Frequently asked questions
Plain answers about using toui — shortening inside your AI tools and chat apps, your own domain, the free plan, and more.
Getting started
What is toui.io?
toui is the short-link service embedded in your AI workflow: you shorten links — and check how they're doing — inside the Claude or ChatGPT you already use. It's free to start, your links are permanent, and every plan includes click analytics, QR codes, and an API. ("toui" is Taiwanese for "where to?")
Do toui.io short links expire?
No. Any link you create while logged in is permanent — it never expires, on any plan, even after you cancel a paid subscription. (Links made anonymously, without an account, are the one exception: those expire after 30 days. Sign up and they're yours for good.)
Is there a limit on how many links I can create, or how many clicks they get?
No. toui doesn't cap the number of links you create or how many times they're clicked — your links always keep redirecting. The only usage limit is on API requests, and if you ever reach it, only the API pauses; your existing links keep working normally.
Can I pick my own custom short code?
Yes, on the paid plans. Free links get a short random code; Pro and Business let you set your own (like toui.io/spring-sale). Pair it with your own domain and the whole link is yours.
Can I send iPhone and Android users to different links, or route by country?
Yes, on the paid plans. One short link can point iPhone visitors to the App Store, Android to Google Play, and each country to its own page — toui checks each visitor and sends them the right way, falling back to your default link when nothing matches. Set it per link in the dashboard, or right inside the chat with the AI connector.
How do I set up routing, and how does toui decide where a visitor goes?
When you create or edit a link in the dashboard, open "Routing". There are three kinds of fields: a destination for iOS visitors, one for Android visitors, and country rules — pick a group of countries, give it a destination, and add as many rules as you need. Leave a field empty and that rule is simply off; visitors who match nothing go to your default URL. toui checks each visitor's device and country in real time — to them it's just an ordinary redirect, with no interstitial page. Rules can be changed anytime and take effect immediately, including from the chat via the AI connector — the iOS, Android, and country rules are independent, so changing one never touches the others.
If I set both device and country rules, which one wins? Can a device rule be split further by country?
Device wins. The order is fixed — iOS → Android → country → default — and each visitor matches exactly one rule. So once you set an iOS destination, iPhone visitors from every country go to that same place: a single link can't split a device rule further by country (say, sending Taiwanese and American iPhone users to different pages). If you do need that combination, chain two links: point the iOS destination at a second toui link that only carries country rules. Worth knowing, too: the App Store and Google Play already show each visitor their own region's store page, so most app-download scenarios don't need the extra split at all.
Do I get a QR code?
Yes — every link, on every plan including Free. Download it as a PNG (in several sizes) or SVG for a poster, a slide, or a product label — or just add /qr to any short link to open its own scannable QR page. Paid plans can put your own brand on that page.
Inside your AI workflow
Can I shorten a link without leaving ChatGPT or Claude?
Yes. Add toui as a connector once, then just ask in the chat and the link comes back shortened — no switching tabs, no copy-pasting back and forth. It's the same toui short link you'd get anywhere else, created without leaving your AI tool.
Can I ask the AI how my links are doing, not just shorten them?
Yes — this is the part that makes toui different. Once it's connected, you can ask in the chat, "how did the summer campaign do?", and it answers from your real click data: which channel brought people in, when they clicked, what's working. Creating links and reading their performance happen in the same place, without opening a dashboard.
Do I have to paste my API key into ChatGPT or Claude to use it?
No — and you shouldn't do that with any tool, because pasting a key into a chat leaks it: anyone who can see the conversation now has it. toui connects through a secure MCP connector instead — you sign in once to authorize it and hand over no key at all.
Which AI tools does toui work with?
Claude and ChatGPT are the main ones — toui adds as a connector (a remote MCP server). It also works with other MCP-capable tools like Cursor and Cline. Any assistant that supports custom MCP connectors can use toui; see the docs for setup.
Can I shorten links while I'm chatting in Telegram?
Yes. toui has a Telegram bot — send it a link in a direct message and it shortens it on the spot. You can check the click count there too, so you create the link and see how it's doing in the same place.
Your own domain & SMS
Can I use my own domain for my short links?
Yes, on Pro and Business. Tell toui your domain (say go.yourbrand.com), apply it in the dashboard, and your short links use your domain instead of toui.io — your dashboard becomes the place you manage your own branded links. It's a paid feature, but it's inexpensive, works out of the box, and your own domain simply looks more trustworthy.
For SMS marketing, do I have to register a pile of domains for anti-fraud rules?
Not if you use short links. Instead of registering many domains, you send toui short links. And if you want your brand on them, bring your own domain — one domain, applied once, and every link in your campaign carries it. People trust a link more when it's on a name they recognize.
Plans & billing
Is the free plan enough, and what do the paid plans cost?
Free ($0, and it stays free) covers a lot: permanent links, click analytics, QR codes, and full API access — no credit card. The paid plans are a few dollars a month and add your own domain, deeper analytics, bulk upload, and more team seats. The pricing page has the exact prices and the full breakdown.
Can I cancel anytime, and what happens to my links?
Yes, cancel anytime. Your plan stays active until the end of the billing period, then drops to Free — and your links keep working forever. You only lose the paid-only extras (like your custom domain and advanced analytics); nothing you made disappears.
What analytics do I get?
Every link counts its clicks, on every plan. Paid plans add a breakdown by country, referrer, and device, and keep a longer history. The pricing page lists the exact history length per plan — and with the AI connector, you can just ask for these numbers in the chat.
Can I add UTM tags or group links into a campaign?
Yes. Group links into a campaign and tag each with a channel (utm_source, utm_medium, utm_content). toui rolls performance up by campaign and channel, and can also write the UTM into the destination URL so your own analytics pick it up. Export it as CSV — or just ask the AI which channel did best.
Teams & workspaces
How do teams work — and what happens to my links if I join or leave one?
Each account lives in exactly one workspace at a time. When you join a team (on Pro or Business), you're moved into that workspace — not added as a side member while keeping your old one. Your personal links stay safely where they are and come right back the moment you return. Links you create while inside a team belong to that team; they stay there when you leave — they don't follow you out. To leave, go to your team settings. Ownership can be transferred to another team member whenever you're ready to hand things over.
About & trust
How is toui different from other URL shorteners?
toui is the short-link service embedded in your AI workflow: you shorten links and check how they're doing inside the Claude or ChatGPT you already use, instead of switching to a separate dashboard. The everyday essentials are all on the free plan — click analytics, QR codes, and an API — and toui adds more on top: ask the AI how a campaign did, group links and tag them with UTM, and bring your own domain when you want your brand on the links.
Are toui.io short links safe to click?
toui checks every new link against Google Safe Browsing for malware and phishing before it's created, blocks redirect loops, and won't let short codes impersonate well-known brands. The goal is that a toui link is a safe link.
Can I use toui from my own code or scripts?
Yes — every plan, including Free, comes with a REST API and a small toui-js SDK. It's the same shortening, callable from your code. Full details, endpoints, and examples are on the API docs page.
How do you say "toui"?
It's the Taiwanese word "tó-uī" (佗位) — the "where" in "where are you going?" That's the whole idea: every short link is the answer to where does this go?