Automation and API access

Approved commercial clients can use authorized API access to create and manage links from external systems such as campaign tools, CRM software, partner portals, and internal dashboards. API-created links follow the same destination quality, service-host, safety, length, custom slug, expiration, click limit, password, UTM, domain, and targeting rules that protect browser-created links, while supporting trusted high-volume workflows.

Commercial API access is intended for approved systems that need to create or manage links automatically. It can support campaign platforms, CRM tools, partner portals, internal dashboards, bulk link workflows, and reporting automation. API-created links still follow the same validation and safety expectations as browser-created links: destination quality, service-host restrictions, length, custom slug rules, expiration, click limits, passwords, UTM values, branded domains, and targeting controls.

API access should be treated as a trusted integration, not a shortcut around product rules. Tokens represent permission to use commercial workflows and should be granted only to systems that need them. The user-facing site can still keep public abuse limits, while commercial API clients operate under their own authorization model.

Example: a CRM creates a personalized short link for every lead in an email campaign, assigns a UTM template, sets a branded domain, and records conversion events when leads complete a form. The marketing team can then review performance inside clk.ms and in the CRM.

Best practice: give each integration its own token, rotate credentials when ownership changes, and keep generated links organized by campaign, group, or domain. Use the API for repeatable workflows and the browser interface for review, design, and one-off changes.

How to apply this section

Each topic explains a feature, the user decision behind it, and how to use it without making the link harder to manage. Read the checklist before changing a link that is already shared.

Before you publish or update

Start from the visitor experience: who opens the link, from where, on which device, and what should happen next.
Check that the destination is correct, opens quickly, and shows the expected page for the intended audience.
Choose only the controls that match the goal, such as expiration, password, referrer, QR design, UTM, routing, or analytics sharing.
Save a short note for important changes so future review, rollback, or teamwork stays clear.
Open the short link in a private browser session and, when relevant, test mobile, desktop, QR scan, and protected access paths.
Review analytics after sharing to confirm real visitors, source quality, device mix, and campaign performance.

Practical example

Example: create a test link for an internal page, add a clear slug, set a short expiration, enable preview if the destination is sensitive, scan the QR code from a phone, then check whether the visit appears in the link statistics.

Next step

After this topic is clear, combine it with one adjacent feature. For example, pair UTM with campaigns, QR with print layouts, targeting with fallback, or webhooks with conversion tracking.