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Make content requests

Ask for a short URL

You can use short GOV.UK URLs to make long URLs easier for users to remember and type in. For example, gov.uk/hmrc redirects to https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs.

You might want to create a short URL when you’ll be publicising links to:

  • guidance or policy content
  • campaign sites
  • organisation and group pages

You can then use the short URLs in:

  • written media, like letters, print adverts and posters
  • broadcast media, like TV and radio
  • social media

Short URLs can link to:

  • GOV.UK pages, like https://www.gov.uk/guidance/download-the-hmrc-app
  • GOV.UK sub-domains, like https://www.registertovote.service.gov.uk/ and https://helptogrow.campaign.gov.uk/
  • external government sub-domains, like .judiciary.uk, .nhs.uk and .ukri.org

Ask for a short URL

You can ask for a short URL if you’re the GOV.UK lead or a managing editor in your organisation.

Submit your request at least 2 weeks before you need it. The Government Digital Service (GDS) might not be able to meet your deadline if they do not get the full 2 weeks’ notice.

Use the content advice form.

Include:

  • the reason you need a short URL
  • the content or page the short URL will link to
  • how your short URL will be used in marketing and promotion – including the channels you will be using and the number of users who will be targeted
  • what the main message will be in your marketing and communications
  • how many government organisations will promote the short URL
  • if there’s a deadline for when the short URL must go live

GDS will work with you to decide on a short URL. You can make suggestions. They should meet the URL standards for GOV.UK.

If you want to track usage of the short URL

When you raise your request, send over the full URL with UTM parameters.

UTM parameters have 3 main parts:

  • source
  • medium
  • campaign

The source is where users are coming from. This is the platform you’ll be using to share the short URL, for example ‘letter, radio, facebook, print’ or you can use the name of your department, for example ‘forestry-commission’.

The medium is the type of channel you’re using for a redirect or campaign. If you’re not sure what you use, use the default ‘shorturl’.

The campaign is the name of the promotional activity the short URL is being used for, for example ‘tax-credits-2022’.

For example: gov.uk/benefits-credits/tax-credits?utm_source=letter&utm_medium=shorturl&utm_campaign=tax-credits-2022

You can use a campaign URL builder to help put the UTM parameters together. If you’re not sure how to add parameters, include this in your request and GDS can help.
If you want to track multiple UTM parameters, like if you’re using it in both print and radio campaigns, you’ll need multiple short URLs.

Note:

Read more about how to track the use of links with UTM parameters in guidance about collecting data about user journeys.

What happens next

Someone from GDS will get in touch with you within 2 days to discuss your request.

When your short URL goes live

GDS will create the short URL once the page it is linking to goes live.

Because short URLs can only link to live content, do not publicise the short URLs until both the content and the short URL are live. If you do it before they’re live, you’ll send your users to a ‘This page cannot be found’ error page.

GDS can pre-approve a short URL if you can share a draft of the page before it goes live.