PrettyLinks – Affiliate Links, Link Branding, Link Tracking, Marketing and Stripe Payments Plugin

What is PrettyLinks?

PrettyLinks is a WordPress plugin that shrinks, beautifies, and tracks any URL you share. It lets you create short links using your own domain name instead of services like bit.ly. The plugin also tracks each click, showing you the source, browser, and operating system of every visitor. Since 2009, developer Blair Williams has maintained this tool for 17 years. It now has over 300,000 active installs and holds a 4.8 out of 5 star rating from 1,315 reviews. A full 94% of those ratings are five stars.

Beyond link management, PrettyLinks now includes PrettyPay. This feature enables one-click payments via Stripe. You can sell e-books, courses, or subscriptions directly from your own domain. The current version is 3.6.22, updated as recently as May 28, 2026. This long development history and high user satisfaction make it a trusted choice for link control.

Key Features of PrettyLinks

• Custom Domain Link Shortening – Shorten any URL using your own domain name, creating branded links instead of generic ones.
• PrettyPay Stripe Payments – Create one-click purchase links for digital products, accepting payments through Stripe without a separate storefront.
• Multiple Redirect Types – Choose between 301 (permanent), 302 (temporary), and 307 (temporary) redirects to suit your linking strategy.
• Detailed Click Tracking – Track total clicks and unique clicks per link, with data on visitor location, browser, and operating system.
• Customizable Reports – Generate reports with configurable charts filtered by date range, specific link, or unique clicks.
• Configurable Slugs – Use auto-generated 3-4 character slugs or create your own custom slugs for each link.
• CSV Click Data Export – Download click details as a CSV file for offline analysis and record keeping.
• One-Click Link Sharing – Copy and manage all your PrettyLinks from a single centralized admin area.

Who Should Use PrettyLinks?

PrettyLinks is built for affiliate marketers who want to clean up and brand their referral links. The plugin helps group, organize, and track those links under one domain. Bloggers, podcasters, and social media marketers also benefit from the click tracking and custom slugs. The plugin works with any WordPress theme because it operates mainly in the admin area. No coding skills are required to set up links or view reports.

With over 300,000 active installs and a 94% five-star rating, the tool suits beginners and experienced site owners alike. The PrettyPay feature also opens it up to anyone selling digital goods. You can sell a course or subscription directly from a link shared on Twitter or in an email. The plugin requires WordPress 6.0 or higher and PHP 7.4 or later, making it accessible to most modern sites.

Installation & Setup

Upload the pretty-link.zip file to your /wp-content/plugins/ directory, then activate it from the Plugins menu. Before using PrettyLinks, you must change your permalink settings away from the default option in Settings > Permalinks. The setup process is beginner-friendly, and a dedicated Getting Started page guides you through the first links.

Support & Community

Plugin support data from the last two months shows 2 open threads and 1 resolved, giving a 50% resolution rate. This suggests that while the developer responds, some issues may take longer to close. The rating breakdown is heavily positive, with 94% five-star reviews versus only 3% one-star. This gap indicates that most users find the plugin reliable for their link management needs. The plugin has been maintained for 17 years, which points to consistent developer attention over the long term.