YouTube Link Shortener: shorten video, channel & playlist links
YouTube gives you a short youtu.be link for videos, but it stops there. Shorten any YouTube link, including channels and playlists, into a clean, branded URL with click tracking and a QR code, free.
On this page
How to get a YouTube short link (youtu.be)
For a single video, YouTube already gives you a short link, no tool needed:
- Open the video and click Share (under the video on desktop, or the share icon in the app).
- YouTube shows a
youtu.be/VIDEO_IDlink with a Copy button. - Tick Start at first if you want the link to begin at a specific timestamp.
youtu.be only works for individual videos, not channel or playlist URLs. And it can't track clicks, can't be branded, can't become a QR code, and can't be edited later. For any of that, you need a real shortener.When a shortener beats youtu.be
youtu.be (YouTube's own)
Great for quickly sharing one video. No channel or playlist links, no click tracking, no branding, no QR code, no editing. It's YouTube's brand, not yours.
Link shortener (Pageloot)
Shortens any YouTube link, videos, channels, and playlists, plus tracks clicks, adds a QR code, lets you add a custom keyword, and (on paid) lets you edit where the link points later.
Channel URLs like youtube.com/channel/UC... and playlist URLs are long and unbrandable. Shortening turns them into something clean you can put anywhere.
How to shorten a YouTube link
Three steps, and it works for videos, channels, and playlists:
- Copy the YouTube link — the video, channel, or playlist URL (use Share for a video, or copy the URL from the address bar for a channel or playlist).
- Paste and shorten — drop it into the URL shortener and click Shorten. You get a short
pageloot.com/s/link instantly, with a matching QR code. - Share and track — drop it in your description, post it, or print its QR code, then watch the clicks.
Want it branded? Add your own keyword to the link for free (for example pageloot.com/s/my-channel).
Why shorten YouTube links
Clean, branded links
Swap a long channel or playlist URL for a short, branded link that looks better in descriptions, posts, and bios.
Track the click-through
YouTube counts views, not clicks on links you share off-platform. A short link shows those, basic free, detailed (location, device, time) on paid.
A QR code too
Every short link comes with a QR code, perfect for merch, packaging, end-screen call-outs, and print.
On a paid Pageloot plan, links are also editable, so a QR code on your merch or a link in an old video description can point to your newest video whenever you want, without reprinting or re-editing.
Where to use short YouTube links
- Video descriptions — link to a playlist, your channel, or a related video with a clean, trackable link.
- Community posts and comments — share tidy links that don't eat the character count.
- Cross-platform — promote a video on Instagram, X/Twitter, or LinkedIn with one short link.
- Bios and link-in-bio — point followers to your channel or latest upload.
- Merch, packaging & print — drop the link's QR code on products, thumbnails, or flyers. → QR code generator
YouTube links + QR codes
Every short link comes with its own QR code. Print it on merch, a flyer, or a product insert and anyone who scans it lands on your video, channel, or playlist. On a paid plan you can change that destination later without reprinting, so the same QR can always point to your newest upload.
See all URL shortener featuresFrequently asked questions
Copy the YouTube link — a video, channel, or playlist URL — paste it into Pageloot’s URL shortener, and click Shorten. You’ll get a short link plus a QR code instantly, ready to share or print.
Open the video, click Share, and YouTube shows a youtu.be/VIDEO_ID link with a Copy button. Tick “Start at” first if you want it to begin at a specific time. Note that youtu.be only works for videos, not channels or playlists.
youtu.be is quick for sharing one video but offers no click tracking, branding, QR code, or editing, and it doesn’t work for channels or playlists. A shortener handles any YouTube link and adds tracking, a QR code, custom keywords, and editable destinations on paid plans.
Yes. youtu.be can’t shorten those, but a shortener can. Just copy the channel or playlist URL from the address bar and shorten it.
Yes. Copy the link with the start time included (use the “Start at” option on Share), then shorten it. The short link will open the video at that timestamp.
Yes. You can shorten unlimited YouTube links for free, with basic click stats and a QR code on every link. A paid Pageloot plan adds editable links, detailed analytics, and a white-label short domain.
Yes. YouTube counts views, not clicks on links you share off-platform. A short link shows those click-throughs, basic stats free and detailed location, device, and time data on a paid plan.
Yes. Every short link comes with a downloadable QR code, ideal for merch, packaging, product inserts, and print.
Shorten your YouTube link free
Clean links for videos, channels, and playlists, a QR code on every link, and click tracking youtu.be can't give you. No credit card required.
Shorten a link → See plans →Pageloot is a link and QR code platform used by 20,000+ brands across 110 countries. The YouTube link shortener is free: shorten unlimited links, get basic click stats, and a QR code on every link. Editable links, detailed analytics, and a white-label short domain are available on paid Pageloot plans. youtu.be is YouTube's own link-sharing feature and behaves as described at the time of writing. YouTube and youtu.be are trademarks of Google LLC; Pageloot is not affiliated with or endorsed by YouTube or Google.
