This article summarizes how to create links in BL.INK Enterprise.
Creating a New Link
To create a single link, navigate to the Links page in the left navigation. Click on the New Link button in the upper right.
This will open a drawer on the right side of the page. In the drawer, you will have the option to choose Blank Template or other account specific Templates.
NOTE:
Templates allow admin users to configure optional and required values for different types of links.
In this example, we will use a Blank Template.
Here you are able to set up all information related to the link you are creating. The Short URL will have an auto-generated keyword or slug, however, you are able to customize the keyword from this field.
In the blank template, the required fields are Short URL, Long URL, Owner and Redirect Type. You also have the option to give your link the appropriate attributes.
TIP: If any of these terms are unfamiliar, please visit our glossary.
Adding Attributes and Values to Links
To create custom attributes and give values to your links, go to the left navigation and click on Admin > Attributes.
NOTE:
Attributes can only be created by admin users.
On this page, you will see all the attributes available on your account and you also have the ability to create new ones by clicking the New Attribute button in the upper right.
Once you have clicked new attribute, you will need to select the attribute type and give a name to the attribute.
BLINK offers the ability to create Picklist, Text, Checkbox, Number, or Date attributes. For Picklist and Checkbox attributes, users may navigate to the Values tab to enter the approved values for each attribute.
You can create as many values as you would like for an attribute. Once you have entered the attribute settings and values, click Save.
The attribute will now appear as an option when you create links or link templates.
Creating a Rule-Based Link (formerly Dynamic Links)
Rules can be added to any link in the BLINK platform.
To create rules for your links, start by clicking New Link or click on the existing link from the Links page.
From the drawer, click the Rules tab at the top, and then click + Add New Rules. Enter the Long URL in the first field, and then select your rule type from the Rule drop-down.
From here, you may add as many rules as you'd like.
BLINK offers the ability to create rules for Day of Week, Time of Day, Date/Time, Device, Operating System, Language, and Country.
You may also create sub rules. To create a sub rule, click on + Add Sub-Rule and select your rule type. Once you have entered your rules, click Create to create your new link or Save to save your existing link.
Example: Let's say you want to set up a specific destination for an audience in Canada that has their language preferences set to French. Here's how you would structure the rules:
Callout: Learn more about Rule-based links here.
Creating Links with Templates
Link templates can help your team to save time, reduce errors, and create trackable links with ease.
To create a link template, click on Admin > Link Templates. From here, you can see the list of templates that have been created or create additional link templates.
NOTE:
Template creation is only available to admin users.
To create a new link template, click on the New Link Template button.
In the drawer, you can enter a name for your template and select the attributes you want to display in the link template. You may also enter default values for any field on the template.
Click Create to save your new template. Once the template has been saved, any time you click New Link from the Links page, your template will display in the Templates section.
Duplicating Links
Duplicating links allows a user to create a copy of a current link and make changes on it rather than creating the link from scratch. The duplicate link will have a separate BLINK ID to separate it from the original link on the Links page.
To duplicate a link, start by clicking on the link. This will open the Link Details drawer. Click on three dots in the upper right.
Click on Duplicate Link and you will see the following pop up.
Choose how many duplicates you want to create. Then click Create. Now, your new link(s) will display in the table on the Links page.
Creating Link Variants
Link variants allow you to create different versions of the same link. For example, if you have a link that you'd like to share on different social media channels, you could create a variant for each with different attribute values.
To create link variations, click on your link on the Links page to open the drawer on the right. At the top of the link details drawer, click on the three dots and then click Generate Variants.
From here, you may change the attribute values to create variations of the original link. Select the values you wish to update, or add additional values to generate multiple variants on the same attribute. Then click Generate.
This will display a pop-up to review your link variants. Use the checkboxes to select or deselect variants from the list. Click the Generate button again to create the new link variants.
Each link created has a unique BLINK ID. By creating variants, you attach variations to the initial link's BLINK ID. You can identify a variant by checking the Variant of column on the Links page. If a link is a variant, the original link's BLINK ID will be displayed here.
Have additional questions on link creation or link management for Enterprise? Submit a ticket.