How to make a destination URL parametric

The JotUrl engine offers 2 different methods to get parametric destination URLs. However, this feature is only available on paid plans and for tracking links created on custom domains. It is also necessary to enable the option that allows the transfer of parameters from the tracking link to the destination URL, by contacting our customer service.

Method 1: Transfer all parameters from the tracking link to the destination URL

When the option that allows to transfer parameters from the tracking link to its destination URL is enabled, all parameters passed to the tracking link are transferred to its destination URL.

If there is a correspondence between the name of a parameter passed to the tracking link with one already present in the destination URL, the value of the latter is modified with the corresponding value passed to the tracking link.

For instance, being domain.my/alias the tracking link, with long.url/path?page=1 as its destination URL, we have:

domain.my/alias?param=value1 redirects to long.url/path?page=1&param=value1

domain.my/alias?param=test redirects to long.url/path?page=1&param=test

domain.my/alias?page=2&param=value2 redirects to long.url/path?page=2&param=value2

domain.my/alias?page=3 redirects to long.url/path?page=3

domain.my/alias redirects to long.url/path?page=1

Method 2: Parametric Destination URL

To create a parameterized destination URL you need to create a tracking link with the destination URL containing one or more parameters. The parameter can be inserted anywhere in the URL (including in the query string). The name of each parameter is delimited by double curly braces (e.g., {{param}}). The parameter name also identifies the parameter passed to the tracking link.

For instance, suppose the tracking link domain.my/alias has long.url/path/{{param}} as its destination URL. By passing the parameter param to the tracking link, its value is automatically substituted in the destination URL at {{param}}.

Let's make some examples:

domain.my/alias?param=value1 redirects to long.url/path/value1

domain.my/alias?param=test redirects to long.url/path/test

domain.my/alias?source=joturl redirects to long.url/path/?source=joturl

domain.my/alias redirects to long.url/path/

It is also possible to define a default value for the parameter param which is alternatively considered empty. To define the default value, you need to add a vertical bar | after the parameter name followed by the default value. For example long.url/path/{{param|to}}.

In this case, the above examples would become:

domain.my/alias?param=value1 redirects to long.url/path/value1

domain.my/alias?param=test redirects to long.url/path/test

domain.my/alias redirects to long.url/path/to

Let's make some more sophisticated examples.

If the tracking link domain.my/alias has long.url/path/{{a|id}}/{{b|0}} as its destination URL, we have that:

domain.my/alias redirects to long.url/path/id/0

domain.my/alias?a=page&b=pricing redirects to long.url/path/page/pricing

domain.my/alias?b=12345 redirects to long.url/path/id/12345

domain.my/alias?a=index redirects to long.url/path/index/0

Only when the parameters are used in the path/host of the destination URL, you can also use path and host modifiers that can be combined with each other::

1. a parameter starting with tr: (e.g., {{tr:abcd/}}) implies deleting the indicated characters (e.g. abcd/) from the end of the path of the destination URL,
2. a parameter starting with tl: (e.g., {{tl:abcd/}}) implies deleting the indicated characters (e.g., abcd/) from the beginning of the host of the destination URL,
3. a parameter starting with d: (e.g., {{d:source}}) causes that parameter to be removed from the destination URL..

For example, if the tracking link domain.my/alias has {{sub}}.long.url/path/{{a}}/{{b}}{{tr:/}}{{tl:.}}{{d:c}} as its destination URL, we have:

• domain.my/alias redirects to long.url/path (character / to the right of the path is removed, character . to the left of the host is removed)
• domain.my/alias?a=page&b=pricing&c=test&sub=www redirects to www.long.url/path/page/pricing (parameter c is removed)
• domain.my/alias?b=12345 redirects to long.url/path/12345 (character . to the left of the host is removed)
• domain.my/alias?a=index redirects to long.url/path/index (character / to the right of the path is removed, character . to the left of the host is removed)

A special case is obtained by using a numeric parameter (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, …) in the destination URL.

In this case, in order to pass the parameters to the destination URL it is sufficient to pass the parameter value as the path of the tracking link, e.g.:

domain.my/alias/param1/param2/param3
            |     |      |      | 
          {{0}} {{1}}  {{2}}  {{3}}

For example, if the tracking link domain.my/alias has long.url/path/{{1}}/{{2}} as its destination URL, we have:

domain.my/alias/test/page redirects to long.url/path/test/page

domain.my/alias/test redirects to long.url/path/test/

domain.my/alias redirects to long.url/path/

As in the previous case, it is possible to define a default value for the numeric parameters.

For instance, if the tracking link domain.my/alias has   long.url/path/{{1|page}}/{{2|404}}#{{3}} as its destination URL, we have:

domain.my/alias/test/page/rdr redirects to long.url/path/test/page#rdr

domain.my/alias/test redirects to long.url/path/test/404

domain.my/alias redirects to long.url/path/page/404

WARNING: the parameters passed with this last method can contain only alphanumeric characters, any other character can lead to unpredictable behavior.

WARNING: parametric destination URLs are ignored by our link security monitor and advanced link content monitor (watchdog).

Questions? Please contact our customer service . We're happy to help!