A/B Test Short Links: One Link, Three Splits｜link
Last updated: 2026-06
One 連 short link can split traffic three ways at once: a weighted A/B test across multiple destination URLs, device routing, and /suffix source tracking — with no need to swap the URL or create a second link. You share a single base short link in a post or ad, and the backend distributes incoming clicks by weight across two or more destinations, sends iOS, Android, and other devices to different pages, and counts each source separately using suffixes like /spring/ig versus /spring/edm. Built-in analytics show clicks per variant and per suffix in real time, so you can see which one wins. All links, clicks, and audience data live in your own Cloudflare D1, not a third-party cloud.
How does one short link run an A/B split?
The A/B split works by setting two or more destination URLs under the same base short link and giving each a weight; 連 then distributes incoming clicks across those destinations according to the proportions you set.
Because the splitting happens in the link backend, you only ever publish one URL. To test which landing page, offer, or copy converts better, hang them all under one link instead of creating separate short links and comparing them by hand.
Device routing: iOS, Android, and default to different pages
Beyond weighted splitting, 連 can route by device: send iOS users to one URL, Android users to another, and everything else to a default URL.
This makes 'one link, different destinations per device' simple — for example, sending each mobile OS to its matching download or landing page, while the user only ever sees the same short link.
/source suffix tracking: count channels separately under one base link
Add a suffix after the base short link — for example /spring/ig and /spring/edm — and 連 counts the clicks for each source separately, even though they share the same base link.
So for one campaign posted to Instagram, an EDM, and different channels, you can attach a suffix to each and later see which channel drove more clicks, without spinning up a separate short link per channel.
Real-time analytics: see which variant and source wins
連's built-in analytics show clicks per variant and per suffix in real time, so you don't have to wait on an exported report to see which destination or source is performing better.
Because you can change the destination without changing the URL, the shared link you've already published can keep iterating — swap landing pages, adjust weights, add or remove destinations, all without touching the short link already in the wild.
Your data lives in your own Cloudflare D1
連 is a self-hosted link shortener in the LUVAI family: your links, clicks, and audience data live in your own Cloudflare D1 rather than a third-party cloud service.
That means the click and source data your split tests accumulate stays in your own hands. This feature is free.
FAQ
How is an A/B test short link different from a normal one?
The difference is whether one link can split traffic. A normal short link maps one URL to one fixed destination; 連's A/B split sets two or more destination URLs under the same base short link and distributes traffic across them by the weights you choose. You publish a single URL, and the backend lets you compare different landing pages, offers, or copy — with built-in analytics showing clicks per variant in real time so you can see which one wins.
Can device routing and weighted A/B splitting be used together?
One 連 link supports three ways to split: weighted A/B splitting, device routing (sending iOS, Android, and default to different URLs), and /source suffix tracking. The documented behavior describes how each of these three capabilities works on its own; for exactly how to combine them on a single link, follow your backend setup. The core idea is one public short link, with the final destination decided by weight or by device.
Do I need a new short link to change the destination?
No. 連 lets you change the destination without changing the URL, so the short link you've already placed in a post, ad, or EDM can keep being used. Whether you want to swap the landing page, adjust the A/B weights, or add and remove destinations, you don't have to generate a new link or ask everyone to update it — which lets you keep iterating on the same shared link.
How do suffixes like /spring/ig and /spring/edm work?
They are /source suffix tracking: append different suffixes to the same base short link, and 連 counts the clicks for each suffix separately while they share one base link. For one spring campaign, use /spring/ig on Instagram and /spring/edm in your EDM, and afterward the real-time analytics show each source's clicks separately, so you can judge which channel drove more traffic.