Google Drive URL Shortener
Smler is a Google Drive URL shortener: paste a Drive share link and get a short link on Smler's domain or on your own custom domain. Every open is counted in link analytics, so you can see when a link was opened, where, and on what kind of device. When you have many files to share, shorten the Drive links in one go through the API or a bulk upload.
Shorten a Google Drive link
If you came looking for a Google URL shortener for Google Drive links, this is the same job done in three steps. Nothing changes in Google Drive itself: all you need is the share link.
Paste the Drive share link
Copy the share link from Google Drive and paste it into Smler. Files and folders both work.
Pick an alias and domain
Choose a readable alias such as q3-report, and the domain the link should live on.
Share it
Send the short link by email, chat or social post. It redirects to the same Drive file.
A link like drive.google.com/file/d/…/view?usp=sharing becomes go.yourbrand.com/q3-report: short enough to read aloud, and clear about what is behind it. The short link only redirects to your Drive link, so who can view the file is still decided by your Drive sharing settings.
Branded Google Drive links on your own domain
A raw Drive link is a long string of characters that tells the reader nothing about the file behind it. Connect a custom domain to Smler and the same file sits behind an address you own, such as go.yourbrand.com, with an alias people can read at a glance. The alias is yours to choose, so q3-report or onboarding-guide can replace a run of random characters.
That matters most where trust is thin. In a client email, a proposal or a social post, a link that carries your own name looks like it came from you, and readers can tell what they are about to open before they click.
You also control how the link looks when it is shared. By default a short link borrows the preview of its destination. With custom social previews you set the title, description and image for each link, so a shared report can show your own headline and artwork in the feed.
See how your Drive links perform: link analytics
Once a Drive link goes through Smler, every open is recorded in link analytics. Pick any link to see how it is doing across four views.
Opens over time
When a link was opened, and how activity rises or falls after you share it.
Location
The countries and cities your opens come from.
Device
Whether people open on mobile or desktop, and the browser they use.
Referrer
The site that sent each visitor to your link.
Together they show which channels and campaigns actually get your files opened. If most opens come from one referrer or one city, you know where the file is landing. Analytics describe how a link performs, not who the reader is: you see patterns across opens, not the identity of the person behind one. The analytics introduction walks through each section of the dashboard.
To act on opens as they happen, add a webhook. Smler sends each open to an endpoint you choose, which is how teams push open events into a CRM.
Google Drive URL shortener integration: API and bulk shortening
To build a Google Drive URL shortener integration into your own workflow, Smler gives you three building blocks. If you were hoping for a Google URL shortener integration for Google Drive, these cover the same ground: links are created, tracked and passed on without copying and pasting.
API
Create short links from code. Send the Drive link, with the alias you want if you have one, and get the short link back. If the alias is already taken, the API says so and you can pick another. Start with the short links API docs.
Bulk upload
Put your Drive links and aliases in a spreadsheet, upload it, and get a short link for every row. Bulk URL shortening is built for whole libraries of files, such as training material or sales documents.
Webhooks
Set a webhook on a custom domain and Smler posts each open to your endpoint as it happens, ready to pass on to your CRM or any other system that accepts webhooks.
Step-by-step guide
This page covers what Smler does with Drive links, not every click along the way. For the full walkthrough, from copying the share link in Drive to testing the finished link on your phone, read our guide on how to shorten a Google Drive link.
FAQ
- Is there a Google URL shortener for Google Drive links?
- Google's own URL shortener no longer creates new short links, so it can't be used for Google Drive links. A branded shortener such as Smler fills the gap: paste a Drive share link and get a short link on Smler's domain or your own custom domain, with analytics on every open.
- Does Smler integrate with Google Drive?
- Smler works with any Google Drive share link, whether it points to a single file or a whole folder. Paste the link to shorten it by hand, or use the API and bulk upload for high-volume workflows where short links are needed for many Drive files at a time.
- Can I use my own domain for Google Drive short links?
- Yes. Connect a domain or subdomain you own, such as go.yourbrand.com, and your Drive links are served from it with the alias you choose. See custom domains for how the setup works.
- Can I create a QR code for a Google Drive link?
- Yes. Shorten the Drive link first, then turn the short link into a QR code with the QR code generator. Because the code points at the short link, each scan counts as an open in your link analytics, alongside opens from email and social posts.
- Can I shorten many Google Drive links at once?
- Yes. List your Drive links in a spreadsheet and upload it, or send them through the API, and Smler creates a short link for each one. Bulk shortening covers both routes, so a whole library of files can be shared with consistent, readable links.
Ready to Shorten Your Drive Links?
Create a branded, trackable link for your next Drive file, then move to the API or a bulk upload when you have more to share.