SmartLink domains will cease operation after December 31, 2020
All custom domains will continue to operate without impact, including the b.link default domain. Any SmartLink domain will be archived and will no longer redirect.
NOTE:
Below is the original announcement from the April 2020 transition.
What
BLINK is discontinuing our Smart Link functionality and reverting to the standard b.link short domain for anyone not currently using a custom domain name. If you use a custom domain name with BL.INK, this change will not impact the use of your custom domain in any way. This change also has zero impact on the legacy domains budurl.com and budurl.me.
Existing Smart Links will continue to function through December 31, 2020. After this date, they will cease to operate and any Smart Link will cease to redirect. During this window, we strongly recommend that all customers use our heavily discounted domain pricing and integrated domain name search and provisioning to register a custom domain name for their own use.
Why
BLINK is continually looking for new ways to innovate with new features that may be of value to our customers.
Smart Link was the first of its kind and something that was new to the world of short links. After running the program in beta for nearly two years, we realized that our time and resources could be better used in other areas of our product.
In addition, we have always held the belief that every single customer can and should be using a domain that represents their content, brand, or industry. The abundance of domain name options and the reasonable price points make custom domains the clear and obvious choice for any short link service. This creates link portability and flexibility and builds trust and confidence for your own audiences.
You will see more from us in this line of thinking in the months ahead, but for now, we strongly recommend you use our integrated domain registration system to find a domain name that is relevant to you, leverage our reduced pricing and first-year discounts, and procure a domain name for use with your short link needs.
When
April 13, 2020 - The default short domain will be set to b.link and no additional Smart Links may be created. Existing Smart Links will continue to redirect through December 31, 2020.
After this date, Smart Link domains will no longer redirect and any existing Smart Links will be put in read-only mode to preserve the original data, but no longer collect any new click data.
Next steps
If you are using a custom domain name, this change likely has little or no impact. If you are using Smart Links today, we recommend you immediately transition to using the b.link domain name option or add a custom domain name to your account.
NOTE:
In order to switch from an existing Smart Link domain to the b.link domain, you will need to recreate the link as a new link. The domain cannot be edited for an existing Smart Link.
I Still Have Questions
If you are confused about this announcement, concerned about the impact, or want to discuss this in more detail, please contact us.
FAQ
Q: How do I know if I am using Smart Links?
A: When you log into BLINK and create a new short link, which domain name is in the drop-down menu at the top? If it says “Smart Links” then you are using Smart Links. If it is your own domain name, then you are not using Smart Links.
Q: What if I want to keep using my favorite Smart Link domain name?
A: Sales inquiries for any domain in the Smart Link portfolio may be directed to [email protected].
Q: Will I still be able to edit my Smart Links?
A: If your account allows editing of links today (paid accounts) then yes, you can still edit the destination of your links.
Q: What if I want to use the b.link short domain as my default?
A: You may continue to do so at this time. As we mentioned, we strongly recommend every customer use their own domain name.