.
Yes, through the API: one request, one link.
