Documentation

Getting started

LinksWatch turns any URL into a short, monitored link with an auto-generated QR code. Your links live at linkswatch.io/{code}. Pro users can use a custom domain instead.

Create a link

From the Dashboard, click New link. Paste your destination URL and optionally:

• Custom slug — choose a memorable path like /launch instead of a random code (Pro+).
• Tags — attach labels like marketing or docs to keep your dashboard organised.
• QR branding — set custom colours and a centre logo to match your brand (Pro+).

Editing a link

Click any row in the dashboard to open the detail drawer. You can update the destination URL, short code, tags, and QR branding at any time — without changing the public short link URL or reprinting any QR codes.

Expiry and scheduling

Links can be set to activate at a future date (Active from) or expire automatically (Expires at). Visitors to an expired link see a clean expired-link page.

Uptime monitoring

On Pro and Marketing plans, every link is automatically monitored. LinksWatch checks your destination URL at regular intervals, records the response status, and alerts you the moment something breaks.

Status definitions

• Up — destination responding normally.
• Slow — responding but taking longer than expected.
• Down — returning an error status or not responding.
• Unchecked — not yet checked (Free plan, or new link).

Alerts

When a link transitions from Up → Down you receive an alert. A recovery notification is sent when it comes back online. A cooldown period prevents duplicate alerts.

Pro and Marketing users can configure email alerts and Slack notifications. Paste your Slack webhook URL in Settings → Notifications.

Fallback URL

Set a fallback destination on any link. If LinksWatch detects the primary URL is down, visitors are automatically redirected to the fallback instead — keeping your links functional even when the underlying page has a problem.

QR codes

Every link has an auto-generated QR code that routes back through LinksWatch. This means you can update the destination URL after printing — no need to reprint the QR code.

Customisation (Pro+)

• Set foreground and background colours to match your brand.
• Add a centre logo — LinksWatch pads the clear zone automatically.
• Choose error correction level: L · M · Q · H.

Download formats

Download your QR as SVG (vector, scalable for print) or PNG (raster).

Click analytics

Every click through your short link is recorded. The dashboard shows click counts and sparklines for each link at a glance.

Marketing plan users get the full analytics suite: country breakdown, device type, referrer source, and a click timeline. All data can be exported as a CSV from the Analytics page.

Scheduled reports

Enterprise organisations can generate and email periodic reports summarising link performance across their organisation. Reports are sent by an organisation admin.

Plans & pricing

Free — $0/mo

• 10 links per month (resets on the 1st)
• Basic click counter
• Manual uptime checks
• QR codes (black & white)
• Auto-generated short codes

Pro — $9/mo

• Everything in Free
• Unlimited links
• Automated uptime monitoring
• Email & Slack alerts
• Custom slugs
• Branded QR codes (custom colours & logo)

Marketing — $29/mo

• Everything in Pro
• Full click analytics & visitor insights
• CSV export
• Custom domain (e.g. go.yourcompany.com)
• 5 team members included
• REST API access

Enterprise — Custom pricing

• Everything in Marketing
• White-label branding
• Custom team seat allocation
• Monthly executive reports
• Dedicated onboarding & priority support
• SLA

Contact us for enterprise pricing.

Education & Charity plan

Schools, universities, registered charities, and non-profit organisations can access Marketing plan capabilities at a significantly reduced rate. Pricing is assessed individually.

What's included

• Unlimited links
• Automated uptime monitoring & alerts
• Custom slugs & branded QR codes
• Full click analytics & CSV export
• Custom domain support
• Team collaboration (5 seats included)

How to apply

Use our contact form and select Education / Charity pricing. Include your organisation name, a brief description of your use case, and proof of non-profit or educational status (charity registration number, institutional email domain, etc.).

We aim to respond within 2 business days.

REST API

Marketing, Education, and Enterprise plan users can manage links programmatically via the LinksWatch REST API. Generate an API key in Settings → API Keys.

Authentication

Authorization: Bearer lw_your_api_key_here

Base URL

https://linkswatch.io/api/v1

List links

GET /api/v1/links

Query parameters:
  limit   — number of results (max 200, default 50)
  offset  — pagination offset
  q       — search query (matches URL or short code)

{
  "links": [
    {
      "id": "...",
      "short_code": "launch",
      "destination_url": "https://example.com",
      "short_url": "https://linkswatch.io/launch",
      "title": "Product launch page",
      "created_at": "2026-06-01T09:00:00Z"
    }
  ],
  "limit": 50,
  "offset": 0
}

Create a link

POST /api/v1/links
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "destination_url": "https://example.com",  // required
  "short_code": "my-link",                   // optional
  "title": "My campaign page"                // optional
}

Delete a link

DELETE /api/v1/links/{id}

Rate limits

The API enforces rate limits to ensure fair use. If you exceed the limit you will receive a 429 Too Many Requests response. Standard retry-after headers are included.