Link disguising is all about hiding a link so that it looks like another link. Though the term itself might sound dubious, it is very useful in the digital world. People generally mask links to shorten them and brand them.
Disguising a link means concealing the bad parts or random characters of the URL to make it look clean, and here‘s where URL shorteners come in handy for turning these messy and random links into something meaningful and useful.
In this article, you’ll learn what a disguised link is and how to create one in just a few simple steps. Let’s begin!
What is a disguised link?
A disguised link (also called a cloaked URL or masked URL) hides the original URL and redirects traffic to the original destination URL without damaging the user experience.
Advanced URL shorteners make disguising a URL easy and allow you to quickly create a customized URL (or vanity URL/branded link) that appears to the users when you share with them.
Now the real question arises. Why do people use disguised links?
Why disguise a link?
- Creates a great first impression: A URL is something that people see at first sight when you share a profile, video link, company website, etc. So, if it looks suspicious, no one is going to click
- Increases your sales: Disguising a link can significantly improve e-commerce sales, brand engagement, and user experience since users are more likely to click a link that looks branded and clean.
- Tracks link performance: URL tracking tools not only disguise links but also allow track performance by creating custom links.
- They are easy to create: With the use of powerful URL masking tools, it has become super easy to create disguised links. So, why not go for a branded URL rather than one that looks like a jumble of random characters?
Shorten your links, amplify your brand.
Create shareable, trackable and fully customizable branded urls. Get more clicks with absolute link management features such as Bio Links, retargeting, deep Links, CTA’s and more.
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Reasons to use disguised links
There are various reasons to disguise links. Below are the ones on top of the list:
- URL shortening and beautification
- Replace nasty and ugly URLs
- To make affiliate links
- To disguise free web hosting URLs
Related: Benefits of using branded short links
Disguised links for affiliate marketing
Are you an affiliate looking to boost e-commerce sales and shorten those long, messy URLs? Two birds, one stone?
Link disguisers are your best friend! Using a URL shortener can disguise long affiliate links and allow you to protect your affiliate ID from malware.
Apart from this, you can also use a custom-branded link associated with your product and brand, thus increasing brand credibility and the trust of the consumer.
Related: Best affiliate marketing tools
How do you disguise a link on a website?
A URL shortener is your secret weapon to transform any clunky link into a sleek, hidden gem. But that’s just the beginning—you can also track performance, analyze click data, and enhance your links with CTAs, bio links, retargeting pixels, and more!
Let’s say that you are promoting a new line of Columbia whole coffee beans that you just launched.
Here’s how you can use Replug to disguise your link:
Step 1: Open the Replug app
The first step is to simply type in the URL of the Replug app:
Step 2: Sign in or create an account
Sign in to your Replug account or create one if you don’t already have one:
Step 3: Enter the URL you want to mask
Step 4: Mask your URL
After you click on the blue next button, you’ll be led to a popup. From there, you can change the URL slug, thereby masking your URL so that it doesn’t look spammy.
From here you can also set additional parameters that you want for your campaign, such as customized favicon, deep linking, A/B testing, etc. You can also add a UTM parameter to track your links’ performance!
Now just type the slug (in our example “columbia-whole-bean”) and click on the green tickmark icon to save your disguised URL.
Step 5: Save and share!
Once done, just click on the “Save Shortened Link” button and share it with your audience, whenever, wherever!
Branded Short Links
Create and track branded short links for your business for better conversions.
Brand Your Links Now!
Replug key features
Link Management
Multiple link shortening tools are available in the market, but Replug is among the few best link shorteners that offers link disguising, tracking & optimization as well as a catchy call to action.
Replug is an easy URL shortening and tracking platform that allows you to:
- Create eye-catching branded URLs.
- Generate social media bio links
- Add URL tracking with custom URL UTM parameters, and tags
- Generate a QR code
- Add retargeting pixels with powerful analytics and branded links.
Replug Chrome extension
Replug’s chrome extension makes it easier to create disguise links. You can download the Google Chrome extension and log into your Replug account by entering your login credentials.
Once completed, you’ll have full control of using Replug features in no time.
Link analytics
Replug stands higher among all link management tools when it comes to link analytics. You can make a profitable brand strategy by keeping an eye on link analytics.
Below are some great analytics you can track using Replug:
- Conversion performance
- Click-through rate
- Visitor by browser
- Visitors by the operating system
- Visitor by country
- Visitor by source/referrer
Deep linking
Deep links let users go to the specific application rather than going through the hassle of visiting irrelevant web pages. These powerful links increase overall engagement and conversion rates.
Use deep links for seamless navigation
Trigger more clicks, conversions & app installations with fully customizable deep links.
Learn More!
Traffic routing
With the help of traffic routing, you can reach your target audience by setting multiple filters such as geography, browser, and device. You can also select the IP address, dates, and time. Hence, the traffic routing feature allows you to redirect users and deliver a unique experience on the base of these filters.
A/B testing
A/B testing features allow you to redirect links to several destinations. Efficiently distribute the weightage and start testing up to 10 customized links simultaneously.
Final words
Using a URL shortener to disguise a link is not only for the people of the e-commerce world. In fact, URL shorteners are way much more than just a shortening tool.
You can create bio links, test landing pages via A/B testing, add CTA’s for special offers and discounts, route and redirect traffic etc. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
FAQs for how to disguise a link
What is a disguised link, and why is it useful?
A disguised link (or cloaked URL) hides the original URL, making it cleaner and more trustworthy. It improves click-through rates, builds trust, and is commonly used in affiliate marketing and e-commerce.
How can I track the performance of my disguised links?
Advanced link management tools provide metrics like click-through rates, locations, and conversions. You can also add UTM parameters to gain deeper insights.
What is the best tool for disguising links?
One of the best tools for disguising links is Replug. It offers easy link customization, tracking, and branding features to enhance link performance.
