How a retargeting link works
A normal short link sends the visitor straight to the destination. When a link has a retargeting pixel, urlf.ly first shows a brief page for about 2 seconds. That page loads the Meta Pixel, the AdRoll pixel, or both, records a page view with them, and then sends the visitor on to the destination.
If the link already shows a page of its own before the redirect, for example a cloaked link, the pixels fire on that page instead and no extra page is added. Known bots and crawlers skip the pixel page and are redirected directly, so they do not end up in your audiences.
Visitors whose browser sends a Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control signal skip the pixel page and are redirected straight away, with no pixel fired.
How to add a retargeting pixel to a link
- Sign in and open the dashboard.
- Paste the long URL into Destination URL.
- Open Advanced options and find Retargeting pixels.
- For Meta, enter your Meta Pixel ID: the number shown for your pixel (dataset) in Meta Events Manager, 8 to 20 digits.
- For AdRoll, enter both the AdRoll advertiser ID and the AdRoll pixel ID from your AdRoll pixel code. Each is 20 to 24 letters and digits, and both are needed.
- Press Create link and share the short link as usual.
You can use Meta, AdRoll, or both on the same link. To change or remove the IDs later, open the link’s Edit page.
Good uses for retargeting links
- Links to pages you do not own. Share a marketplace listing, a press article, or a partner page and still build an audience from the people who clicked.
- Social posts and newsletters. Retarget readers who showed interest in a topic, even if they did not visit your own site.
- Content curation. Share useful third-party resources with your brand’s pixel attached, then reach that audience with your own ads later.
Limits to know
The pixel page adds a short wait before the redirect. Only a page view is sent to Meta or AdRoll; urlf.ly does not send purchases or other conversion events. Ad blockers and browser privacy settings can stop a pixel from loading, so audience sizes are usually smaller than your click counts.
Pixels set cookies for Meta or AdRoll, so check what your privacy policy and the rules where your visitors live require.
Adding a retargeting pixel is part of the paid plan. You can upgrade from your dashboard. If your account later loses access to retargeting pixels, the IDs stay saved on the link but the pixels stop firing and the link redirects directly.
Frequently asked questions
Which retargeting pixels can I add to a short link?
A Meta Pixel (Facebook and Instagram ads) and an AdRoll pixel. You can add one or both to the same link.
Do visitors notice the pixel page?
They see a brief page for about 2 seconds before they are sent to the destination. Links that already show a page of their own, such as cloaked links, fire the pixel there with no extra wait.
Do bots end up in my retargeting audience?
Known bots and crawlers are redirected without the pixel page, so the pixel does not fire for them.
Can I track purchases with the pixel on a short link?
No. The short link sends a page view only. Purchases and other conversions need the pixel on your own site.