F.A.Q.

What is URLZip?

Consider a web URL like the following (It is a real website, go ahead and click it if you wish) --
http://www.google.ca/search?q=%22Brian+R.+Bondy%22&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8& client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official (124 characters)

After "zipping" the same above URL looks like this:
http://urlzip.org/a (19 characters)

Why ZIP URLs?

There are several reasons.
1) You may want to access a site with a long URL by memory
2) When you e-mail long URLs, they will break and become unusable.
3) You will have a permanent link to the resource you want to reference.
4) If you have a user account, you can track how popular a "zipped" URL is
5) If you have a user account, you can edit a "zipped" URL in the future.
6) Some forms have character limits, so a long link takes up your entire message.

Can I create a program or website that uses your service?

Sure. Please simply call http://urlzip.org/zip.aspx?longUrl=URLEncodedURL
The response of this call will give you the short URL.
You can also specify an optional keyword argument.
http://urlzip.org/zip.aspx?longUrl=brianbondy.com&keyword=bbondy
This will generate something similar to: http://urlzip.org/bbondy

How can I "zip" a URL?

Simply go to URLZip.org, type in your long URL in the box, and click on Zip it!

Can I do deep-linking with URLZip?

Yes, any URL that you Zip, will allow you to do deep-linking.
For example: if you zip "http://reallylongdomainname.com/directory1" into "http://urlzip.org/a"
You can access "http://reallylongdomainname.com/directory1/directory2 by calling "http://urlzip.org/a/directory2"

What is the "Zip it!" bookmarklet?

That is a shortcut that you can add to your browser's personal links bar for quicker zipping. Just drag the "Zip it!" link below to your LINKS or PERSONAL bar in the browser.

I have a problem, who can I contact?

Please feel free to contact brian[at]vwsolutions.com for any problems, comments or questions.

Do I need to register to use this service?

Absolutely not. You are free to use the service without logging in and without creating an account.

Why should I register?

You can access several extra features by registering.
1) View your zipped URLs
2) Edit your zipped URLs
3) Search your zipped URLs
4) View statistics on your zipped URLs

Can I edit my zipped URLs?

Yes. In fact, this is yet another reason to register.

Can I delete my zipped URLs?

No.

How long will the zipped URLs last?

They will never be deleted, unless abuse is reported.

Can I password protect my zipped URLs?

Yes, simply click on the advanced link from the main page.

I received SPAM mail with zipped URLs inside of it, what do I do?

Please report the "zipped" URL to us, we will disable the URL, and contact the ISP of the creator of the "zipped" URL. We will also ban the IP of the user from using this service.

Can I change my password, username etc?

Yup, just login.

Are zipped URLs case-sensitive?

No.

I have a cool idea for URLZip, can I email you?

Yes, please contact me at brian[at]vwsolutions.com

Is URLZip open source?

No. It is free though.

Will this website remain free?

Yes; however, we do reserve the right to show banner ads.

Is URLZip completley unique?

No, there are several other services that do similar tasks. Just not as good.