Custom Short URLs
URL shortening service – Bitly
Boise State has partnered with Bitly, a custom short URL generator platform, to provide our university departments with custom short URLs that use the branded domain boi.st. Custom short URLs are available at no cost to Boise State departments.
Short URLs 101
Accessibility
Always include a URL in text for people who cannot or do not want to scan the QR code. This will ensure there is always another way for them to access information.
If the URL is very long, not easy to read or contains many numbers and symbols please use the form to request a shortened boi.st URL.
Usage guidelines
- Order a custom short URL if you have an existing QR code or need to otherwise display a URL on printed or digital marketing materials.
- Ordering a custom short URL is not necessary if ordering a QR code. Ordering a custom short URL is embedded in the QR code order form.
- There is no cost to order a custom short URL.
- For printed or digital marketing, whether internal or external, departments should order custom short URLs with the boi.st branded domain and should not use a free account to make a bit.ly generic short URL or other url shortener.
- At this time, the university does not have an enterprise Bitly license. All custom short URLs should be ordered via the QR code order form or the Custom Short URL order form.
Examples of urls that do not require short urls:
- boisestate.edu/admissions
- boisestate.edu/coas
- boisestate.edu/giving
Examples of urls that do require short urls:
- boisestate.edu/news/2023/02/17/answering-the-call-boise-state-provides-the-nurses-idaho-needs
- boisestate.edu/registrar-catalog/#/programs
- boisestate.edu/news/2023/02/01/boise-state-online-business-programs-receive-top-national-rankings
- Google forms