YouTube Link Shortener

The YouTube link shortener, youtu.be, is a service allowing users to created abbreviated links to YouTube video pages. The service does not permit short links with any target other than YouTube, removing the possibility of exploitation by fraudulent websites and other short-URL security issues.

History and features

The youtu.be URL shortener was introduced in December 2009. The .be domain is the top-level domain (TLD) for Belgium. Since its inception, youtu.be has guaranteed that all of its short links redirect only to YouTube videos, helping to obviate users' concerns over clicking opaque short links. The service is integrated with Google's AutoShare features, which allows users to automatically share YouTube favorites with friends on various social networks. Shared links are shortened using youtu.be.

Short URLs

Unlike many URL shortening services, youtu.be prioritizes safety and clarity over maximizing shortness. Short URLs look like "http://youtu.be/FdeioVndUhs" and are composed of the base domain and the full YouTube video ID of the target video. Because the service is restricted in this way, browser extensions and social networks can automatically identify short YouTube links and offer thumbnails or other metadata related to the link.

The YouTube link shortener is a great tool for social media addicts who love to share their YouTube finds with their friends. The service makes it easy to post YouTube links to services like Twitter and Facebook, where long, complicated URLs are problematic. The security of knowing that youtu.be goes only to YouTube allows users to trust these links and makes sharing easier.