Using short URLs to promote and track content

We created the short URL that points to our privacy policy webpage:

• full URL: https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/your-council/privacy/privacy-policy/
• short URL: www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/privacy

It is used in the footer of letters and campaigns to ensure users have a reference for how their data will be used.

Short URLs should:

• always be clear, unambiguous and easy to read, type and share
• be in lowercase
• align with the title of the page
• use dashes to separate words so they're easy to read - for example, /bin-day (this might not apply if the URL is designed to be read aloud)
• use the verb stem where possible - for example, /apply instead of /applying
• be based on user need rather than the (current) name of a policy, scheme or service, which might change
• include the year when using for a one-off promotion of an annual event like /corporate-plan-2021

Short URLs should not:

• contain acronyms
• use articles (a, an, the) or other superfluous words - for example, use /benefits or /benefits-guides rather than /a-guide-to-benefits
• be used to redirect a user to a non-government site
• include trailing slashes when sharing or printing URLs as it’s bad for search engine optimisation (SEO) - for example, use /your-url-here rather than /your-url-here/

Short URLs should be used to:

• share or promote guidance and services offline ie in letters or on posters
• promote topics, schemes or campaigns, for example in TV, radio and in print

You could use a short URL in the following formats:

• digital signage, for example on bus stops
• TV and radio
• newspapers
• text messages
• printed documents, leaflets, brochures, and posters
• letters in some cases

You can contact us to request a short URL for your content via our online form or email.

You can suggest a short URL but be aware that it:

• may be in use already (you can check this by typing it into your browser)
• must meet our guidance on how we structure short URLs

You will need to tell us:

• why you need the short URL
• the content the short URL will link to
• how your short URL will be used in marketing or communications
• whether you need to track a short URL you will be using in print (as this can take a bit of prior planning)
• when the page and short URL need to be live (if the content isn't live already)

We will create the short URL when the page it points to is live.

As short URLs can only point to live content, do not publicise them until both the content and short URL are live. Otherwise, users will be sent to an error page.

We can, however, approve the use of a specific short URL before the page is live.

It is a services responsibility to keep track of what short URLs they are using and where they have been used.

This is important for us to know when moving or changing the URLs of your content.

You can ask the web team to repoint the short URL to another page or let us know that it's not needed anymore.