Intended Audience
This article is intended for current faculty and staff who would like to utilize the go.umflint.edu URL shortener.
Requirements
To follow this article you will need to have access to the Internet. You will also need to have access to your university account and know your current university credentials (uniqname and current password). Duo two-factor authentication is also required to access go.umflint.edu.
Table of Contents
What is go.umflint.edu? [Back]
Go.umflint.edu is a webpage that is used to shorten URLs with UM-Flint branding. Shortened URLs make it easy to type in a web address quickly. Below are steps to shorten a URL.
- Log in to go.umflint.edu using your uniqname and current password.
- Approve access through Duo two-factor authentication.
- Click on the Shorten URL tab.
- When the dialog box opens, enter the URL that needs to be shortened into the URL field.
- Optional: Entering a "custom slug" creates a custom URL ending like go.umflint.edu/testing, where 'testing' is the slug. By default, a random URL ending will be generated.
- Optional: Set a date and time for the URL to expire. By default, the URL will not expire. Please see more detailed information below.
- Click on the + Create button.
- The shortened URL will be listed in the "Shortened URL" field and the destination URL will be listed to the right.. Click Copy URL to copy the Go link for sharing with others.
Short URLs Actions [Back]
Navigate to the main Home tab for additional options. There is an option to Copy URL which will put the URL on your clipboard. Also, there are several options under the Details button which include Information, Shares, Activity Log, Edit, and Delete.
- The Information option allows you to view traffic to the URL for the past 7 days and total visits. This is a great way to monitor and analyze the traffic associated with the URLs.
- The Shares option allows you to type in an email and send the URL directly to the user. Please see more detailed information below.
- The Activity Log option allows you to see any actions that have been taken with your URL.
- The Edit option allows you to change the URL or the Slug. You can also retroactively set your URL to expire at a specific date and time.
- The Delete option will completely remove the URL from your URL list.
Shortened URL owners have the option to share a short URL with other users or departments. Likewise, a short URL can also be unshared if sharing is no longer necessary. If a short URL is shared with another user or department, the user or department will be able to manage (i.e., edit or delete) the short URL. Please keep in mind before sharing a short URL if anyone deletes the short URL it will be deleted for everyone.
Set URLs to Expire [Back]
When creating a short URL, an expiration date for when the URL should stop working can be set. For instance, if the expiration date is set for Wednesday, November 18, 2020, at 8:00 a.m., the short URL will no longer forward to the appropriate link after that date/time. This feature can be useful if users want to make a short URL for an event on events.umflint.edu to stop working when the event has ended.
Safe Redirecting [Back]
When a ‘+’ is appended to the end of a short URL (e.g., https://go.umflint.edu/I30y8+) and a user clicks on it, the user will be taken to a preview page that displays information about the short URL (the image below is an example of the information that will be displayed). You will then have the option to continue by clicking the, “Continue to destination” button in the lower right corner of the preview page.
Related Links [Back]
For further information on Duo two-factor authentication please visit the Duo Documentation.
Troubleshooting [Back]
If you have any questions or experience any issues with using go.umflint.edu or Duo, please contact the ITS Helpdesk for assistance.
Location: 206 Murchie Science Building
Hours: go.umflint.edu/hours
Phone: (810) 762-3123
Email: flint.its.support@umich.edu