Use case: newsletter operators

Know which links your readers actually click.

Shorten every link in every issue. See per-link CTR in real time. Fix a broken destination after you've already hit send. Works with Beehiiv, Substack, ConvertKit, and Ghost.

Start free — 5 links, no card

Why raw links break newsletter analytics

  • You can't change a destination after sending. If a link 404s after the issue goes out, every click is wasted.
  • Most newsletter platforms only show open rate and total clicks — not which of your 8 links got clicks. You can't tell what your readers actually engage with.
  • Long URLs look spammy in plain-text emails and break across lines on mobile clients.
  • UTM-tagged URLs are ugly and reveal your tracking to readers who hover.

How Glu.Onl fixes it

  • One branded short link per destination, per issue. Set up once, reuse across newsletter, social, anywhere.
  • Real-time clicks per link. See which of the 8 links in your issue got the traffic — by device, country, referrer.
  • Swap the destination after send. Linked the wrong page? Edit the link target in your dashboard. All future clicks redirect to the new URL.
  • Custom slug per issue like go.yourbrand.com/issue47 — readable, memorable, brand-consistent.

Setting it up — the practical version

  1. 1. Set up your custom domain (one-time, ~10 min)

    On the Starter plan ($9/mo), add a subdomain like go.yourbrand.com in your dashboard. Add an A record pointing it at our IP. Caddy issues TLS in under a minute, no config needed.

  2. 2. Create a link per destination per issue

    For every external link in your issue, create one short link in Glu.Onl. Use a custom slug per issue (/issue47-tool) so analytics segment cleanly. Most newsletters have 5–10 external links per issue — takes 2 minutes.

  3. 3. Paste the short URL into your newsletter editor

    In Beehiiv / Substack / ConvertKit / Ghost, paste go.yourbrand.com/issue47-tool instead of the raw URL. Send the issue.

  4. 4. Read the analytics

    In your Glu.Onl dashboard, see clicks per link. Business plan ($99/mo) auto-refreshes every 5–10 seconds for real-time monitoring during a launch send. Pro ($29/mo) and Starter show clicks once data is processed, typically within a few minutes — refresh the page yourself to see the latest counts. Filter by device, country, referrer, time range. Export to CSV (Pro+) if you need to slice it elsewhere.

  5. 5. Fix mistakes after send

    Pointed the link at the wrong URL? Realized the destination changed? In your dashboard, click the link, edit the target. Subsequent clicks redirect to the new URL. The reader sees the right page — they don't know anything changed.

Tips per newsletter platform

Beehiiv

Beehiiv has its own click-tracking, but only at the issue level — not per-link CTR. Glu.Onl gives you the per-link view Beehiiv doesn't expose.

Substack

Substack only shows aggregate engagement. Wrap your sponsor link, your CTA link, and your reference links separately to know which one drove the response.

ConvertKit

ConvertKit tracks clicks but doesn't track post-click destinations. Use Glu.Onl to A/B different destinations for the same email link by editing the target between sends.

Ghost

Ghost has no built-in click tracking on free plans. Glu.Onl is the cheapest way to add it without leaving Ghost.

Theo, founder of IndieGoWeb Ltd

How I use Glu.Onl in my own newsletter.

I run StackSignal, an AI and growth newsletter. Every link I send goes through Glu.Onl on my own custom domain. I see which posts hit, swap broken destinations after send, and track real-time clicks during a launch.

IndieGoWeb on LinkedInIndieGoWeb Ltd

Newsletter tracking FAQ

Do I need a paid plan to track newsletter clicks?

Free plan tracks clicks on the default glu.onl domain. For your own custom domain (recommended for newsletters), start with Starter at $9/mo.

Can I track clicks per subscriber?

Not directly — Glu.Onl tracks clicks per link, not per email recipient. For per-subscriber tracking you'd combine Glu.Onl with your newsletter platform's subscriber-level analytics.

How fast does data appear?

Business plan ($99/mo) includes real-time analytics that auto-refresh every 5–10 seconds — useful during a launch send to watch clicks roll in. Pro and Starter plans show clicks once data is processed, typically within a few minutes, with no auto-refresh — you can refresh the page yourself to see the latest counts.

Will my email provider mark Glu.Onl links as spam?

When you use a custom domain (Starter+), the links resolve to your own domain — not glu.onl. Reputable newsletter platforms accept these without flag. Free-tier glu.onl links can occasionally trigger spam filters in stricter inboxes.

Ready to track your newsletter clicks?

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5 links free forever. Custom domain on Starter ($9/mo).