Frequently asked questions

Is runto.page really free?

Yes. Unlimited links, your own slug on each of them, QR codes, redirect counts and the REST API cost nothing and ask for no card. Premium, when it opens, adds things like custom domains and scheduled expiry — it takes nothing away from the free plan.

How long can a slug be?

From 3 to 64 characters: letters, numbers, hyphens and underscores. It is stored in lowercase, so Menu and menu are the same slug.

If I change the destination, does the QR code change too?

No, and that is the whole point. The code carries the short link, runto.page/menu, never the destination behind it. Retarget the link as often as you like and every code already printed keeps working.

How soon does a new destination take effect?

Straight away. Retargeting and disabling clear the redirect cache as they happen, so the next visitor already lands on the new target. Nothing to wait for, nothing to purge by hand.

What does someone see when a link is switched off?

A page saying the link is not active, served with a 404. It may be switched off or it may never have existed, and from the outside the two are deliberately indistinguishable. A disabled link redirects nowhere, so it cannot be made to unfurl as a live page.

Can I reuse the slug of a link I deleted?

There is no delete today: a link you no longer want is switched off, and the slug stays yours. A slug that already exists is refused whatever state it is in, so nobody can take over one you have printed.

Are query parameters carried over?

The ones in the destination are: the URL you save is used exactly as it is, query string included. The ones you append to the short link are not, so runto.page/menu?utm_source=x leads to the saved destination without ?utm_source=x. Put the parameters in the destination.